Vatican

St. Peter’s Basilica is arguably the most famous Christian worship space in the world. It is a massive church in the style of the Italian High Renaissance located in Vatican City, an independent microstate enclaved within the city of Rome, Italy. A church that truly takes one’s breath away both in scale and splendour, it is regarded as the burial site of St. Peter, head of the twelve Apostles of Jesus and first Pope. Throughout 2026, Catholic pilgrims from across the world will journey to Rome to celebrate the 400th anniversary of its dedication. While the basilica contains countless treasures, antiquities, and art, all insured for billions of euros, one particularly mysterious feature of this sprawling edifice are its “painted”