St. Peter's Basilica
Saint Peter's Basilica | |
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Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican | |
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41°54′08″N12°27′12″E/ 41.90222°N 12.45333°E | |
Country | Vatican City |
Denomination | Catholic |
Sui iurischurch | Latin Church |
Tradition | Roman Rite |
Website | St. Peter's Basilica |
History | |
Status | Papal major basilica |
Dedication | Saint Peter |
Consecrated | 18 November 1626 |
Architecture | |
Architect(s) | |
Style | RenaissanceandBaroque |
Groundbreaking | 18 April 1506 |
Completed | 18 November 1626 |
Specifications | |
Length | 220 metres (720 ft) |
Width | 150 metres (490 ft) |
Height | 136.6 metres (448 ft)[1] |
Naveheight | 46.2 metres (152 ft) |
Dome diameter (outer) | 42 metres (138 ft) |
Dome diameter (inner) | 41.5 metres (136 ft) |
Administration | |
Diocese | Rome |
Clergy | |
Archpriest | Mauro Gambetti |
Official name | Vatican City |
Type | Cultural |
Criteria | i, ii, iv, vi |
Designated | 1984 (8thsession) |
Reference no. | 286 |
Region | Europe and North America |
ThePapal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican(Italian:Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simplySaint Peter's Basilica(Latin:Basilica Sancti Petri;Italian:Basilica di San Pietro[baˈziːlikadisamˈpjɛːtro]), is a church of theItalianHigh Renaissancelocated inVatican City,an independentmicrostateenclavedwithin the city ofRome,Italy. It was initially planned in the 15th century byPope Nicholas Vand thenPope Julius IIto replace the ageingOld St. Peter's Basilica,which was built in the fourth century by Roman emperorConstantine the Great.Construction of the presentbasilicabegan on 18 April 1506 and was completed on 18 November 1626.[2]
Designed principally byDonato Bramante,Michelangelo,andCarlo Maderno,with piazza and fittings byGian Lorenzo Bernini,St. Peter's is one of the most renowned works of ItalianRenaissancearchitecture[3]and is thelargest church in the worldby interior measure.[note 1]While it is neither themother churchof theCatholic Churchnor thecathedralof theDiocese of Rome(these equivalent titles being held by theArchbasilica of Saint John Lateranin Rome), St. Peter's is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic shrines. It has been described as "holding a unique position in theChristianworld ",[4]and as "the greatest of all churches ofChristendom."[3][5]
Catholic tradition holds that the basilica is the burial site ofSaint Peter,chief amongJesus'sapostlesand also the firstBishop of Rome(Pope).Saint Peter's tombis directly below thehigh altarof the basilica, also known as theAltar of the Confession.[6]For this reason, many popes, cardinals and bishops have been interred at St. Peter's since the Early Christian period.
St. Peter's is famous as a place ofpilgrimageand for itsliturgicalfunctions. The pope presides at a number of liturgies throughout the year both within the basilica or the adjoiningSt. Peter's Square;these liturgies draw audiences numbering from 15,000 to over 80,000 people.[7]St. Peter's has many historical associations, with theearly Christian Church,thePapacy,theProtestant Reformationand CatholicCounter-Reformationand numerous artists, especially Michelangelo. As a work of architecture, it is regarded as the greatest building of its age.[8]St. Peter's is one of the four churches in the world that hold the rank ofMajor papal basilica,all four of which are in Rome, and is also one of theSeven Pilgrim Churches of Rome.Contrary to popular misconception, it is not a cathedral because it is not the seat of a bishop; thecathedraof the pope as bishop of Rome is at theArchbasilica of Saint John Lateran.[9]
Overview
[edit]This sectionneeds additional citations forverification.(April 2017) |
![A view of Rome on a sunny afternoon looking along the river. A bridge crosses the river and beyond it is a hill on which the grey dome of St. Peter's rises above ancient buildings and dark pine trees.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/PonteSantAngeloRom.jpg/220px-PonteSantAngeloRom.jpg)
St. Peter's is a church built in the Renaissance style located in the Vatican City west of the RiverTiberand near theJaniculumHill andHadrian's Mausoleum.Its centraldomedominates the skyline of Rome. The basilica is approached viaSt. Peter's Square,a forecourt in two sections, both surrounded by tallcolonnades.The first space is oval and the second trapezoidal. The façade of the basilica, with agiant orderof columns, stretches across the end of the square and is approached by steps on which stand two 5.55-metre (18.2 ft) statues of the first-century apostles to Rome, SaintsPeterandPaul.[10][11]
The basilica iscruciformin shape, with an elongatednavein theLatin crossform but the early designs were for a centrally planned structure and this is still in evidence in the architecture. The central space is dominated both externally and internally by one of thelargest domesin the world. The entrance is through anarthex,or entrance hall, which stretches across the building. One of the decorated bronze doors leading from the narthex is theHoly Door,only opened duringjubilees.[10]
The interior dimensions are vast when compared to other churches.[2]One author wrote: "Only gradually does it dawn upon us – as we watch people draw near to this or that monument, strangely they appear to shrink; they are, of course, dwarfed by the scale of everything in the building. This in its turn overwhelms us."[12]
The nave which leads to the central dome is in three bays, with piers supporting a barrel vault, the highest of any church. The nave is framed by wide aisles which have a number of chapels off them. There are also chapels surrounding the dome. Moving around the basilica in a clockwise direction they are: TheBaptistery,the Chapel of thePresentation of the Virgin,the larger Choir Chapel, the altar of the Transfiguration, theClementineChapel with the altar ofSaint Gregory,theSacristyEntrance, the Altar of the Lie, the lefttranseptwith altars to the Crucifixion of Saint Peter,Saint JosephandSaint Thomas,the altar of theSacred Heart,the Chapel of the Madonna of Column, the altar of Saint Peter and the Paralytic, the apse with theChair of Saint Peter,the altar of Saint Peter raisingTabitha,the altar of St. Petronilla, the altar of theArchangel Michael,the altar of theNavicella,the right transept with altars ofSaint Erasmus,Saints Processo and Martiniano, andSaint Wenceslas,the altar of St. Jerome, the altar ofSaint Basil,the Gregorian Chapel with the altar of the Madonna of Succour, the larger Chapel of theHoly Sacrament,the Chapel ofSaint Sebastianand the Chapel of thePietà.[10]The Monuments, in a clockwise direction, are to:Maria Clementina Sobieska,TheStuarts,Benedict XV,John XXIII,St.Pius X,Innocent VIII,Leo XI,Innocent XI,Pius VII,Pius VIII,Alexander VII,Alexander VIII,Paul III,Urban VIII,Clement X,Clement XIII,Benedict XIV,St Peter (Bronze Statue),Gregory XVI,Gregory XIV,Gregory XIII,Matilda of Canossa,Innocent XII,Pius XII,Pius XI,Christina of Sweden,andLeo XII.At the heart of the basilica, beneath the high altar, is theConfessioorChapel of the Confession,in reference to the confession of faith by St. Peter, which led to his martyrdom. Two curving marble staircases lead to this underground chapel at the level of the Constantinian church and immediately above the purported burial place of Saint Peter.
The entire interior of St. Peter's is lavishly decorated with marble, reliefs, architectural sculpture and gilding. The basilica contains a large number of tombs of popes and other notable people, many of which are considered outstanding artworks. There are also a number of sculptures in niches and chapels, includingMichelangelo'sPietà.The central feature is abaldachin,or canopy over the Papal Altar, designed byGian Lorenzo Bernini.The apse culminates in a sculptural ensemble, also by Bernini, and containing the symbolicChair of Saint Peter.
The American philosopherRalph Waldo Emersondescribed St. Peter's as "an ornament of the earth... the sublime of the beautiful."[13]
Status
[edit]St. Peter's Basilica is one of thepapal basilicas(previously styled "patriarchal basilicas" )[note 2]and one of the fourMajor Basilicasof Rome the others (all of which are also Papal Basilicas) being the Basilicas ofSt. John Lateran,St. Mary Major,andSt. Paul outside the Walls.The rank of major basilica confers on St. Peter's Basilica precedence before allminor basilicasworldwide. However, unlike all the other Papal Major Basilicas, it is wholly within the territory, and thus the sovereign jurisdiction, of theVatican City State,and not that of Italy.[14]
![Bishops vested in white are standing in the sunshine in St. Peter's Square. Most wear white mitres on their heads, except for an Eastern Catholic bishop who wears a distinctive embroidered velvet hat.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Konzilseroeffnung_2.jpg/220px-Konzilseroeffnung_2.jpg)
It is the most prominent building in theVatican City.Its dome is a feature of the skyline of Rome and covers an area of 2.3 hectares (5.7 acres). One of the holiest sites of Christianity and Catholic Tradition, it is traditionally the burial site of its titular,St. Peter,who was the head of thetwelve ApostlesofJesusand, according to tradition, the firstBishop of Antiochand later the firstBishop of Rome,rendering him the firstPope.Although the New Testament does not mention St. Peter's martyrdom in Rome, tradition, based on the writings of theFathers of the Church,[clarification needed]holds that his tomb is below thebaldachinand the altar of the Basilica in the "Confession". For this reason, many Popes have, from the early years of the Church, been buried near Pope St. Peter in the necropolis beneath the Basilica. Construction of the current basilica, over the old Constantinian basilica, began on 18 April 1506 and finished in 1615. At length, on 18 November 1626Pope Urban VIIIsolemnly dedicated the Basilica.[2]
St. Peter's Basilica is neither the Pope's official seat nor first in rank among theMajor Basilicasof Rome. This honour is held by the Pope's cathedral, theArchbasilica of St. John Lateran,themother churchof all churches in communion with theCatholic Church.However, St. Peter's is functionally the Pope's principal church, as most Papal liturgies and ceremonies take place there due to its size, proximity to the Papal residence, and location within the Vatican City proper. The "Chair of Saint Peter",orcathedra,an ancient chair sometimes presumed to have been used by St. Peter himself, but which was a gift fromCharles the Baldand used by many popes, symbolizes the continuing line ofapostolic successionfrom St. Peter to the reigning Pope. It occupies an elevated position in the apse of the Basilica, supported symbolically by theDoctors of the Churchand enlightened symbolically by theHoly Spirit.[15]
As one of the constituent structures of the historically and architecturally significant Vatican City, St. Peter's Basilica was inscribed as a UNESCOWorld Heritage Sitein 1984 under criteria (i), (ii), (iv), and (vi).[16]With an exterior area of 21,095 square metres (227,060 sq ft),[17]an interior area of 15,160 square metres (163,200 sq ft),[18][19]St. Peter's Basilica is thelargest Christian church building in the worldby the two latter metrics and the second largest by the first as of 2016[update].The top of its dome, at 448.1 feet (136.6 m), also places it as thesecond tallest building in Romeas of 2016[update].[20]The dome's soaring height placed it among the tallest buildings of theOld World,and it continues to hold the title oftallest dome in the world.Though the largest dome in the world by diameter at the time of its completion, it no longer holds this distinction.[21]
History
[edit]Saint Peter's burial site
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Circus_of_Nero.png/220px-Circus_of_Nero.png)
After thecrucifixionof Jesus, it is recorded in the Biblical book of theActs of the Apostlesthat one of his twelve disciples, Simon known as Saint Peter, a fisherman fromGalilee,took a leadership position among Jesus' followers and was of great importance in the founding of theChristian Church.The name Peter is "Petrus" in Latin and "Petros" in Greek, deriving frompetrawhich means "stone" or "rock" inGreek,and is the literal translation of the Aramaic "Kepa", the name given to Simon by Jesus. (John 1:42,and seeMatthew 16:18)
Catholic tradition holds that Peter, after a ministry of thirty-four years, travelled to Rome and met hismartyrdomthere along with Paul on 13 October 64 AD during the reign of theRoman EmperorNero.His execution was one of the many martyrdoms of Christians following theGreat Fire of Rome.According toJerome,Peter was crucified head downwards, by his own request because he considered himself unworthy to die in the same manner as Jesus.[23]The crucifixion took place near an ancient Egyptian obelisk in theCircus of Nero.[24]The obelisk now stands inSt. Peter's Squareand is revered as a "witness" to Peter's death. It is one of several ancientObelisks of Rome.[25]
According to tradition, Peter's remains were buried just outside the Circus, on theMons Vaticanusacross theVia Corneliafrom the Circus, less than 150 metres (490 ft) from his place of death. The Via Cornelia was a road which ran east-to-west along the north wall of the Circus on land now covered by the southern portions of the Basilica and St. Peter's Square. A shrine was built on this site some years later. Almost three hundred years later,Old St. Peter's Basilicawas constructed over this site.[24]
The area now covered by theVatican Cityhad been a cemetery for some years before the Circus of Nero was built. It was a burial ground for the numerous executions in the Circus and contained many Christian burials as for many years after the burial ofSaint Peter,many Christians chose to be buried near him.[citation needed]
In 1939, in the reign of Pope Pius XII, 10 years of archaeological research began under the crypt of the basilica in an area inaccessible since the ninth century. The excavations revealed the remains of shrines of different periods at different levels, fromClement VIII(1594) toCallixtus II(1123) andGregory I(590–604), built over anaediculacontaining fragments of bones that were folded in a tissue with gold decorations, tinted with the preciousmurexpurple. Although it could not be determined with certainty that the bones were those of Peter, the rare vestments suggested a burial of great importance. On 23 December 1950, in his pre-Christmas radio broadcast to the world,Pope Pius XIIannounced the discovery ofSaint Peter's tomb.[26]
Old St. Peter's Basilica
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Maarten_van_Heemskerck_-_Santa_Maria_della_Febbre%2C_Vatican_Obelisk%2C_Saint_Peter%27s_Basilica_in_construction_%281532%29.jpg/220px-Maarten_van_Heemskerck_-_Santa_Maria_della_Febbre%2C_Vatican_Obelisk%2C_Saint_Peter%27s_Basilica_in_construction_%281532%29.jpg)
![A black and white engraving of a bird's-eye view of a very large cruciform church. There is a large enclosed forecourt which is fronted by buildings of different dates and styles. There is a tall bell tower and many surrounding structures. A label to the bottom left of the image gives the artist's name and original caption.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ce/Old_St_Peter%27s_Basilica%2C_Rome%2C_about_the_year_1450_restored_from_ancient_authorities.jpg/220px-Old_St_Peter%27s_Basilica%2C_Rome%2C_about_the_year_1450_restored_from_ancient_authorities.jpg)
Old St. Peter's Basilica was the fourth-century church begun by theEmperorConstantine the Greatbetween 319 and 333 AD.[27]It was of typical basilical form, a wide nave and two aisles on each side and an apsidal end, with the addition of atranseptorbema,giving the building the shape of atau cross.It was over 103.6 metres (340 ft) long, and the entrance was preceded by a large colonnadedatrium.This church had been built over the small shrine believed to mark the burial place ofSt. Peter,thoughthe tomb was "smashed" in 846 AD.[28]It contained a very large number of burials and memorials, including those of most of the popes from St. Peter to the 15th century. Like all of the earliest churches in Rome, both this church and its successor had the entrance to the east and the apse at the west end of the building.[29]Since the construction of the current basilica, the nameOld St. Peter's Basilicahas been used for its predecessor to distinguish the two buildings.[30]
Plan to rebuild
[edit]By the end of the 15th century, having been neglected during the period of theAvignon Papacy,the old basilica had fallen into disrepair. It appears that the first pope to consider rebuilding or at least making radical changes wasPope Nicholas V(1447–1455). He commissioned work on the old building fromLeone Battista AlbertiandBernardo Rossellinoand also had Rossellino design a plan for an entirely new basilica, or an extreme modification of the old. His reign was frustrated by political problems and when he died, little had been achieved.[24]He had, however, ordered the demolition of theColosseumand by the time of his death, 2,522 cartloads of stone had been transported for use in the new building.[24][note 3]The foundations were completed for a new transept and choir to form a domedLatin crosswith the preserved nave and side aisles of the old basilica. Some walls for the choir had also been built.[32]
Pope Julius IIplanned far more for St Peter's than Nicholas V's program of repair or modification. Julius was at that time planning his own tomb, which was to be designed and adorned with sculpture byMichelangeloand placed within St Peter's.[note 4]In 1505 Julius made a decision to demolish the ancient basilica and replace it with a monumental structure to house his enormous tomb and "aggrandize himself in the popular imagination".[8]A competition was held, and a number of the designs have survived at theUffizi Gallery.A succession of popes and architects followed in the next 120 years, their combined efforts resulting in the present building. The scheme begun by Julius II continued through the reigns ofLeo X(1513–1521),Adrian VI(1522–1523),Clement VII(1523–1534),Paul III(1534–1549),Julius III(1550–1555),Marcellus II(1555),Paul IV(1555–1559),Pius IV(1559–1565),Pius V(saint) (1565–1572),Gregory XIII(1572–1585),Sixtus V(1585–1590),Urban VII(1590),Gregory XIV(1590–1591),Innocent IX(1591),Clement VIII(1592–1605),Leo XI(1605),Paul V(1605–1621),Gregory XV(1621–1623),Urban VIII(1623–1644) andInnocent X(1644–1655).
Financing with indulgences
[edit]One method employed to finance the building of St. Peter's Basilica was the granting ofindulgencesin return for contributions. A major promoter of this method of fund-raising wasAlbrecht, Archbishop of Mainz and Magdeburg,who had to clear debts owed to theRoman Curiaby contributing to the rebuilding program. To facilitate this, he appointed the GermanDominicanpreacherJohann Tetzel,whose salesmanship provoked a scandal and led to theProtestant Reformation.[33]
Architecture
[edit]Successive plans
[edit]Pope Julius' scheme for the grandest building in Christendom[8]was the subject of a competition for which a number of entries remain intact in theUffizi Gallery,Florence. It was the design ofDonato Bramantethat was selected, and for which the foundation stone was laid in 1506. This plan was in the form of an enormousGreek Crosswith a dome inspired by that of the huge circular Roman temple, thePantheon.[8]The main difference between Bramante's design and that of the Pantheon is that where the dome of the Pantheon is supported by a continuous wall, that of the new basilica was to be supported only on four large piers. This feature was maintained in the ultimate design. Bramante's dome was to be surmounted by alanternwith its own small dome but otherwise very similar in form to the Early Renaissance lantern ofFlorence Cathedraldesigned for Brunelleschi's dome byMichelozzo.[34]
Bramante had envisioned that the central dome would be surrounded by four lower domes at the diagonal axes. The equalchancel,nave and transept arms were each to be of two bays ending in an apse. At each corner of the building was to stand a tower, so that the overall plan was square, with the apses projecting at the cardinal points. Each apse had two large radial buttresses, which squared off its semi-circular shape.[35]
When Pope Julius died in 1513, Bramante was replaced withGiuliano da SangalloandFra Giocondo,who both died in 1515 (Bramante himself having died the previous year).Raphaelwas confirmed as the architect of St. Peter's on 1 August 1514.[36]The main change in his plan is the nave of five bays, with a row of complex apsidal chapels off the aisles on either side. Raphael's plan for the chancel and transepts made the squareness of the exterior walls more definite by reducing the size of the towers, and the semi-circular apses more clearly defined by encircling each with an ambulatory.[37]
In 1520 Raphael also died, aged 37, and his successorBaldassare Peruzzimaintained changes that Raphael had proposed to the internal arrangement of the three main apses, but otherwise reverted to the Greek Cross plan and other features of Bramante.[38]This plan did not go ahead because of various difficulties of both Church and state. In 1527 Rome was sacked and plundered byEmperor Charles V.Peruzzi died in 1536 without his plan being realized.[8]
At this pointAntonio da Sangallo the Youngersubmitted a plan which combines features of Peruzzi, Raphael and Bramante in its design and extends the building into a short nave with a wide façade and portico of dynamic projection. His proposal for the dome was much more elaborate of both structure and decoration than that of Bramante and included ribs on the exterior. Like Bramante, Sangallo proposed that the dome be surmounted by a lantern which he redesigned to a larger and much more elaborate form.[39]Sangallo's main practical contribution was to strengthen Bramante's piers which had begun to crack.[24]
On 1 January 1547 in the reign of Pope Paul III, Michelangelo, then in his seventies, succeeded Sangallo the Younger as "Capomaestro", the superintendent of the building program at St Peter's.[40]He is to be regarded as the principal designer of a large part of the building as it stands today, and as bringing the construction to a point where it could be carried through. He did not take on the job with pleasure; it was forced upon him by Pope Paul, frustrated at the death of his chosen candidate,Giulio Romanoand the refusal ofJacopo Sansovinoto leaveVenice.Michelangelo wrote, "I undertake this only for the love of God and in honour of the Apostle." He insisted that he should be given a free hand to achieve the ultimate aim by whatever means he saw fit.[24]
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Bramante's plan
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Raphael's plan
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Michelangelo's plan
Michelangelo's contribution
[edit]Michelangelotook over a building site at which four piers, enormous beyond any constructed since ancient Roman times, were rising behind the remaining nave of the old basilica. He also inherited the numerous schemes designed and redesigned by some of the greatest architectural and engineering minds of the 16th century. There were certain common elements in these schemes. They all called for a dome to equal that engineered byBrunelleschia century earlier and which has since dominated the skyline of Renaissance Florence, and they all called for a strongly symmetrical plan of eitherGreek Crossform, like the iconicSt. Mark's Basilicain Venice, or of aLatin Crosswith the transepts of identical form to the chancel, as atFlorence Cathedral.
Even though the work had progressed only a little in 40 years, Michelangelo did not simply dismiss the ideas of the previous architects. He drew on them in developing a grand vision. Above all, Michelangelo recognized the essential quality of Bramante's original design. He reverted to the Greek Cross and, asHelen Gardnerexpresses it: "Without destroying the centralising features of Bramante's plan, Michelangelo, with a few strokes of the pen converted its snowflake complexity into massive, cohesive unity."[41]
As it stands today, St. Peter's has been extended with a nave byCarlo Maderno.It is thechancelend (the ecclesiastical "Eastern end" ) with its huge centrally placed dome that is the work of Michelangelo. Because of its location within theVatican Stateand because the projection of the nave screens the dome from sight when the building is approached from the square in front of it, the work of Michelangelo is best appreciated from a distance. What becomes apparent is that the architect has greatly reduced the clearly defined geometric forms of Bramante's plan of a square with square projections, and also of Raphael's plan of a square with semi-circular projections.[42]Michelangelo has blurred the definition of the geometry by making the external masonry of massive proportions and filling in every corner with a smallvestryor stairwell. The effect created is of a continuous wall surface that is folded or fractured at different angles, but lacks the right angles which usually define change of direction at the corners of a building. This exterior is surrounded by agiant orderof Corinthian pilasters all set at slightly different angles to each other, in keeping with the ever-changing angles of the wall's surface. Above them, the huge cornice ripples in a continuous band, giving the appearance of keeping the whole building in a state of compression.[43]
Dome: successive and final designs
[edit]The dome of St. Peter's rises to a total height of 136.57 metres (448.1 ft) from the floor of the basilica to the top of the external cross. It is thetallest dome in the world.[note 5]Its internal diameter is 41.47 metres (136.1 ft), slightly smaller than two of the three other huge domes that preceded it, those of thePantheonofAncient Rome,43.3 metres (142 ft), andFlorence Cathedralof theEarly Renaissance,44 metres (144 ft). It has a greater diameter by approximately 30 feet (9.1 m) than Constantinople'sHagia Sophiachurch, completed in 537. It was to the domes of the Pantheon and Florenceduomothat the architects of St. Peter's looked for solutions as to how to go about building what was conceived, from the outset, as the greatest dome ofChristendom.
Bramante and Sangallo, 1506 and 1513
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Caradosso_Foppa%2C_View_of_Saint_Peter%27s_%28reverse%29%2C_1506%2C_NGA_44669.jpg/170px-Caradosso_Foppa%2C_View_of_Saint_Peter%27s_%28reverse%29%2C_1506%2C_NGA_44669.jpg)
The dome of the Pantheon stands on a circular wall with no entrances or windows except a single door. The whole building is as high as it is wide. Its dome is constructed in a single shell ofconcrete,made light by the inclusion of a large amount of the volcanic stones tuff and pumice. The inner surface of the dome is deeplycofferedwhich has the effect of creating both vertical and horizontal ribs while lightening the overall load. At the summit is an ocular opening 8 metres (26 ft) across which provides light to the interior.[8]
Bramante's plan for the dome of St. Peter's (1506) follows that of the Pantheon very closely, and like that of the Pantheon, was designed to be constructed inTufaConcrete for which he had rediscovered a formula. With the exception of the lantern that surmounts it, the profile is very similar, except that in this case, the supporting wall becomes adrumraised high above ground level on four massive piers. The solid wall, as used at the Pantheon, is lightened at St. Peter's by Bramante piercing it with windows and encircling it with aperistyle.
In the case ofFlorence Cathedral,the desired visual appearance of the pointed dome existed for many years beforeBrunelleschimade its construction feasible.[note 6]Its double-shell construction of bricks locked together in a herringbone pattern (re-introduced from Byzantine architecture), and the gentle upward slope of its eight stone ribs made it possible for the construction to take place without the massive wooden formwork necessary to construct hemispherical arches. While its appearance, with the exception of the details of the lantern, is entirely Gothic, its engineering was highly innovative, and the product of a mind that had studied the huge vaults and remaining dome of Ancient Rome.[34]
Sangallo's plan (1513), of which a large wooden model still exists, looks to both these predecessors. He realized the value of both the coffering at the Pantheon and the outer stone ribs at Florence Cathedral. He strengthened and extended the peristyle of Bramante into a series of arched and ordered openings around the base, with a second such arcade set back in a tier above the first. In his hands, the rather delicate form of the lantern, based closely on that in Florence, became a massive structure, surrounded by a projecting base, aperistyleand surmounted by a spire of conic form.[39]According toJames Lees-Milnethe design was "too eclectic, too pernickety and too tasteless to have been a success".[24]
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Bramante's dome
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Sangallo's design
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The engraving by Stefan du Pérac was published in 1569, five years after the death of Michelangelo.
Michelangelo and Giacomo della Porta, 1547 and 1585
[edit]![Photo. The façade is wide and has a row of huge columns rising from the basement to support the cornice. The ribbed, ovoid dome is surmounted by a lantern topped with ball and cross. Its drum is framed by two very much smaller domes.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/15/Petersdom_von_Engelsburg_gesehen.jpg/220px-Petersdom_von_Engelsburg_gesehen.jpg)
![Photo looking up at the dome's interior from below. The dome is decorated at the top with a band of script. Around its base are windows through which the light streams. The decoration is divided by many vertical ribs which are ornamented with golden stars.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/Citt%C3%A0_del_vaticano.Basilica_di_San_Pietro._Interno_della_cupola._Maggio_2010_-_panoramio.jpg/220px-Citt%C3%A0_del_vaticano.Basilica_di_San_Pietro._Interno_della_cupola._Maggio_2010_-_panoramio.jpg)
Michelangelo redesigned the dome in 1547, taking into account all that had gone before. His dome, like that ofFlorence,is constructed of two shells of brick, the outer one having 16 stone ribs, twice the number at Florence but far fewer than in Sangallo's design. As with the designs of Bramante and Sangallo, the dome is raised from the piers on a drum. The encircling peristyle of Bramante and the arcade of Sangallo are reduced to 16 pairs of Corinthian columns, each of 15 metres (49 ft) high which stand proud of the building, connected by an arch. Visually they appear to buttress each of the ribs, but structurally they are probably quite redundant. The reason for this is that the dome is ovoid in shape, rising steeply as does thedomeof Florence Cathedral, and therefore exerting less outward thrust than does ahemisphericaldome, such as that of the Pantheon, which, although it is not buttressed, is countered by the downward thrust of heavy masonry which extends above the circling wall.[8][24]
The ovoid profile of the dome has been the subject of much speculation and scholarship over the past century. Michelangelo died in 1564, leaving the drum of the dome complete, and Bramante's piers much bulkier than originally designed, each 18 metres (59 ft) across. Following his death, the work continued under his assistantJacopo Barozzi da VignolawithGiorgio Vasariappointed byPope Pius Vas a watchdog to make sure that Michelangelo's plans were carried out exactly. Despite Vignola's knowledge of Michelangelo's intentions, little happened in this period. In 1585 the energeticPope Sixtus VappointedGiacomo della Portawho was to be assisted byDomenico Fontana.The five-year reign of Sixtus was to see the building advance at a great rate.[24]
Michelangelo left a few drawings, including an early drawing of the dome, and some details. There were also detailed engravings published in 1569 by Stefan du Pérac who claimed that they were the master's final solution. Michelangelo, like Sangallo before him, also left a large wooden model. Giacomo della Porta subsequently altered this model in several ways. The major change restored an earlier design, in which the outer dome appears to rise above, rather than rest directly on the base.[45]Most of the other changes were of a cosmetic nature, such as the adding of lion's masks over the swags on the drum in honour of Pope Sixtus and adding a circlet offinialsaround the spire at the top of the lantern, as proposed by Sangallo.[24]
A drawing by Michelangelo indicates that his early intentions were towards an ovoid dome, rather than a hemispherical one.[41]In an engraving inGalasso Alghisi' treatise (1563), the dome may be represented as ovoid, but the perspective is ambiguous.[46]Stefan du Pérac's engraving (1569) shows a hemispherical dome, but this was perhaps an inaccuracy of the engraver. The profile of the wooden model is more ovoid than that of the engravings, but less so than the finished product. It has been suggested that Michelangelo on his death bed reverted to the more pointed shape. However, Lees-Milne cites Giacomo della Porta as taking full responsibility for the change and as indicating to Pope Sixtus that Michelangelo was lacking in the scientific understanding of which he himself was capable.[24]
Helen Gardner suggests that Michelangelo made the change to the hemispherical dome of lower profile in order to establish a balance between the dynamic vertical elements of the encircling giant order of pilasters and a more static and reposeful dome. Gardner also comments, "The sculpturing of architecture [by Michelangelo]... here extends itself up from the ground through the attic stories and moves on into the drum and dome, the whole building being pulled together into a unity from base to summit."[41]
It is this sense of the building being sculptured, unified and "pulled together" by the encircling band of the deep cornice that led Eneide Mignacca to conclude that the ovoid profile, seen now in the end product, was an essential part of Michelangelo's first (and last) concept. The sculptor/architect has, figuratively speaking, taken all the previous designs in hand and compressed their contours as if the building were a lump of clay. The domemustappear to thrust upwards because of the apparent pressure created by flattening the building's angles and restraining its projections.[43]If this explanation is the correct one, then the profile of the dome is not merely a structural solution, as perceived by Giacomo della Porta; it is part of the integrated design solution that is about visual tension and compression. In one sense, Michelangelo's dome may appear to look backward to the Gothic profile of Florence Cathedral and ignore theClassicismof the Renaissance, but on the other hand, perhaps more than any other building of the 16th century, it prefigures thearchitecture of the Baroque.[43]
Completion
[edit]Giacomo della Porta and Domenico Fontana brought the dome to completion in 1590, the last year of the reign ofSixtus V.His successor,Gregory XIV,saw Fontana complete the lantern and had an inscription to the honour of Sixtus V placed around its inner opening. The next pope,Clement VIII,had the cross raised into place, an event which took all day, and was accompanied by the ringing of the bells of all the city's churches. In the arms of the cross are set two lead caskets, one containing a fragment of theTrue Crossand a relic ofSt. Andrewand the other containing medallions of the Holy Lamb.[24]
In the mid-18th century, cracks appeared in the dome, so four iron chains were installed between the two shells to bind it, like the rings that keep a barrel from bursting. As many as ten chains have been installed at various times, the earliest possibly planned by Michelangelo himself as a precaution, as Brunelleschi did at Florence Cathedral.PPSt. Peter's BasilicaSt. Peter's Basilica[citation needed]
Around the inside of the dome is written, in letters 1.4 metres (4.6 ft) high:
TV ES PETRVS ET SVPER HANC PETRAM AEDIFICABO ECCLESIAM MEAM ET TIBI DABO CLAVES REGNI CAELORVM
( "... you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.... and I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven..."Vulgate,Matthew 16:18–19.)
Beneath the lantern is the inscription:
S. PETRI GLORIAE SIXTVS PP. V. A. M. D. XC. PONTIF. V.
(To the glory of St Peter; Sixtus V, pope, in the year 1590, the fifth of his pontificate.)
Discovery of Michelangelo draft
[edit]On 7 December 2007, a fragment of a red chalk drawing of a section of the dome of the basilica, almost certainly by the hand of Michelangelo, was discovered in the Vatican archives.[47]The drawing shows a small precisely drafted section of the plan of the entablature above two of the radial columns of the cupola drum. Michelangelo is known to have destroyed thousands of his drawings before his death.[48]The rare survival of this example is probably due to its fragmentary state and the fact that detailed mathematical calculations had been made over the top of the drawing.[47]
Addition of nave and facade
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/StPetersplan_OttoLeuger1904.jpg/280px-StPetersplan_OttoLeuger1904.jpg)
On 18 February 1606, underPope Paul V,the dismantling of the remaining parts of the Constantinian basilica began.[24]The marble cross that had been set at the top of the pediment byPope SylvesterandConstantine the Greatwas lowered to the ground. The timbers were salvaged for the roof of theBorghese Palaceand two rare blackmarblecolumns, the largest of their kind, were carefully stored and later used in thenarthex.The tombs of various popes were opened, treasures removed and plans made for re-interment in the new basilica.[24] The Pope had appointedCarlo Madernoin 1602. He was a nephew ofDomenico Fontanaand had demonstrated himself as a dynamic architect. Maderno's idea was to ring Michelangelo's building with chapels, but the Pope was hesitant about deviating from the master's plan, even though he had been dead for forty years. TheFabbricaor buildingcommittee,a group drawn from various nationalities and generally despised by theCuriawho viewed the basilica as belonging to Rome rather than Christendom, were in a quandary as to how the building should proceed. One of the matters that influenced their thinking was theCounter-Reformationwhich increasingly associated aGreek Crossplan with paganism and saw theLatin Crossas truly symbolic of Christianity.[24]The central plan also did not have a "dominant orientation toward the east."[49]
Another influence on the thinking of both the Fabbrica and the Curia was a certain guilt at the demolition of the ancient building. The ground on which it and its various associated chapels,vestriesandsacristieshad stood for so long was hallowed. The only solution was to build a nave that encompassed the whole space. In 1607 a committee of ten architects was called together, and a decision was made to extend Michelangelo's building into a nave. Maderno's plans for both the nave and thefacadewere accepted.
The building of the nave began on 7 May 1607, and proceeded at a great rate, with an army of 700 labourers being employed. The following year, the façade was begun, in December 1614 the final touches were added to thestuccodecoration of the vault and early in 1615 the partition wall between the two sections was pulled down. All the rubble was carted away, and the nave was ready for use byPalm Sunday.[50]
Maderno's facade
[edit]The facade designed by Maderno, is 114.69 metres (376.3 ft) wide and 45.55 metres (149.4 ft) high and is built oftravertinestone, with a giant order of Corinthian columns and a central pediment rising in front of a tallatticsurmounted by thirteen statues:Christflanked by eleven of theApostles(except Saint Peter, whose statue is left of the stairs) andJohn the Baptist.[note 7]The inscription below thecorniceon the 1 metre (3.3 ft) tallfriezereads:
IN HONOREM PRINCIPIS APOST PAVLVS V BVRGHESIVS ROMANVS PONT MAX AN MDCXII PONT VII
(In honour of thePrince of Apostles,Paul VBorghese, a Roman, Supreme Pontiff, in the year 1612, the seventh of his pontificate)
(Paul V (Camillo Borghese), born in Rome but of a Sienese family, liked to emphasize his "Romanness".)
The facade is often cited as the least satisfactory part of the design of St. Peter's. The reasons for this, according to James Lees-Milne, are that it was not given enough consideration by the Pope and committee because of the desire to get the building completed quickly, coupled with the fact that Maderno was hesitant to deviate from the pattern set by Michelangelo at the other end of the building. Lees-Milne describes the problems of the façade as being too broad for its height, too cramped in its details and too heavy in theatticstory. The breadth is caused by modifying the plan to have towers on either side. These towers were never executed above the line of the facade because it was discovered that the ground was not sufficiently stable to bear the weight. One effect of the facade and lengthened nave is to screen the view of the dome, so that the building, from the front, has no vertical feature, except from a distance.[24]
Bernini's Towers
[edit]Pope Urbanhad long been a critic of Bernini's predecessor, Carlo Maderno. His disapproval of the architect's work stemmed largely from Maderno's design for the longitudinal nave of St. Peters, which was widely condemned for obscuring Michelangelo's dome. When the Pope gave the commission to Bernini he therefore requested that a new design for the facade's bell towers to be submitted for consideration. Baldinucci describes Bernini's tower as consisting of "two orders of columns and pilasters, the first order beingCorinthian"and" a third or attic story formed of pilasters and two columns on either side of the open archway in the center ".
Pope Urban desired the towers to be completed by a very specific date: 29 June 1641, the feast day dedicated toSaints Peter and Paul.To this end an order was issued which stated that "all work should take a second seat to that of the campanile". The south tower was completed on time even in spite of these issues, but records show that in the wake of the unveiling the Pope was not content with what he saw and he ordered the top level of Bernini's tower removed so that the structure could be made even grander. The tower continued to grow, and as the construction began to settle, the first cracks started to appear followed by Urban's infamous public admonishment of his architect.
In 1642 all work on both towers came to a halt. Bernini had to pay the cost for the demolition; eventually the idea of completing the bell towers was abandoned.
![Photo shows view of vestibule with three huge doorways leading to the church's interior. The doors are framed by columns and have pediments. The floor is of inlaid marble. The nearest doorway is closed by two huge ancient bronze doors. A group listens to a tour guide while one woman examines the doors.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/San_Pietro_in_Vaticano_4.jpg/170px-San_Pietro_in_Vaticano_4.jpg)
Narthex and portals
[edit]Behind the façade of St. Peter's stretches a long portico or "narthex"such as was occasionally found in Italian churches. This is the part of Maderno's design with which he was most satisfied. Its long barrel vault is decorated with ornate stucco and gilt, and successfully illuminated by small windows between pendentives, while the ornate marble floor is beamed with light reflected in from the piazza. At each end of the narthex is a theatrical space framed by ionic columns and within each is set a statue, anequestrian statue of Charlemagne(18th century) byCornacchiniin the south end andThe Vision of Constantine(1670) byBerniniin the north end.
Five portals, of which three are framed by huge salvaged antique columns, lead into the basilica. The central portal has abronzedoor created byAntonio Averulinoc. 1440 for the old basilica[51]and somewhat enlarged to fit the new space.
Maderno's nave
[edit]![A painting of the interior of the vast building with arcades, and a coffered ceiling](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/St-peters-basilica-interior-pannini-1731.jpg/220px-St-peters-basilica-interior-pannini-1731.jpg)
To the single bay of Michelangelo's Greek Cross, Maderno added a further three bays. He made the dimensions slightly different from Michelangelo's bay, thus defining where the two architectural works meet. Maderno also tilted the axis of the nave slightly. This was not by accident, as suggested by his critics. An ancientEgyptian obeliskhad been erected in the square outside, but had not been quite aligned with Michelangelo's building, so Maderno compensated, in order that it should, at least, align with the Basilica's façade.[24]
The nave has huge pairedpilasters,in keeping with Michelangelo's work. The size of the interior is so "stupendously large" that it is hard to get a sense of scale within the building.[24][note 8]The fourcherubswho flutter against the first piers of the nave, carrying between them twoholy waterbasins, appear of quite normal cherubic size, until approached. Then it becomes apparent that each one is over 2 metres high and that real children cannot reach the basins unless they scramble up the marble draperies. The aisles each have two smallerchapelsand a larger rectangular chapel, the Chapel of the Sacrament and the Choir Chapel. These are lavishly decorated with marble, stucco,gilt,sculptureandmosaic.Remarkably, all of the large altarpieces, with the exception of the Holy Trinity by Pietro da Cortona in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, have been reproduced in mosaic. Two precious paintings from the old basilica, Our Lady of Perpetual Help and Our Lady of the Column are still being used as altarpieces.
Maderno's last work at St. Peter's was to design a crypt-like space or "Confessio" under the dome, where thecardinalsand other privileged persons could descend in order to be nearer to the burial place of the apostle. Its marble steps are remnants of the old basilica and around itsbalustradeare 95 bronze lamps.
Influence on church architecture
[edit]The design of St. Peter's Basilica, and in particular its dome, has greatly influencedchurch architectureinWestern Christendom.Within Rome, the huge domed church ofSant'Andrea della Vallewas designed by Giacomo della Porta before the completion of St Peter's Basilica, and subsequently worked on by Carlo Maderno. This was followed by the domes ofSan Carlo ai Catinari,Sant'Agnese in Agone,and many others.Christopher Wren's dome atSt Paul's Cathedral(London,England), the domes ofKarlskirche(Vienna,Austria),St. Nicholas Church(Prague,Czech Republic), and thePantheon(Paris,France) all payhomageto St Peter's Basilica.
The 19th and early-20th-century architectural revivals brought about the building of a great number of churches that imitate elements of St Peter's to a greater or lesser degree, includingSt. Mary of the Angels in Chicago,St. Josaphat's BasilicainMilwaukee,Immaculate Heart of Mary in PittsburghandMary, Queen of the World CathedralinMontreal,which replicates many aspects of St Peter's on a smaller scale.Postmodernismhas seen free adaptations of St Peter's in theBasilica of Our Lady of Licheń,and theBasilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro.
Bernini's furnishings
[edit]Pope Urban VIII and Bernini
[edit]As a young boyGian Lorenzo Bernini(1598–1680) visited St. Peter's with the painterAnnibale Carracciand stated his wish to build "a mighty throne for the apostle". His wish came true. As a young man, in 1626, he received the patronage ofPope Urban VIIIand worked on the embellishment of the Basilica for 50 years. Appointed as Maderno's successor in 1629, he was to become regarded as the greatest architect and sculptor of theBaroqueperiod. Bernini's works at St. Peter's include thebaldachin(baldaquin, from Italian:baldacchino), the Chapel of the Sacrament, the plan for the niches andloggiasin the piers of the dome and thechair of St. Peter.[24][41]
Baldacchino and niches
[edit]Bernini's first work at St. Peter's was to design thebaldacchino,a pavilion-like structure 28.74 metres (94.3 ft) tall and claimed to be the largest piece of bronze in the world, which stands beneath the dome and above the altar. Its design is based on theciborium,of which there are many in the churches of Rome, serving to create a sort of holy space above and around the table on which theSacramentis laid for theEucharistand emphasizing the significance of this ritual. Theseciboriaare generally of white marble, with inlaid coloured stone. Bernini's concept was for something very different. He took his inspiration in part from thebaldachinor canopy carried above the head of the pope in processions, and in part from eight ancient columns that had formed part of a screen in the old basilica. Their twistedbarley-sugar shapehad a special significance as they were modelled on those of theTemple of Jerusalemand donated by theEmperor Constantine.Based on these columns, Bernini created four huge columns of bronze, twisted and decorated with laurel leaves and bees, which were the emblem of Pope Urban.
![Photo shows the baldachin standing in the centre of the church, viewed looking towards the nave. There is an altar beneath it which has a red and gold frontal cloth decorated with large crosses.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e3/Interiorvaticano8baldaquino.jpg/170px-Interiorvaticano8baldaquino.jpg)
The baldacchino is surmounted not with an architectural pediment, like most baldacchini, but with curved Baroque brackets supporting a draped canopy, like the brocade canopies carried in processions above precious iconic images. In this case, the draped canopy is of bronze, and all the details, including the olive leaves, bees, and the portrait heads of Urban's niece in childbirth and her newborn son, are picked out in gold leaf. The baldacchino stands as a vast free-standing sculptural object, central to and framed by the largest space within the building. It is so large that the visual effect is to create a link between the enormous dome which appears to float above it, and the congregation at floor level of the basilica. It is penetrated visually from every direction, and is visually linked to theCathedra Petriin the apse behind it and to the four piers containing large statues that are at each diagonal.[24][41]
As part of the scheme for the central space of the church, Bernini had the huge piers, begun by Bramante and completed by Michelangelo, hollowed out into niches, and had staircases made inside them, leading to fourbalconies.There was much dismay from those who thought that the dome might fall, but it did not. On the balconies Bernini created showcases, framed by the eight ancient twisted columns, to display the four most precious relics of the basilica: thespear of Longinus,said to have pierced the side of Christ, theveil of Veronica,with the miraculous image of the face of Christ, a fragment of theTrue Crossdiscovered inJerusalemby Constantine's mother,Helena,and a relic ofSaint Andrew,the brother of Saint Peter. In each of the niches that surround the central space of the basilica was placed a huge statue of the saint associated with the relic above. OnlySaint Longinusis the work of Bernini.[24](See below)
Cathedra Petri and Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament
[edit]![The chair-shaped bronze reliquary which holds the throne of St Peter is much larger than a normal chair, is ornate in shape and decorated with relief sculpture and gold leaf. The "Gloria" which surrounds a round window is a sculpture of clouds and sun-rays, surrounded by angels, the whole lot being covered in gleaming gold leaf.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6d/Cathedrapetri%2Bgloria.jpg/220px-Cathedrapetri%2Bgloria.jpg)
Bernini then turned his attention to another precious relic, the so-calledCathedra Petrior "throne of St. Peter" a chair which was often claimed to have been used by the apostle, but appears to date from the 12th century. As the chair itself was fast deteriorating and was no longer serviceable,Pope Alexander VIIdetermined to enshrine it in suitable splendor as the object upon which the line of successors to Peter was based. Bernini created a large bronze throne in which it was housed, raised high on four looping supports held effortlessly by massive bronze statues of fourDoctors of the Church,SaintsAmbroseandAugustinerepresenting the Latin Church andAthanasiusandJohn Chrysostom,the Greek Church. The four figures are dynamic with sweeping robes and expressions of adoration and ecstasy. Behind and above the cathedra, a blaze of light comes in through a window of yellowalabaster,illuminating, at its centre, the Dove of the Holy Spirit. The elderly painter,Andrea Sacchi,had urged Bernini to make the figures large, so that they would be seen well from the central portal of the nave. The chair was enshrined in its new home with great celebration of 16 January 1666.[24][41]
Bernini's final work for St. Peter's, undertaken in 1676, was the decoration of the Chapel of the Sacrament.[52]To hold the sacramental Host, he designed a miniature version in gilt bronze of Bramante'sTempietto,the little chapel that marks the place of the death of St. Peter. On either side is an angel, one gazing in rapt adoration and the other looking towards the viewer in welcome. Bernini died in 1680 in his 82nd year.[24]
St. Peter's Piazza
[edit]![Behind a large monolithic obelisk, the facade of St. Peter's Basilica, lit by floodlights, rising majestically against the night sky](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Basilica_di_San_Pietro_%28notte%29.jpg/220px-Basilica_di_San_Pietro_%28notte%29.jpg)
To the east of the basilica is thePiazza di San Pietro,(St. Peter's Square). The present arrangement, constructed between 1656 and 1667, is theBaroqueinspiration of Bernini who inherited a location already occupied by an Egyptianobeliskwhich was centrally placed, (with some contrivance) to Maderno's facade.[note 9]Theobelisk,known as "The Witness", at 25.31 metres (83.0 ft) and a total height, including base and the cross on top, of 40 metres (130 ft), is the second largest standing obelisk, and the only one to remain standing since its removal from Egypt and re-erection at theCircus of Neroin 37 AD, where it is thought to have stood witness to thecrucifixionof Saint Peter.[53]Its removal to its present location by order ofPope Sixtus Vand engineered byDomenico Fontanaon 28 September 1586, was an operation fraught with difficulties and nearly ending in disaster when the ropes holding the obelisk began to smoke from the friction. Fortunately this problem was noticed by Benedetto Bresca, a sailor ofSanremo,and for his swift intervention, his town was granted the privilege of providing the palms that are used at the basilica eachPalm Sunday.[24]
![View of one fountain which rises in two tiers from a sculptured pool. The fountain is playing and the water is sparkling.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/Fountain_of_Carlo_Maderno_night.jpg/220px-Fountain_of_Carlo_Maderno_night.jpg)
The other object in the old square with which Bernini had to contend was a largefountaindesigned by Maderno in 1613 and set to one side of the obelisk, making a line parallel with the facade. Bernini's plan uses this horizontal axis as a major feature of his unique, spatially dynamic and highly symbolic design. The most obvious solutions were either a rectangular piazza of vast proportions so that the obelisk stood centrally and the fountain (and a matching companion) could be included, or a trapezoid piazza which fanned out from the facade of the basilica like that in front of thePalazzo PubblicoinSiena.The problems of the square plan are that the necessary width to include the fountain would entail the demolition of numerous buildings, including some of the Vatican, and would minimize the effect of the facade. Thetrapezoidplan, on the other hand, would maximize the apparent width of the facade, which was already perceived as a fault of the design.[41]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/47/Vatican_City_and_St._Peter_Square_evening_twilight_aerial_view.jpg/220px-Vatican_City_and_St._Peter_Square_evening_twilight_aerial_view.jpg)
Bernini's ingenious solution was to create a piazza in two sections. That part which is nearest the basilica is trapezoid, but rather than fanning out from the facade, it narrows. This gives the effect of countering the visual perspective. It means that from the second part of the piazza, the building looks nearer than it is, the breadth of the facade is minimized and its height appears greater in proportion to its width. The second section of the piazza is a huge elliptical circus which gently slopes downwards to the obelisk at its centre. The two distinct areas are framed by a colonnade formed by doubled pairs of columns supporting anentablatureof the simpleTuscan Order.
The part of the colonnade that is around the ellipse does not entirely encircle it, but reaches out in two arcs, symbolic of the arms of "the Catholic Church reaching out to welcome its communicants".[41]The obelisk and Maderno's fountain mark the widest axis of the ellipse. Bernini balanced the scheme with another fountain in 1675. The approach to the square used to be through a jumble of old buildings, which added an element of surprise to the vista that opened up upon passing through the colonnade. Nowadays a long wide street, theVia della Conciliazione,built byMussoliniafter the conclusion of theLateran Treaties,leads from theRiver Tiberto thepiazzaand gives distant views of St. Peter's as the visitor approaches, with the basilica acting as aterminating vista.[24]
Bernini's transformation of the site is entirely Baroque in concept. Where Bramante and Michelangelo conceived a building that stood in "self-sufficient isolation", Bernini made the whole complex "expansively relate to its environment".[41]Banister Fletcher says "No other city has afforded such a wide-swept approach to its cathedral church, no other architect could have conceived a design of greater nobility... (it is) the greatest of all atriums before the greatest of all churches of Christendom."[8]
![At the front of the view are the backs of thirteen large statues that stand in along the edge of the façade. Beyond them can be seen the piazza which is in three parts. The nearest appears square, while the second widens into an oval surrounded on each side by the huge grey columns on the colonnade, and with the obelisk at its centre. Beyond that is a further square surrounded by pale pink buildings. A wide street leads from the square, at the end of which can be seen the river, a bridge and castle.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/St_Peter%27s_Square%2C_Vatican_City_-_April_2007.jpg/500px-St_Peter%27s_Square%2C_Vatican_City_-_April_2007.jpg)
Clocks
[edit]The top of the facade of St. Peter's Basilica has two clocks and several sculptures. The clocks were created to replace Bernini's bell towers which had to be torn down due to insufficient support. The left clock shows Rome time, the one of the right shows European mean time. The statues are Christ the Redeemer, St. John the Baptist and 11 Apostles. From the left: St. Thadeus, St. Matthew, St. Philip, St. Thomas, St. James the Greater, St. John the Baptist, The Redeemer, St. Andrew, St. John the Evangelist, St. James the Lesser, St. Bartholomew, St. Simeon, and St. Matthias. Above the Roman clock is thecoat of arms for the city-state of Vatican Citysince 1931 held by two angels.[citation needed]
Bells
[edit]The Basilica has 6 bells, placed in the room under the Roman clock, only 3 of them are visible from ground level while the rest are hidden behind thebourdon.They range from the smallest which is 260 kg to the massivebourdonthat approximately weighs 9 tonnes. From 1931, the bells are operated electrically, thus permitting even the largest bell to be tolled from a distance. The oldest bellRotadates from 1288 and the bourdon calledCampanoneis rung at Christmas and Easter, on the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, and every time the Pope imparts the "Urbi et Orbi"blessing to the city and to the world. Campanone also announces the death of the pope and an election of a new pope.
Bell# | Name | Mass | Date cast |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Campanella | 260 kg | 1825 |
2 | Ave Maria | 280 kg | 1932 |
3 | Predica | 850 kg | 1893 |
4 | Rota | 2 t | 1288 |
5 | Campanoncino (Mezzana, Benedittina) | 4 t | 1725 |
6 | Campanone | 9 t | 1785 |
Treasures
[edit]Tombs and relics
[edit]There are over 100tombswithin St. Peter's Basilica (extant to various extents), many located beneath the Basilica. These include 91 popes, SaintIgnatius of Antioch,Holy Roman EmperorOtto II,and the composerGiovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina.Exiled Catholic British royaltyJames Francis Edward Stuartand his two sons,Charles Edward StuartandHenry Benedict Stuart,Cardinal Bishop of Frascati, are buried here, having been granted asylum byPope Clement XI.Also buried here areMaria Clementina Sobieska,wife ofJames Francis Edward Stuart,QueenChristina of Sweden,who abdicated her throne in order to convert toCatholicism,andCountessMatilda of Tuscany,supporter of the Papacy during theInvestiture Controversy.The most recent interment wasPope Benedict XVI,on 5 January 2023. Beneath, near thecrypt,is the recently discovered vaulted fourth-century "Tomb of the Julii".(See below for some descriptions of tombs).
Artworks
[edit]Towers and narthex
[edit]- In the towers to either side of the facade are two clocks. The clock on the left has been operated electrically since 1931. Its oldest bell dates from 1288.
- One of the most important treasures of the basilica is a mosaic set above the central external door. Called the "Navicella", it is based on a design byGiotto(early 14th century) and represents a ship symbolizing the Christian Church.[10]The mosaic is mostly a 17th-century copy of Giotto's original.
- At each end of the narthex is an equestrian figure, to the northConstantine the Greatby Bernini (1670) and to the southCharlemagnebyCornacchini(18th century).[10]
- Of the five portals from the narthex to the interior, three contain notable doors. The central portal has the Renaissance bronze door byAntonio Averulino(called Filarete) (1455), enlarged to fit the new space. The southern door, theDoor of the Dead,was designed by 20th-century sculptorGiacomo Manzùand includes a portrait of Pope John XXIII kneeling before the crucified figure of Saint Peter.
- The northernmost door is the "Holy Door" which, by tradition, is walled-up with bricks, and opened only for holy years such as theJubilee yearby the Pope. The present door is bronze and was designed byVico Consortiin 1950 and cast inFlorenceby theFerdinando Marinelli Artistic Foundry.Above it are inscriptions commemorating the opening of the door: PAVLVS V PONT MAX ANNO XIII and GREGORIVS XIII PONT MAX.
Recently installed commemorative plaques read above the door as follows:
PAVLVS VI PONT MAX HVIVS PATRIARCALIS VATICANAE BASILICAE PORTAM SANCTAM APERVIT ET CLAVSIT ANNO IVBILAEI MCMLXXV
(Paul VI, Pontifex Maximus, opened and closed the holy door of this patriarchal Vatican basilica in the jubilee year of 1975.)
IOANNES PAVLVS II P.M. PORTAM SANCTAM ANNO IVBILAEI MCMLXXVI A PAVLO PP VI RESERVATAM ET CLAVSAM APERVIT ET CLAVSIT ANNO IVB HVMANE REDEMP MCMLXXXIII–MCMLXXXIV
(John Paul II, Pontifex Maximus, opened and closed again the holy door closed and set apart by Pope Paul VI in 1976 in the jubilee year of human redemption 1983–1984.)
IOANNES PAVLVS II P.M. ITERVM PORTAM SANCTAM APERVIT ET CLAVSIT ANNO MAGNI IVBILAEI AB INCARNATIONE DOMINI MM–MMI
(John Paul II, Pontifex Maximus, again opened and closed the holy door in the year of the great jubilee, from the incarnation of the Lord 2000–2001.)
FRANCISCVS PP. PORTAM SANCTAM ANNO MAGNI IVB MM–MMI A IOANNE PAVLO PP. II RESERVATAM ET CLAVSAM APERVIT ET CLAVSIT ANNO IVB MISERICORDIAE MMXV–MMXVI
(Pope Francis opened and closed again the holy door, closed and set apart by Pope John Paul II in the year of the great jubilee 2000–2001, in the jubilee year of Mercy 2015–2016.)
Older commemorative plaques are removed to make way for the new plaque when the holy door is opened and sealed.
Nave
[edit]- On the first piers of the nave are two Holy Water basins held by pairs ofcherubseach 2 metres high, commissioned byPope Benedict XIIIfrom designerAgostino Cornacchiniand sculptor Francesco Moderati, (1720s).
- Along the floor of the nave are markers showing the comparative lengths of other churches, starting from the entrance.
- On the decorative pilasters of the piers of the nave are medallions with relief depicting 56 of the first popes.
- In niches between the pilasters of the nave are statues depicting 39 founders of religious orders.
- Set against the north east pier of the dome is a statue ofSaint Peter Enthroned,sometimes attributed to late 13th-century sculptorArnolfo di Cambio,with some scholars dating it to the fifth century. One foot of the statue is largely worn away bypilgrimskissing it for centuries.
- The sunken Confessio leading to theVatican Grottoes(see above) contained a large kneeling statue byCanovaofPope Pius VI,who was captured and mistreated byNapoleon Bonaparte'sarmy. This has now been moved to the back (eastern) end of the grottoes.
- In the Confessio is theNiche of the Pallium( "Niche of Stoles" ) which contains a bronze urn, donated byPope Benedict XIV,to contain white stoles embroidered with black crosses and woven with the wool of lambs blessed on St. Agnes' day.
- The HighAltaris surmounted by Bernini'sbaldachin.(See above)
- Set in niches within the four piers supporting the dome are the larger-than-life statues associated with the basilica's primary holy relics:Saint Helenaholding theTrue Crossand theHoly Nails,byAndrea Bolgi;Saint Longinusholding thespear that pierced the side of Jesus,by Bernini (1639);Saint Andrewwith theSt. Andrew's Cross,byFrancois DuquesnoyandSaint Veronicaholding herveil with the image of Jesus' face,byFrancesco Mochi.
-
Saint Helena
by Andrea Bolgi -
Saint Longinus
by Bernini -
Saint Andrew
by Francois Duquesnoy -
Saint Veronica
by Francesco Mochi
North aisle
[edit]- In the first chapel of the north aisle is Michelangelo'sPietà.[note 10]
- On the first pier in the right aisle is the monument ofQueen Christina of Sweden,who abdicated in 1654 in order to convert to Catholicism.
- The second chapel, dedicated toSaint Sebastian,contains the statues of popesPius XIandPius XII.The space below the altar used to be the resting place ofPope Innocent XIbut his remains were moved to theAltar of the Transfigurationon 8 April 2011. This was done to make way for the body ofPope John Paul II.His remains were placed beneath the altar on 2 May 2011.
- The large chapel on the right aisle is theChapel of the Blessed Sacramentwhich contains the tabernacle by Bernini (1664) resembling Bramante'sTempiettoatSan Pietro in Montoriosupported by two kneeling angels and with behind it a painting of theHoly TrinitybyPietro da Cortona.
- Near the altar ofOur Lady of Succourare the monuments of popesGregory XIIIbyCamillo Rusconi(1723) andGregory XIV.
- At the end of the aisle is an altar containing the relics ofSaint Petronillaand with an altarpieceThe Burial of St PetronillabyGuercino(Giovanni Francesco Barbieri), 1623.
South aisle
[edit]- The first chapel in the south aisle is the baptistry, commissioned byPope Innocent XIIand designed byCarlo Fontana,(great nephew of Domenico Fontana). The font was carved from the lid of the purple porphyrysarcophaguswhich had once held the remains of the EmperorHadrian,and is surmounted with a gilt-bronze figure of the "Lamb of God".Fontana's reworkedporphyrysarcophagus lid font replaced an earlier font, which was re-purposed from the sarcophagus ofProbus,the fourth-centuryPrefect of Rome,and which was used for baptisms from the 15th century until the late 17th century, when Fontana's work was completed.
- Against the first pier of the aisle is theMonument to the Royal Stuarts:James Stuart,known as the "Old Pretender" and his sons,Charles Edward,known as "Bonnie Prince Charlie", andHenry,a cardinal. The tomb is aNeo-Classicaldesign byCanovaunveiled in 1819. Opposite it is the memorial of James Francis Edward Stuart's wife,Maria Clementina Sobieska.
- The second chapel is that of thePresentation of the Virginand contains the memorials ofPope Benedict XVandPope John XXIII.
- Against the piers are the tombs ofPope Pius XandPope Innocent VIII.
- The large chapel off the south aisle is theChoir Chapelwhich contains the altar of theImmaculate Conception.
- At the entrance to theSacristyis the tomb ofPope Pius VIII
- The south transept contains the altars ofSaint Thomas,Saint Josephand theCrucifixion of Saint Peter.
- The tomb of Fabio Chigi,Pope Alexander VII,towards the end of the aisle, is the work of Bernini and called by Lees-Milne "one of the greatest tombs of theBaroqueAge ". It occupies an awkward position, being set in a niche above a doorway into a small vestry, but Bernini has utilized the doorway in a symbolic manner. Pope Alexander kneels upon his tomb, facing outward. The tomb is supported on a large draped shroud in patterned red marble, and is supported by four female figures, of whom only the two at the front are fully visible. They representCharityandTruth.The foot of Truth rests upon a globe of the world, her toe being pierced symbolically by the thorn of Protestant England. Coming forth, seemingly, from the doorway as if it were the entrance to a tomb, is the skeletal winged figure ofDeath,its head hidden beneath the shroud, but its right hand carrying anhourglassstretched upward towards the kneeling figure of the pope.[24]
-
The Holy Door is opened only for great celebrations.
-
The tomb of Alexander VII, byGian Lorenzo Bernini,1671–1678[54]
-
The bronze statue of Saint Peter holding the keys of heaven, attributed toArnolfo di Cambio
-
ThePietàbyMichelangelo,1498–1499, is in the north aisle.
Archpriests since 1053
[edit]![The cardinals, all in bright red robes, are grouped near the baldachin.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/00/Cardinals_at_StPeters.jpg/220px-Cardinals_at_StPeters.jpg)
List ofarchpriestsof the Vatican Basilica:[55][56]
![The exterior of the basilica on a sunny day. In the foreground, hundreds of robed priests look towards a podium where there is an altar, and a group of white robed figures attends the Pope.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Francis_Inauguration_fc06.jpg/220px-Francis_Inauguration_fc06.jpg)
- Giovanni (1053)
- Deusdedit(1092)
- Azzo (1103–1104)
- Rustico de' Rustici (c. 1128– c. 1131)
- Griffone (1138–1139)
- Pietro (c. 1140?–1144)
- Bernard (1145?–1176?)
- Giovanni da Sutri (1176/78–1180)
- Ugolino di Segni (c. 1191– c. 1200–1206)
- Guido Pierleoni (1206/7–1228)
- Stefano Conti(1229–1254)
- Riccardo Annibaldi (1254–1276)
- Giovanni Gaetano Orsini(1276–1277)
- Matteo Rosso Orsini(1278–1305)
- Napoleone Orsini Frangipani(1306–1342)
- Annibaldo di Ceccano(1342–1350)
- Guillaume de La Jugie (1362–1365)
- Rinaldo Orsini (1366–1374)
- Hugues de Saint-Martial (1374–1378)
- Philippe d'Alençon (1378–1397)
- Cristoforo Maroni (1397–1404)
- Angelo Acciaioli(1404–1408)
- Antonio Calvi (1408–1411)
- Pedro Fernandez de Frias (1412–1420)
- Antonio Correr(1420–1429)
- Lucido Conti(1429–1434)
- Giordano Orsini(1434–1438)
- Giuliano Cesarini(1439–1444)
- Pietro Barbo(1445–1464)
- Richard Olivier (1464–1470)
- Giovanni Battista Zeno(1470–1501)
- Juan López(1501)
- Ippolito d'Este(1501–1520)
- Marco Cornaro (1520)
- Franciotto Orsini (1520–1530)
- Francesco Cornaro(1530–1543)
- Alessandro Farnese(1543–1589)
- Giovanni Evangelista Palotta (1589–1620)
- Scipione Caffarelli-Borghese(1620–1633)
- Francesco Barberini(1633–1667)
- Carlo Barberini(1667–1704)
- Francesco Nerli (iuniore)(1704–1708)
- Annibale Albani(1712–1751)
- Henry Benedict Stuart(1751–1807)
- Romualdo Braschi-Onesti(1807–1817)
- Alessandro Mattei(1817–1820)
- Pietro Francesco Galleffi(6 May 1820 – 18 June 1837)
- Giacomo Giustiniani(1 July 1837 – 24 February 1843)
- Mario Mattei(11 March 1843 – 7 October 1870)
- Niccola Paracciani Clarelli(8 October 1870 – 7 July 1872)
- Edoardo Borromeo(10 July 1872 – 30 November 1881)
- Edward Henry Howard(12 December 1881 – 16 September 1892)
- Francesco Ricci Paracciani(6 October 1892 – 9 March 1894)
- Mariano Rampolla del Tindaro(21 March 1894 – 16 December 1913)
- Rafael Merry del Val(12 January 1914 – 26 February 1930)
- Eugenio Pacelli(25 March 1930 – 2 March 1939)
- Federico Tedeschini(14 March 1939 – 2 November 1959)
- Domenico Tardini(14 November 1959 – 30 July 1961)
- Paolo Marella(14 August 1961 – 8 February 1983)
- Aurelio Sabattani(8 February 1983 – 1 July 1991)[57]
- Virgilio Noè(1 July 1991[57]– 24 April 2002)[58]
- Francesco Marchisano(24 April 2002[58]– 31 October 2006)[59]
- Angelo Comastri(31 October 2006[59]– 20 February 2021)[60]
- Comastri was named Coadjutor Archpriest on 5 February 2005[61]
- Mauro Gambetti(20 February 2021[60]– present)
Specifications
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/30/%D0%91%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D0%A1%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B3_%D0%9F%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0%2C_%D0%92%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BD.jpg/220px-%D0%91%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D0%A1%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B3_%D0%9F%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0%2C_%D0%92%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BD.jpg)
- Cost of construction of the basilica: more than 46,800,052ducats[62]
- Geographic orientation: chancel west, nave east
- Total length: 730 feet (220 m)
- Total width: 500 feet (150 m)
- Interior length including vestibule: 693.8 feet (211.5 m),[2]more than1⁄8mile.
- Length of the transepts in interior: 451 feet (137 m)[2]
- Width of nave: 90.2 feet (27.5 m)[2]
- Width at the tribune: 78.7 feet (24.0 m)[2]
- Internal width at transepts: 451 feet (137 m)[2]
- Internal height of nave: 151.5 feet (46.2 m) high[2]
- Total area: 227,070 square feet (21,095 m2), more than 5 acres (20,000 m2).
- Internal area: 163,182.2 square feet (3.75 acres; 15,160.12 m2)[2]
- Height from pavement to top of cross: 448.1 feet (136.6 m)[1]
- Façade: 167 feet (51 m) high by 375 feet (114 m) wide
- Vestibule: 232.9 feet (71.0 m) wide, 44.2 feet (13.5 m) deep, and 91.8 feet (28.0 m) high[2]
- The internal columns and pilasters: 92 feet (28 m) tall
- The circumference of the central piers: 240 feet (73 m)
- Outer diameter of dome: 137.7 feet (42.0 m)[2]
- The drum of the dome: 630 feet (190 m) in circumference and 65.6 feet (20.0 m) high, rising to 240 feet (73 m) from the ground
- The lantern: 63 feet (19 m) high
- The ball and cross: 8 and 16 feet (2.4 and 4.9 m), respectively
- St. Peter's Square: 1,115 feet (340 m) long, 787.3 feet (240.0 m) wide[2]
- Each arm of the colonnade: 306 feet (93 m) long, and 64 feet (20 m) high
- The colonnades have 284 columns, 88 pilasters, and 140 statues[2]
- Obelisk: 83.6 feet (25.5 m). Total height with base and cross, 132 feet (40 m).
- Weight of obelisk: 360.2 short tons (326,800 kg; 720,400 lb)[2]
See also
[edit]![The dark silhouette of St. Peter's dome set against the orange, evening sky and setting sun.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Rom%2C_Vatikan%2C_Petersdom_-_Silhouette_bei_Sonnenuntergang_3.jpg/220px-Rom%2C_Vatikan%2C_Petersdom_-_Silhouette_bei_Sonnenuntergang_3.jpg)
- Architecture of cathedrals and great churches
- Architecture of Rome
- History of early modern period domes
- List of tallest domes
- Index of Vatican City-related articles
- List of basilicas in Italy
- List of oldest church buildings
- List of Roman Catholic basilicas
- List of tallest buildings in Rome
- List of tallest structures built before the 20th century
- List of tourist attractions in Rome
Notes
[edit]- ^Claims made that theBasilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukroin Côte d'Ivoire is larger appear to be spurious, as the measurements include a rectorate, a villa and probably the forecourt. Its dome, based on that of St. Peter's Basilica, is lower but carries a taller cross, and thus claims to be the tallest domed church.[citation needed]
- ^Benedict XVI's theological act of renouncing the title of "Patriarch of the West"had as a consequence that Catholic Roman Rite patriarchal basilicas are today officially known asPapal basilicas.
- ^Quarrying of stone for the Colosseum had, in turn, been paid for with treasure looted at theSiege of Jerusalemand destruction of the temple by the emperorVespasian's general (and the future emperor)Titusin 70 AD.[31]
- ^Julius II's tomb was left incomplete and was eventually erected in the Church of St Peter ad Vincola.
- ^This claim has recently been made for Yamoussoukro Basilica, the dome of which, modelled on St. Peter's, is lower but has a taller cross.[citation needed]
- ^The dome of Florence Cathedral is depicted in a fresco atSanta Maria Novellathat pre-dates its building by about 100 years.
- ^Another view of the façade statues.From left to right: ① Thaddeus, ② Matthew, ③ Philip, ④ Thomas, ⑤ James the Elder, ⑥John the Baptist(technically a 'precursor' and not an apostle); ⑦ Christ (centre, the only one with a halo); ⑧ Andrew, ⑨John the Apostle,⑩ James the Younger, ⑪ Bartholomew, ⑫Simonand ⑬ Matthias. ("Unofficial architecture site".saintpetersbasilica.org.Retrieved1 June2011.)
- ^The word "stupendous" is used by a number of writers trying to adequately describe the enormity of the interior. These include James Lees-Milne and Banister Fletcher.
- ^The obelisk was originally erected at Heliopolis by an unknown pharaoh of the Fifth dynasty of Egypt (c. 2494 BC– 2345 BC).
- ^The statue was damaged in 1972 by Lazlo Toft, a Hungarian-Australian, who considered that the veneration shown to the statue was idolatrous. The damage was repaired and the statue subsequently placed behind glass.
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- ^abcdefghijklmnoBaumgarten 1913
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- ^James Lees-Milne describes St. Peter's Basilica as "a church with a unique position in the Christian world" inLees-Milne 1967,p. 12.
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- ^abcdePio V. Pinto, pp. 48–59
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excavation has revealed that the tomb of the apostle was wantonly smashed
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- ^abcEneide Mignacca,Michelangelo and the architecture of St. Peter's Basilica,lecture, Sydney University, (1982)
- ^De la Croix, Horst; Tansey, Richard G.; Kirkpatrick, Diane (1991).Gardner's Art Through the Ages(9th ed.). Thomson/Wadsworth. p.641.ISBN0-15-503769-2.
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- ^Pile 2005,p. 131
- ^Lees-Milne 1967,"Maderno's Nave"
- ^Decker, Heinrich (1969) [1967].The Renaissance in Italy: Architecture • Sculpture • Frescoes.New York: The Viking Press. p. 279.
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- ^Maleczek, Werner (1984).Papst und Kardinalskolleg von 1191 bis 1216: die Kardinäle unter Coelestin III. und Innocenz III[Pope and College of Cardinals from 1191 to 1216: the cardinals under Celestine III. and Innocence III] (in German). Wien [Vienna]: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften [Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences] – viaInternet Archive.corrections of Miranda for the period before 1190 until 1254
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Bibliography
[edit]- Bannister, Turpin(1968). "The Constantinian Basilica of Saint Peter at Rome".Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians.27(1): 3–32.doi:10.2307/988425.JSTOR988425.OCLC19640446.(subscription required)
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External links
[edit]- Official website(in Italian)
- "Virtual Reality Tour of the Basilica of Saint Peter"
- St Peter's Basilica.info‒ unofficial website on the basilica, with images and text from different books.
- 360 Degree Photographs Inside Saint Peter's Basilica
- Google Maps:Vatican ‒ Satellite image of the Basilica
- "Beggar's Rome"- A self-directed virtual tour of St. Peter's Basilica and other Roman churches
- St. Peter's Basilica
- Churches in Vatican City
- Coronation church buildings
- Church buildings with domes
- Terminating vistas
- Renaissance architecture in Rome
- Baroque architecture in Rome
- Tourist attractions in Vatican City
- Churches completed in 1626
- Tombs of apostles
- Burial places of popes
- 1626 establishments in the Papal States
- Pope Julius II
- Donato Bramante church buildings
- Michelangelo church buildings
- Carlo Maderno buildings
- Gian Lorenzo Bernini church buildings
- Major basilicas
- 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy