View Article: St. Peter's Basilica-Initial Research

	St. Peter's Basilica-Initial Research
	written by Angela Hitt / 07.12.2004

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Site Location

Map of Vatican City

St. Peter’s Basilica is the focal point of Vatican City in Rome (see map).

Site History

The current basilica stands on the remains of a much smaller basilica erected by the Roman emperor Constantine between the years of 324 and 349. The basilica venerates the tomb of St. Peter, the first pope and an apostle of Jesus (See Necropolis of the Vatican and the Tomb of St. Peter for more information). On April 18, 1506 the Pope Julius II laid the cornerstone of the new church. The original design was created by Donato Bramante. Arches connect four massive columns and support the gigantic dome which is aligned with the St. Peters tomb. After Bramante’s death in 1514, Giuliano da Santagallo Fra Giocondo, Raphael, Baldassarre Peruzzi, and Antonio da Santagallo took over the project but funding problems prevented the project progressing at its original pace. Michelangelo’s architectural and design abilities can be credited with completing the apse, the transept and the part of the dome during his time with the project between 1546 and his death in 1564. Carlo Maderno, under the papacy of Paul V, oversaw the construction of the nave, side aisles, atrium and the facade from 1606 to 1614. Pope Urban VIII consecrated the new Basilica on November 18 1626.

Elements of Interest

The interior is marked by the five bronze doors leading in to the atrium. The central door was created in 1445 for the older basilica and then prominently displayed in the new church. Images of Christ, the Virgin Mary, the apostles Peter and Paul and their martyrdoms appear on the door and it is considered among the first Renaissance works in Rome.
Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed the extravagant marble interior. He also created the bronze Baldachin covering the high altar in 1633 and the Throne of St. Peter in Glory located in the apse in 1658 through 1666. Bernini is also responsible for the layout of the parvis and square in front of the St. Peter's. The project took eleven years to complete and the final square consisted of two converging corridors and a double elliptical colonnade. The three-tiered fountain was completed in 1675.
The first chapel on the right contains Michelangelo’s Pietà, a beautifial marble stautue of Mary morning the death of Jesus.

Analyze Image

St._Peters

St Peters from more than a mile away

This image is taken from more than a mile away from the dome mile away on the Ponte Sant'Angelo. Obviously it leaves out the delicate details of the exterior, but the shear size of the building is amazing.

Site Questions

How was the dome built without the aid of modern cranes?
How were the building materials transported?

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