The City of God: St. Peter's, the Vatican and Castel Sant'Angelo Audio Walk

The City of God is a self-guided audio walk through the Vatican and the Borgo district, told as a story rather than a list of dates. Start whenever you like under the obelisk of St. Peter's Square and let Bernini's colonnades embrace you. Then step inside St. Peter's Basilica for Bernini's Baldachin, the Tomb of St. Peter beneath the altar, the Chair of St. Peter and Michelangelo's Pietà. Back outside, walk down Via della Conciliazione, past the Bronze Door and the Swiss Guards, to Ponte Sant'Angelo, where Castel Sant'Angelo and the Passetto di Borgo tell how a pope escaped the Sack of Rome in 1527. The route continues to the little-known church of Santo Spirito in Sassia and to the Palace of Justice, built to rival papal power, crosses the ochre houses of Borgo Pio and ends back in St. Peter's Square. Ideal for first-time visitors who want more than a guidebook, and for anyone curious about how faith, power and everyday life meet in the smallest state in the world. Good to know: entry to the Basilica is free but there is a security check, and shoulders and knees must be covered. On Wednesday mornings (papal audience) and during major celebrations, access to the square and the Basilica may be restricted. About 5.5 km and 12 stops: about 2.5 hours at a relaxed pace.