Address: Vatican, St. Peter's Square
Build date: 1626 year
Height: 132.5 m
Shrines: tomb of saint peter
Coordinates: 41 ° 54'07.7 "N 12 ° 27'12.0" E
Content:
Short story
To the north of the center of Rome, on the territory of the dwarf state of the Vatican, in the Piazza San Pietro stands the Cathedral (Basilica) of St. Peter - the largest Catholic church in the world.
Cathedral from a bird's eye view
Its huge 136-meter dome seems to hover over the Vatican. The largest churches in Europe could fit inside St. Peter's Basilica - this is evidenced by special marks on the floor showing their dimensions... According to legend, at the base of the basilica is the grave of St. Peter - one of the 12 disciples of I. Christ.
During the Christian persecutions of Nero, in 64, the Apostle Peter was crucified on an inverted cross upside down at his own request, since he considered himself unworthy to die the same death as Christ. In 324, the Roman emperor Constantine I the Great erected a Christian church over the burial place of the apostle. Legend has it that in the first cathedral of St. Peter on Christmas Eve 800, Pope Leo III crowned Charles I the Great.
View of the cathedral from the south
During the Avignon captivity, when the popes' residence was not in Rome, but in Avignon, St. Peter's Basilica fell into disrepair, and at the beginning of the 16th century it was demolished. On April 18, 1506, in its place, Pope Julius II laid the first stone in the foundation of the cathedral. In 1626, Pope Urban VIII consecrated a new temple.
St. Peter's Basilica - the creation of the greatest masters of the Renaissance
The genius masters of the Renaissance took part in the construction of the cathedral. In 1506, the project of the architect Donato Bramante was approved, according to which the cathedral should be built in the form of a square with a Greek (equilateral) cross inscribed in it. After Bramante's death, the construction was headed by Raphael Santi, who redesigned the church in the form of a Latin, that is, an elongated cross.
View of the cathedral from the Castel Sant'Angelo
In 1546, 70-year-old Michelangelo took over the construction work. He returned to Bramante's idea, making the supporting structures more massive, and erected the drum of the central dome. After the death of Michelangelo, the architects Giacomo della Porta and Giacomo da Vignola completed the main dome, giving it a more elongated outline, and erected two small domes. In 1605, the architect Carlo Maderno lengthened the longitudinal axis of the cathedral, thus returning to the shape of the Latin cross, and erected a facade in the classical style... 50 years later, Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini built St. Peter's Square in front of the cathedral.
Relics of the saint's cathedral
Peter The facade of St. Peter's Cathedral is crowned with huge statues of Christ, John the Baptist and 11 apostles (except for St. Peter). There are five entrances to the cathedral. The last entrance on the right, the so-called "Holy Gates", is almost always locked - it opens only on the anniversary year, which is celebrated every quarter of a century.
View of the cathedral from the Tiber river
The interiors of the cathedral are striking in their grandiose size and richness of decoration. There are many altars, tombstones, stucco moldings, mosaics, and sculptures. Among the statues, the marble Pieta by Michelangelo stands out. She depicts a grieving Madonna holding a lifeless Christ in her arms.
In 1972, the Australian geologist Laszlo Toth tried to smash the statue. Armed with a hammer, he pounced on "Pieta" shouting: "I am Jesus Christ!" Since the medical commission recognized L. Thoth as mentally ill, no charges were brought against him. After restoration, the statue was protected with bulletproof glass. An altar rises in the center of the cathedral, surrounded by 44 unquenchable lamps.
General view of the cathedral
They are lit over the tomb in which the relics of St. Peter rest. Above the altar is a bronze ciborium (canopy) made by Bernini, resting on four twisted columns. The top of the altar is crowned with a bronze ball with a cross, and a gilded dove, a symbol of the Holy Spirit, is suspended under the ciborium. Near the coffin of the Apostle Peter, in the underground crypt, other holy popes also found their last refuge. Not far from the altar is a bronze figure of St. Peter, who sits on the papal throne and holds in his hand the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. The statue is credited with miraculous power: if you make a wish and rub the apostle's foot, asking him for help, then all hopes and hopes will come true.
Visit to St. Peter's Basilica
You can climb to the top of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in two ways - by elevator and by stairs, consisting of 500 steps... The observation deck offers amazing views of Rome and the Vatican. To the left of the cathedral is the central entrance to the Vatican, guarded by the guards.
Facade of the cathedral
Not a single solemn divine service in the Cathedral of St. Peter, not a single official reception at the Pope's. The guards are dressed in striped yellow and purple medieval costumes. According to legend, this form was invented by Michelangelo himself. When planning a visit to St. Petra must be dressed appropriately - shorts, short skirts, tank tops and tops that expose the shoulders are not allowed.
