St. Peter's Basilica, a beacon of Christianity, according to what has been handed down, it stands where the remains of the apostle Peter have been lying since 64 AD; when he was crucified upside down, next to the obelisk transported by Augustus in 30 BC from Egypt, the same one we see in the center of the square.
THEarea it was a necropolis including pagan tombs, and the Mausoleum of Hadrian, today Castel Sant'Angelo, but after Nero's death it was abandoned. Christians were buried next to Peter's tomb, where a double aedicule was later built to honor him; becoming a pilgrimage destination. Majestic, the basilica is the largest cathedral in the world with 15.160 sqm.
From the Constantinian basilica to the birth of St. Peter
In 318 AD Constantine decided to build an immense basilica on the necropolis in honor of the apostle Peter, called the Constantinian basilica. The lean and ascetic structure had a Latin cross plan consisting of five naves, in which the altar corresponded to the tomb of Peter.
The Constantinian basilica fell into neglect, and in 1506 Pope Julius decided to entrust the project of the new church to Bramante, in place of the previous one. Pope Julius dreamed of a new Greek cross basilica, with a huge dome, four smaller domes, and four bell towers. Antonio da Sangallo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini collaborated in the construction of the church, and the latter left an imprint of majesty marble sublime. Bramante began working on the dome, but then, thirty years later, Michelangelo took over the project, also taking care of the facade.
The projects of Michelangelo and St. Peter's square
The famous "St. Peter's Basilica" took XNUMX years of work to see the light. When Michelangelo died, in fact, it was not yet completed, and it was Giacomo Della Porta in just two years following the master's projects to finish that same dome recognized throughout the world as a symbol of Christianity. It measures one hundred and thirty-three meters high, forty meters and fifty cm in diameter, with five hundred thirty-seven steps that go up to the lantern.
Carlo Maderno took care of the façade following Michelangelo's projects, articulating it with columns of a giant order; surmounted by statues depicting Jesus and eleven apostles. Under the façade there is the portico with five access doors to the basilica. The most important is on the right, the "Holy Door" in bronze, donated to Pope Pius XII in 1950. In the sixteen panels, Pius XII himself and the bull of Boniface VIII, which announced the first Jubilee in 1300, stand out.
The colonnade of St. Peter's Square towards the Basilica
Bernini, pupil of Pope Alexander VII, took care of the square, demolishing several surrounding buildings. The area had to accommodate a multitude of faithful enclosed in a space that symbolized the arms of the church that welcome and embrace the whole of humanity. The symbolism contained in the shape of the square makes it absolutely unique in the world, since the elliptical shape refers to the universe.
The statues of the saints are a "link" between the people enclosed in the portico and the sky; a mediation between the world and divinity. Inside, in the center of the basilica, Bernini's Baldacchino dominates, made from the fusion of the ancient bronzes of the Pantheon. The towering might of the eleven meter high twisted columns of the canopy always amazes visitors. On the top, the statues of angels and gilded cherubs, designed by Borromini, in a sinuous and dynamic Baroque style, are valuable. Inside the basilica of St. Peter there are infinite unique artistic masterpieces full of spirituality!
Masterpieces of art and fulcrum of Christianity
The Chair of St. Peter, in the apse of the cathedral, designed by Bernini, represents a wooden throne containing an artifact; donated in 875 by the king of the Franks Charles the Bald to Pope John VIII on the occasion of his arrival in Roma for his coronation as emperor. Noteworthy is a halo of gilded stucco surrounded by angels, with a leaded glass oval depicting a dove; the only stained glass window in St. Peter's Basilica. According to medieval legend, the oval would be the true bishop's chair of St. Peter.
One of the artistic attractions preserved inside of the basilica is Michelangelo's Pietà. The sculpture is the only work that bears the artist's signature, placed on the band on the Virgin's robe. A pilgrimage destination inside the basilica is the tomb of John Paul II; it is buried under the altar of the Chapel of San Sebastiano.
Vatican caves
The Tomb of Peter is located ten meters below the altar of the basilica, where are the Vatican caves. It is a Roman cemetery (XNUMXst - XNUMXth century AD). The tombs decorated inside with paintings and stuccos, have inscriptions with the names of the deceased.
La Necropolis previously buried, it was brought to light thanks to the excavations commissioned by Pope Pius XII. Those who wish to visit the Vatican caves can do so every day from 9.00 to 15.30, closed on Sundays and on the days 1-2 Nov, 8 Dec, 24-27 Dec, 1 Dec, 1 Jan, 6 Jan. Reservation is required by e-mail: [email protected], or by fax: 06 69873017, or at the Excavation Office to the left of the Bernini colonnade. People under the age of fifteen cannot access the caves. The full ticket is € 13,00.
Access to the dome of St. Peter's Basilica
The dome is accessed from 1 April to 30 September, every day from 8.00 to 18.00, from 1 October to 31 March, from 8.00 to 17.00. The ticket is € 8.00 with lift, and does not include the last three hundred steps.
The ticket is € 6.00 on foot, climbing five hundred and fifty-one steps, and reduced is € 4.00. Reductions for schools are possible, by presenting a certificate from the Institute with the list of participants at the cash desk.
