By Giulio D'Ercole
6:30 am, this is the starting time for a terrific #romebydaybeautyandhistoryphototourandworkshop that will give you the opportunity to have a very rare view of St. Peter's square and church, as well as of many other iconic locations in the Eternal city.
We'll meet at #castelsantangelo, to walk immediately towards #stpetersquare. Why so early and why straight there? Because the most spectacular basilica of #Christianity is usually overcrowded with tourists wishing to visit it and to go to its beautiful Dome already from 8 a.m. and on. Us, as photographers we like clean views to photograph art and beauty without "obstacles". So, being that early we'll find very few people at the security gates to enter inside this marvel of architecture and art, which is also and foremost the very core of Western religion. Once there we'll be able to take rare shots of sculptures, art, frescos, chapels, and altars with almost nobody around, and, from a respectful distance, we'll also assist the first masses of the day, a compelling and heart moving ritual that takes place even in the absence of followers.
it is in this very special atmosphere, that we can truly experience and feel the incredible energy that St. Peter's church gives off, through its millennial history. In fact, even though the construction of the present Renaissance basilica began on 18 April 1506 and was completed on 18 November 1626, designed principally by artists such as Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the church has stood on this site since the time of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great. and the Old St. Peter's Basilica dates from the 4th century AD.
