The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican (Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter’s Basilica (Latin: Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal enclave that is within the city of Rome.
It was initially planned by Pope Nicholas V and then Pope Julius II to replace the aging Old St. Peter’s Basilica, which was built in the 4th century by Roman emperor Constantine the Great. Construction of the present basilica began on 18 April 1506 and was completed on 18 November 1626.
It is designed as a three-aisled Latin cross with a dome at the crossing, directly above the high altar, which covers the shrine of St. Peter the Apostle.
St. Peter’s Basilica is one of the most renowned works of Renaissance architecture and features many notable Baroque elements. It is often regarded as the greatest building of its age.
Designed principally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, St. Peter’s is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture and the largest church in the world by interior measure.
While it is neither the mother church of the Catholic Church nor the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome (these equivalent titles being held by the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome), St. Peter’s is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic shrines.
It has been described as “holding a unique position in the Christian world” and as “the greatest of all churches of Christendom.”
Together with the Basilica of St. John Lateran (San Giovanni in Laterano), the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls (all three of which are in Rome), St. Peter’s Basilica is one of only four churches in the world that hold the rank of major basilica.
Was it worth building a church that would almost bankrupt the Church and literally trigger the second great Schism in the history of Christianity (Reformation), leading to the loss of Papal influence in more than half of Europe, massive religious wars and general degradation of the quality of life and societal freedoms among its population for centuries?
Having been inside, I can safely say – it was very worth indeed.
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Probably the most beautiful church in the world.
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican (Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter’s Basilica (Latin: Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal enclave that is within the city of Rome.
It was initially planned by Pope Nicholas V and then Pope Julius II to replace the aging Old St. Peter’s Basilica, which was built in the 4th century by Roman emperor Constantine the Great. Construction of the present basilica began on 18 April 1506 and was completed on 18 November 1626.
It is designed as a three-aisled Latin cross with a dome at the crossing, directly above the high altar, which covers the shrine of St. Peter the Apostle.
St. Peter’s Basilica is one of the most renowned works of Renaissance architecture and features many notable Baroque elements. It is often regarded as the greatest building of its age.
Designed principally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, St. Peter’s is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture and the largest church in the world by interior measure.
While it is neither the mother church of the Catholic Church nor the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome (these equivalent titles being held by the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome), St. Peter’s is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic shrines.
It has been described as “holding a unique position in the Christian world” and as “the greatest of all churches of Christendom.”
Together with the Basilica of St. John Lateran (San Giovanni in Laterano), the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls (all three of which are in Rome), St. Peter’s Basilica is one of only four churches in the world that hold the rank of major basilica.
Was it worth building a church that would almost bankrupt the Church and literally trigger the second great Schism in the history of Christianity (Reformation), leading to the loss of Papal influence in more than half of Europe, massive religious wars and general degradation of the quality of life and societal freedoms among its population for centuries?
Having been inside, I can safely say – it was very worth indeed.