IN PICTURES | St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome exposed by AI

The smallest nooks and crannies of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome will be exposed on a virtual portal thanks to the exploitation of 400,000 photos of the monument by artificial intelligence, according to a project presented Monday at the Vatican.

From December 1, Internet users will be able to discover on the basilica website a reconstruction of the evolution through the ages of the basilica, from the Roman era to the current basilica. In addition to this site, exhibition rooms set up inside the basilica will allow visitors to immerse themselves in its history.

The portal will also offer a virtual tour of this monument, which will celebrate its 400th anniversary in 2026, with the possibility of exploring both the Vatican grottoes and the magnificent dome crowning the building.

To bring this project to fruition, the Vatican enlisted the services of the American company Microsoft, which, using 400,000 photos taken by drones, reconstructed the smallest details of the architecture, paintings and sculptures.

This work, which required two years of work, allowed the construction of a “digital twin”, rejoiced Brad Smith, vice-president of Microsoft, during a press conference, welcoming “one of the largest projects of this kind.”

AI made it possible to exploit “the enormous amount of information” contained in the 400,000 photos taken by the drones to reconstruct this “giant patchwork”, he added.

The project aims to “decode for contemporary man, with the help of digital technologies, the intertwining of history, art and spirituality, which makes the basilica a unique place in the world,” explained for his part the archpriest of the basilica, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti.

In addition to the virtual discovery of the monument, the site will also offer to book a visit depending on the number of visitors, while millions of pilgrims are expected in Rome for the jubilee of 2025, a holy year proclaimed by Pope Francis.

With an area of ​​2.3 ha and a capacity of more than 60,000 people, Saint Peter of Rome is the largest Catholic Church in the world. Listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, it houses the tomb of Saint Peter who, according to Catholic tradition, was the first bishop of Rome, and therefore the first pope.

Its construction, on the site of the ancient Vatican basilica built under Emperor Constantine I, began in 1506 and was completed in 1626. Its most important architects are Bramante, Michelangelo, Maderno and Bernini.