When Bernini designed the colonnade of St Peter’s Square, he imagined it as a “forest” of travertine columns.
And as you walk through it, it really does feel like moving through a forest.
But the view changes depending on where you stand.
If you step onto one of the marked points in the square and look at the colonnade, the columns suddenly align and appear as one: the “forest” disappears.
It’s a simple illusion, but also a reminder: seeing things clearly depends on finding the right point of view.
Here’s a closer look at this illusion.
See the video transcript
When in St Peter’s Square in Rome, look for this optical illusion that many people don’t notice. Walk closer to the colonnade and take a careful look at the columns. How many rows can you count? One, two, three, four. So far, nothing strange unless you walk to a specific point in the center of the square. Look for this gray disc. It says, “Centro del Colonnato” (center of the colonnade). Now step on it and look up. How many rows of columns do you see now?
📍 You’ll find it in Piazza San Pietro
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