I went to St Peter's square twice on this trip ... never managed to get my act together early enough to get tickets to go inside.  

The square doesn't really seem like a square because of the two large colonnades that flank each side.  They define the geometry of the  "square." Each colonnades consists of four sets of marble columns.  Three of the sets are seen in this first photo.

And there are square pillars, too!

Between the colonnades is a very large open space.  Up front, near the church, is a large area dedicated to  seating.  The size of the space is difficult to judge, but look closely at the base of the church on the left side ... its just possible to make out a line of people:

In the center of the circle (as defined by the colonnades) is an obelisk standing 83 feet tall.  It was created around the time of Christ in Egypt and moved to Rome. In 1586,  it was installed in the Square.  Here's a shot of the top:

Equally spaced between the Obelisk and the colonnades are two fountains designed by Bernini and installed in 1675:

The fountains caught my attention ... maybe because they provided a little cooling spay brought by the breeze.  Have I mentioned it was hot in Rome?  Here's a closeup pic of the base of one:

The three steps leading up to the colonnades provided a place to sit, rest, and watch.  This is the blue team taking a break:

And, let's not ignore the white team:

The last two shots are my favorites.  I patiently waited for this man to walk down the colonnade and used him as a visual measure of its size:

I continued to explore shooting into the sun.  My most favorite image from St Petter's is this shot of one of the fountains.  At first glance you might  think its a black and white rendition.  No, this is the color version:  

Most public places are difficult to photograph, and St Peter's was no exception.  Keeping the crowds out of the shot and the backgrounds clean was a chore.  

I hope you enjoyed this brief glimpse into one of the most iconic places in Europe (if not the World).

Thank you for stopping by,

Adam