Can’t afford an Italy trip? Here’s how to tour St. Peter’s Basilica for free

The Catholic Church may be known for its ancient rituals, but that doesn’t mean its leaders shy away from modern innovations.
Vatican officials recently partnered with Microsoft — and embraced artificial intelligence — to make a famous Catholic site safer, as well as more accessible to those who may never make it to Vatican City.
The project drew on “400,000 high-resolution digital photographs, taken with drones, cameras and lasers” and artificial intelligence to create a “digital twin” of St. Peter’s Basilica, according to The Associated Press.
You can tour the “twin” online and enjoy the beauty of the famous church from the comfort of your desk.
“It is literally one of the most technologically advanced and sophisticated projects of its kind that has ever been pursued,” Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, said during a Vatican press conference about the effort.
The new digital replica of St. Peter’s Basilica — and the associated digital tour — makes it possible to see and study nearly every square inch of the famous building.
“The ultra-precise 3D replica, developed in collaboration with digital preservation company Iconem, incorporates 22 petabytes of data — enough to fill five million DVDs,” The Associated Press reported.
As interested visitors use the digital tour to get a taste of the Vatican City from far away, experts on historic sites will use it to identify issues like cracks that need to be addressed to keep the church safe, the article noted.
“The images have already identified structural damage and signs of deterioration, such as missing mosaic pieces, cracks and fissures invisible to the naked eye, with a speed and precision far beyond human capabilities,” per The Associated Press.
In a recent meeting with the Microsoft team, Pope Francis thanked them for helping care for St. Peter’s Basilica and for opening it to the world, the article said.
“Everyone, really everyone should feel welcome in this great house,” he said.