The Italian architectural heritage is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating in the world. Thousands of monuments scattered throughout the boot which - over the centuries - have become synonymous with history and beauty. And among the symbolic cities of Italic art it undoubtedly stands out Rome. In fact, some of the best known and most famous works are housed in the capital. Suffice it to mention the Colosseum, the Imperial Forums and St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. The latter takes place today, April 18, the beauty of 512 years. But how much do we know about this all-Italian jewel?
The Ancient Basilica of San Pietro
Work on the St. Peter's Basilica officially began on April 18, 1506 under the pontificate of Pope Julius II. However, the history of the complex is much older, dating back to the XNUMXth century AD when it was signed the edict of Milan (o Edict of Constantine). This agreement provided for freedom of worship for all citizens of the Eastern and Western Roman Empire, and it was a key step in the spread of Christianity. After 313 (year of the edict) churches and basilicas were built to host the various religious functions. In Rome Constantine had the first monumental church built: la Basilica of St. John Lateran. But the structure, although the seat of the diocese, was not the most important. The complex symbol of Christianity was in fact built in 333 on the site of Circus Caligula where he was crucified Peter (even if, according to some, the place would be close to the Church of San Pietro in Montorio).
For centuries theAncient St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican it welcomed all those faithful who, every year, went to Rome on pilgrimage. The originality of the basilica lay in the fact that, since its opening, it was the place where the Christian martyrs were buried. This gave it an even deeper and more important meaning in the religious landscape.
The new house of the Pope
With the end of the Western Roman Empire and the barbarian invasions, Rome went through a long period of crisis. The various works of the city were defaced, abandoned and left at the mercy of events. Among these also the Basilica of San Pietro, prey to looting, poor (if at all) maintenance and a violent fire. At the dawn of the fifteenth century, after the Avignonese captivity - that period in which the papacy was transferred to Avignon - the Vatican once again became the official residence of the Pope. Following this event, Nicholas V promoted various restoration works in the Basilica. The facility, however, was too shabby. The only solution was the demolition of the church to create it from scratch. The reconstruction interventions, however, stopped after the death of Nicholas V.
In 1506 pope Julius II, after more than 50 years, he ordered the resumption of the works. The designed was assigned to Donato Bramante who completely demolished the old basilica, to replace it with a structure a Greek cross and a central dome. After Bramante's death, the papal regency entrusted the work to three architects: Fra 'Giocondo, Anthony Sangallo e Raffaello. These modified the initial project by replacing the Greek cross structure with the Latin one, useful for having more space in front of the facade. However, none of the three saw - due to their deaths - the finished work. The work thus passed into the hands of Michelangelo Buonarroti who returned to Bramante's project. The papacy, however, did not take kindly to Michelangelo's drawing due to the absence of secondary spaces such as the sacristy, the chapels and the vestibule. Nevertheless, the construction sites continued under the guidance of Buonarroti, who managed to build part of the dome before he died.
The end of the works
After the Tuscan artist, numerous prominent figures of the period followed one another: Jacopo Vignola, James Della Porta, Domenico Fontana e Carlo Maderno. The latter added a graft in the central section, giving the complex the - definitive - shape of a Latin cross. He also worked on St. Peter's Basilica Gian Lorenzo Bernini realizing the Canopy and the famous square in front of the church: Saint Peter Square. The structure was consecrated by Pope Urban VIII on November 18, 1626, but the whole complex (including the square) was only completed in 1667. A majestic work that required the genius of numerous artists, thousands of workers and over 150 years of work. And we can only admire its beauty after more than half a millennium of history.
