ONE MINUTE
IN ST. PETERS BASILICA

Sneak peak!

What does it look like in St. Peter’s Basilica – the largest church in the world?

We have prepared a small video of our visit for you!

Have fun!

Yours
Celine

St. Peter'S Basilica
A bit of History

Saint Peter’s Basilica, or San Pietro in Vaticano as it’s also known, was built between 1506 and 1626 on the site of the Old Saint Peter’s Basilica. The old church was established by the Emperor Constantine the Great in 324 A.D.
The site of the old basilica was chosen because it was believed to be the burial place of St. Peter, who is traditionally considered to be the first Bishop of Rome and therefore the first pope and leader of Christendom.

Saint Peter’s Basilica is one of the four papal basilicas and seven pilgrim churches of Rome. It is not, however, the seat of the Bishop of Rome – that title falls to the Archbasilica of St John Lateran.

The architecture

In the early 16th century, Pope Julius II decided that the Old Saint Peter’s Basilica (which was 1200 years old by this time) was no longer ‘worthy’ and decreed that a new larger basilica should be built. Work on Saint Peter’s Basilica began in 1506, with only the most talented architects invited to work on the design.
The first was Donato Bramante (1504–1514), who was succeeded by Raphael (1514-1520) and later by Michelangelo (1547–1564) who designed the spectacular dome, although he never lived to see it completed.
The architect Carlo Maderno (1603–1629) created the wide baroque façade and also completed the nave. Gian Lorenzo Bernini took over as architect from 1629 to 1670, during which time he designed St. Peter’s Square and also the Baldacchino di San Pietro, the grandiose sculpted bronze canopy that forms the centrepiece of the basilica.

The dimensions

The sheer size of Saint Peter’s Basilica is overwhelming. When you set foot inside, it’s so vast you don’t know where to look first. You might have heard the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast, referred to as the largest church in the world – and you’d be right, it does have the largest footprint… But Saint Peter’s Basilica is still the largest church building. In fact, when you compare the total inside space, Saint Peter’s Basilica (15,000 m2) is almost double the size of the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace (8000 m2).

The basilica stands 132 m tall, 211 m long (on the outside or 186.36 m on the inside) and 138 m wide along the transept. Yet, despite its size, it feels spacious and bright rather than oppressive.
By way of comparison, the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is just 90 m long and 60 m wide, although once completed it will have the tallest spire in the world. And while the nave of Notre-Dame in Paris is 130 m long, the cathedral itself is only 48 m wide.

The interior

As you would expect, only the very best materials were used and only the very best artists commissioned to create the basilica’s stunning interior. In fact, the grandiose dome was designed by none other than Michelangelo himself. There is also a small nod to the old basilica in the form of a red porphyry disc, transferred from the old basilica to the new one as a symbol of unity.

The dome

The dome rests on four enormous piers, making it the largest self-supporting brick dome in the world. At 42.34 m, it is a little smaller in diameter than the dome on the Pantheon (which comes in at 43.20 m), but it is still the taller of the two.

Around the inside of the dome, you can see an excerpt from the Gospel of Matthew, written in 2 m high letters – a very impressive sight! The translation of the excerpt reads: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, to you I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 16:18).

Below this, there are four round panels depicting the Four Evangelists, and above the inside of the dome is decorated with the figures of Christ, various Apostles and other holy figures.

The baldachin

The Baldacchino di San Pietro by Bernini is the centrepiece of the basilica. This sculpted bronze canopy rests on four helical columns and stands over the Papal Altar which is directly above St. Peter’s tomb. It was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII and created using bronze panels from the Pantheon.

Artwork and relics

Saint Peter’s Basilica is home to many wonderful works of art, including Michelangelo’s Pietà and the copy of ‘Transfiguration’ by Raphael.
Another highlight is the bronze statue of St. Peter. It is said that touching St. Peter’s foot will bring you his blessing. Have a go yourself and you’ll see that his foot has been worn thin from centuries of foot rubs! You will find a replica of this sculpture in Sacre-Coeur, Paris.

The basilica also contains the tombs of several popes. One of the most striking is Bernini’s tomb for Pope Alexander VII (number 15 on the audio guide), which features a skeleton holding an hourglass out to the pope.
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Curiously, you can also see the relics of two canonised popes. Aside: I’m still not sure whether it’s really their bodies or whether parts of their bodies have been integrated into a kind of waxwork. I’ll let you decide for yourself! What is certain is that the popes in question are Pope Pius X (1835–1914) and Pope John XXIII (1881–1963).