Vatican expands visitor experience at St. Peter's Basilica to mark 400th anniversary

Fancy a pizza with a view? The Vatican is marking the 400th anniversary of the consecration of St. Peter’s Basilica with a host of visitor-friendly initiatives, including expanding access to its spectacular terrace and its snack bar in the shadow of Michelangelo’s great dome. The Vatican on Monday outlined its plans to make better use of St. Peter’s and to redistribute the millions of people who pass through it each year. Among the initiatives are a new online reservation system to cut waiting times and simultaneous translations for Masses in up to 60 languages. In addition, a new permanent exhibition tracing the history of the basilica is opening on the terrace, alongside an expanded snack bar for hungry pilgrims.