ITALY // This mighty basilica is erected on the spot where Rome's first Pope, the Apostle Peter, was crucified by Nero. The vast church that surrounds his tomb was built by a string of star architects, including Bramante, Michelangelo, Madero and Bernini in the 16th century, and it remains the largest, wealthiest church in Europe, perched atop Vatican Hill like a beacon for the faithful. The cavernous interior is equally opulent, layered in marble and filled with artworks, including Michelangelo's moving Pietà. Why not attend a papal mass with 14,999 other worshippers?