Palm Sunday in Saint Peter's Square. Vatican City

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If I had to guess, I would say that just about everyone has heard of and seen pictures of, Saint Peter’s Square in Vatican City, especially after the recent naming of a new Pope. I would also venture that many readers of a travel blog have had the opportunity to visit The Vatican. But I would guess that not as many people have had the chance to visit on one of the most important days on the Christian calendar. Well, I had the opportunity to be there on Palm Sunday this year, and it did not disappoint.





Saint Peter’s Square was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and opened in 1667. The interior courtyard is 196 m long and 149 m wide, and is designed to hold up to 300,000 people with a view of both the speaking platform and the Pope’s balcony. It is surrounded by colonnades which contain 284 columns that are 16m tall. The covered walkways are topped off with 140 statues of saints and martyrs.


Colonnade at Saint Peter's Square


At the center of the square is an Egyptian obelisk (25.3 meters tall) which has stood in the square since 40 C.E.




Also in the square is a statue titled Angels Unaware by Timothy Schmalz. It was inaugurated by Pope Francis in 2019 to commemorate the 105th World Day of Migrants and Refugees.





Palm Sunday



 

Palm Sunday is one of the holiest days in Christianity. It is the memorial of the day that Jesus entered Jerusalem. It is a day of celebration, and The Vatican throws quite a party. Upon entering the square, attendees go first to a large pile of olive branches. The branches are held during the service to be blessed. They are then taken home to serve as a blessing on the parishioners houses. Some people chose their branches very quickly, but some spent many minutes picking through the pile to find the exactly right branch.













The Catholic Church is known for pomp and circumstance, and the Vatican does not disappoint, especially on Palm Sunday. The parade of the Cardinals and the blessing of the palms was certainly a great show.




The day is about devotion. Watching the faithful was a great chance to observe and appreciate the deep feelings of those present.









Of course, not everyone was quite so serious all of the time. We live in an era of selfies, instagram, and TikTok, and even Saint Peter’s Square in not immune.



 






I am not a religious person, but watching the crowd on Palm Sunday was a wonderful chance to experience the community that day’s like this bring. 




 









Location: 00120, Vatican City

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