A Virtual Tour of
Saint Peter's Basilica

Saint Peter's Basilica and Saint Peter Scott 33 (1933) and Scott C5 (1938) It is amazing what you can find as you scan the limitless content found on the internet. Of course, it should always be “viewer beware”, but there are some fascinating articles and videos that increase our knowledge and advance our understanding of our collecting interests. As I was recently searching for a philatelic video on YouTube, I stumbled upon “The Tomb of Saint Peter Explained”. It can be accessed by clicking on the link in the References. It introduced a remarkable project that has recently been completed that has produced a virtual tour of Saint Peter’s Basilica. Produced in concert with Microsoft and incorporating the evolving technology of Artificial Intelligence (AI), a “digital twin” of Saint Peter’s Basilica has been created to allow us a close-up look at the greatest architectural edifice in the world. The YouTube video, featuring Manuel Bravo, takes us on a 15-minute tour to the Vatican Necropolis as part of a tour of the Basilica. The Necropolis includes the burial places of some of the popes, most importantly the tomb of Saint Peter, located deep below the altar of Saint Peter’s Basilica. The video also provides some background into the Microsoft project to compile hundreds of thousands of images from the Basilica to create the “digital twin” of the great Basilica, and provides a link to the Virtual Basilica website, which can be accessed using the link in the references. At the website homepage, by clicking the tab “Story of the Basilica”, one can view a history of Saint Peter’s, as well as some background into the AI project, through four presentations: The Life of St. Peter (The story of St. Peter the man) History of the Basilica (From the Past to the Present) Explore St. Peter's Basilica (Enter the heart of the modern Basilica) Creating the AI-powered experience (Connecting past, present and future) By clicking on the “Virtual 3D Tour” button, the reader can experience the AI-generated virtual tour of the great Saint Peter’s. The two presentations provide some excellent insights into Saint Peter’s, and gives those who have not visited the Basilica and those who have been there multiple times a new look at this great center of the Catholic Church. REFERENCES: Manuel Bravo, YouTube, Tomb of Saint Peter Explained Explore the digital twin of St. Peter's Basilica: Basilica of Saint Peter Vatican Philatelic Society website, www.vaticanstamps.org, Stamp Database Search