I know, right?
In the Vatican you had swarms of folks takin selfies with the Pieta, with St. Peter...with every statue and piece of carved stone in the place. It was like a carnival, not admiration. B
I told my wife for so many folks who profess not to believe they sure cluttered up the place.
But maybe I am just curmudgeonly that way.
The time to visit the St Peters is when they open in the morning 7am before the touristic hordes arrive. They are still having breakfast then. The place is relatively quiet and serene with the occasional mass taking place in one of the alcoves. I saw the sun streaming in from the front windows and that was a marvelous sight. When the hordes arrive you go up to the roof. If you have some sense of adventure go up in the dome itself. That is how I did it in 1996. Did the museum tour on another day to see the Sistene Chapel. I didn’t know any of this. I read guidebooks beforehand.