# How regularly does lightning strike the Vatican? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 12, 2013, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regularly-does-lightning-strike-the-vatican/650121 "2013-02-12T21:35:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regularly-does-lightning-strike-the-vatican/650121/1 "2013-02-12T21:35:14Z")
There is a pretty cool pic doing the rounds of a lightning bolt striking the Vatican on the same day Pope Benedict announced his resignation. Despite some acquaintances freaking out about it I don’t think its particularly unusual but it did make me wonder if anyone knows how often in an average year would the Vatican be struck by lightning? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regularly-does-lightning-strike-the-vatican/650121/2 "2013-02-12T21:44:45Z")
Can someone confirm the photo is real, and not Photoshop? Seems too coincidental. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regularly-does-lightning-strike-the-vatican/650121/3 "2013-02-12T21:45:56Z")
It seems pretty legit, the person who took it is a professional photographer and as he noticed a storm was coming in he set up and waited patiently for the perfect shot. > **[Lightning strikes the Vatican -- literally](https://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2013/02/12/lightning-bolt-strikes-vatican-pope-benedict-resignation/1913095/)** > > A photo of a lightning bolt striking the Vatican Monday night has gone viral. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regularly-does-lightning-strike-the-vatican/650121/4 "2013-02-12T22:24:01Z")
St. Peter’s is one of the highest structures in that part of Rome, being both on a hill and a freakin’ huge building in its own right. I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of lightning hit it. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regularly-does-lightning-strike-the-vatican/650121/5 "2013-02-13T01:56:31Z")
And there being lighting rods on all the tall buildings… ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regularly-does-lightning-strike-the-vatican/650121/6 "2013-02-13T02:42:26Z")
I see that Ben Franklin is still beating the “Prince of the Power of the Air”. ---
**Author:** ![WhyWhyWhy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whywhywhy/32/7539_2.png) [@WhyWhyWhy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyWhyWhy)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regularly-does-lightning-strike-the-vatican/650121/7 "2013-02-13T03:03:27Z")
\>\>How regularly does lightning strike the Vatican? \<\< Not enough. What did I win? ---
**Author:** ![WhyWhyWhy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whywhywhy/32/7539_2.png) [@WhyWhyWhy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyWhyWhy)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regularly-does-lightning-strike-the-vatican/650121/8 "2013-02-13T03:08:41Z")
Crap, that wasn’t factual. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regularly-does-lightning-strike-the-vatican/650121/9 "2013-02-13T05:08:53Z")
The Vatican seems like a lightning magnet. So how did it avoid damage from lightning before lightning rods were invented? ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regularly-does-lightning-strike-the-vatican/650121/10 "2013-02-13T08:52:01Z")
I’ve read somewhere that there are two photographs taken independently of each other plus one film. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regularly-does-lightning-strike-the-vatican/650121/11 "2013-02-13T12:16:17Z")
Thunderstorms are pretty common in Italy. [This data](http://weatherspark.com/averages/32307/Rome-Lazio-Italy) suggests that in Rome thunderstorms occur, on average, on between about 4% of days in January and 13% of days in May. So, this time of year is one of the least likely times for thunderstorms, with perhaps 1 day in 20 seeing a storm on average. As others have said, if a storm passes right over central Rome then the Vatican is a prime target. Some more info [here](http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-blogs/weathermatrix/did-lightning-really-strike-vatican-after-popes-resignation/6050437). A storm was indeed recorded in the area for three hours on Feb 11. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regularly-does-lightning-strike-the-vatican/650121/12 "2013-02-13T19:33:22Z")
Thanks, not really that unexpected then! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regularly-does-lightning-strike-the-vatican/650121/13 "2013-02-13T19:36:41Z")
Still a nice coincidence, though, that it was photographed on the very day the Pope announced his upcoming resignation. I’ve seen pics of lightning hitting the Empire State Building, Sears Tower, Washington Monument, etc., but never St. Peter’s Basilica before. ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@Bob\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_X)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regularly-does-lightning-strike-the-vatican/650121/14 "2013-02-13T20:32:37Z")
[https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSSUlJJw-HlsIEahSoVsHxoGpRg4tGocX00joUnkpqkWW37IQIY4g](https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSSUlJJw-HlsIEahSoVsHxoGpRg4tGocX00joUnkpqkWW37IQIY4g) ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-regularly-does-lightning-strike-the-vatican/650121/15 "2013-02-14T15:44:43Z")
> [@Disposable Hero](#): > > Thanks, not really that unexpected then! Unlike the Inquisition.