St Peters Basilica (Rome);1506-1926

St Peters Basilica (Rome); 1506-1626 

St. Peter's Basilica also called New St. Peter's Basilica is in Vatican City, Rome. Situated on the Vatican hill in the UNESCO world heritage site. It replaced the Old St. Peters Basilica. The Old St Peter's Basilica was the 4th-century church begun by the Emperor Constantine the Great. Designed by Donato Bramente, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. They all had different ideas on how to go about the design of the building. Construction began in 1506 and completed in 1626. This specific location was symbolic because it was where St. Peter died a martyr and was buried on those same grounds. The basilica contains over 100 tombs, many located in the Vatican grotto, beneath the Basilica. 

The Basilica is the largest church in the world, it has a 211.5-meter-long nave. It has a capacity of over 60,000 people. The dome is considered one of the world's largest measuring at 42 meters in diameter and reaching 132.5 meters high, it rests on four five-sided pillars. Each pier has a large niche at its base, which is filled with a colossal statue of a saint. 

  There's a crowning piece on the dome, which was designed by Michelangelo. Its dome is a dominant feature of the skyline of Rome.  

The first space is oval and the second space is a trapezoid shape. The façade of the basilica are columns that stretch across the square. The basilica is a cruciform in shape with an elongated nave in the Latin cross form with a dome inspired by the Pantheon. The interior is decorated with colored marble, stucco/marble figures and mosaic decoration, Decorated in Baroque style. Bernini, created many of its famous features in the 1650s. He built the elaborate canopy over the main alter, which stands beneath the dome. The interior is filled with masterpieces of Renaissance and Baroque art. The exterior was given an impressive setting by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, one of the architects. There was a large open space in front of the church about 1.5 kilometers long. In the courtyard outside, there are 140 statues of saints, which stand upon the colonnades. Each statue is 3.10 meters tall and have been standing since 1670. There was a Piazza which was completed in 1667, contains two fountains and rows of columns. 

There are two levels below the Basilica, the first level is known as the Vatican Grottoes and it’s a large underground graveyard. The level below is the Vatican Necropolis and houses St Peter's Tomb. 

The basilica is a major tourist destination in modern Rome, with thousands of visitors each day. The holy door in the basilica is only opened for Jubilee years, which is once every 25 years. They are usually cemented shut to prevent them from accidently being opened. Tourists don’t only go just for the architecture and art, but also, for the burial sites. Only important people were buried at the St Peters Basilica. Like Christina, Queen of Sweden who was one of the most educated women of the 1600s. Otto II was also buried there, he was a Holy Roman Emperor, etc.  

  

Sources

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. “St. Peter's Basilica.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 7 Sept. 2016, www.britannica.com/topic/Saint-Peters-Basilica. 

Ermengem, Kristiaan Van. “St. Peters Basilica, Rome.” A View On Cities, www.aviewoncities.com/rome/sanpietro.htm. 

“Famous People Buried in St. Peter's Basilica.” Ranker, www.ranker.com/list/famous-people-buried-in-st-peter_s-basilica/reference. 
Sacred Destinations.” St. Peter's Basilica - Vatican City, www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/rome-st-peters-basilica.