Inside the Vatican - A Virtual Tour, Part 1

St. Peter’s Basilica - the most notable place of the Vatican - is a monument to Peter, a disciple of Jesus. Early Christians were persecuted for their beliefs and, in 64 A.D., Peter himself was reportedly martyred on an inverted cross. He was buried outside the arena, in which he was killed, next to a hill known as Vatican. The first basilica, constructed on the site, was built by Emperor Constantine. It lasted about 1200 years.

In this clip - part one from a National Geographic documentary on the Vatican - Martin Sheen takes us behind the scenes to explain a bit about what goes on in this famous place.