Saint Peter's Basilica
The Basilica of Saint Peter in Vatican City is a Church built in Renaissance Architecture style. Principally it was designed by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It is considered to be renowned work of Renaissance Architecture, one of the Holiest Catholic Shrines and the largest church in the world. It holds the burial site if Saint Peter who was one of the Apostles of Jesus Christ and the first Bishop of Rome.
An old Church was built on the same location ever since the reign of Constantine The Great, Roman Emperor. The previous Saint Peter dates back to 4th century AD and on 18th of April 1506 new construction of the Basilica commenced and it culminated on 18th of November 1626. The Basilica is a pilgrimage and a place for public worship by a Religious Phenomenon, a Communal Response through Thanksgiving Praise and so on.
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| Fresco Showing cutaway view of Constantine's St. Peter's Basilica as it was in the 4th Century |
History
After the Crucifixion of Jesus, it is recorded in the Biblical Book of The Acts of the Apostles that one of Twelve Disciples, Simon who is known as Saint Peter, a fisherman from Galilee, took a leadership position among Christ's followers and became of great importance of the founding of Christian Church.
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| Saint Peter |
'Petrus' in Latin and 'Petros' in Greek has derived from 'Petra' which means 'Stone' or 'rock' in Greek language.
Catholic traditions hold that Peter, after a Ministry of Thirty-Four years, on 13 October 64 AD travelled to Rome and had encountered his martyrdom there along with Paul during the reign of Roman Emperor Nero. His execution was one of the many martyrdoms of Christians following the Great Fire of Rome. Peter was crucified Head Downwards by his own request as he considered himself unworthy to die in the same manner as Jesus.
Architecture of Saint Peter's Basilica
Donato Bramante, also spelled Donino was the architect who introduced the high renaissance style in architecture. His early works in Milan included the rectory of Saint’Ambrogio and the church of Santa Maria Delle Grazie. In Rome, Bramante served as principal planner of pope Julius 2nd's comprehensive project for rebuilding the city. St. Peter’s basilica, of which he was the chief architect, was begun in 1506
The basilica 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.
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| Plan of a Latin Cross Church, with the Chancel highlighted |
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| Tufa structures at Mono Lake, California Tufa is a limestone which formed when carbonate minerals precipitate out of ambient temperature water |
The equal chancel, nave and transept arms were each to be of two bays ending in an apse. At each corner of the building was to stand a tower, so that the overall plan was square, with the apses projecting at the cardinal points. Each apse had two large radial buttresses, which squared off its semi-circular shape. Bramante was replaced by Giuliano da Sangalio and Fra Gioondo in 1513 when Pope Julius died followed by the death of them, both died in 1515. Raphael was confirmed as architect of St. Peter's on 1 august 1514. The main change in his plan is the nave of five bays, with a row of complex apsidal chapels off the aisles on either side.  |
| Bramante's Dome |
Bramante's plan for the dome of St. Peter's follows that of the pantheon very closely, and like that of the pantheon, was designed to be constructed in tufa concrete for which he had rediscovered a formula. The profile is very similar, except that in this case the supporting wall becomes a drum raised high above ground level on four massive piers. The solid wall was at pantheon but in this case a peristyle was used.
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| Sangallo's Design |
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| Maderno's Facade, with the statues of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. |
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| Michelangelo's Plan Extended with Maderno's Nave and Narthex |
On 18 February 1606, under Pope Paul V, the dismantling of the remaining parts of the Constantinian basilica began. The façade designed by Maderno, is 114.69 metres wide and 45.55 metres high and is built of travertine stone, with a giant order of Corinthian columns and a central pediment rising in front of a tall attic surmounted by thirteen statues except for saint peter’s which is present in the stairs and john the Baptist.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Peter%27s_Basilica
- www.britannica.com
- https://www.tripsavvy.com/visiting-saint-peters-basilica-1548125
- https://www.rometoolkit.com/whattodo/vatican_stpeters.htm
- http://italiantribune.com/the-making-of-saint-peters-basilica-part-iii-building-the-second-basilica/
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