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When was St. Peter's Basilica built? St. Peter's Basilica - the main temple of the Vatican

Saint Paul's Cathedral(Italian: Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano) is a Catholic cathedral on the territory of the sovereign state of Vatican City. One of the four patriarchal basilicas of Rome and the ceremonial center of the Roman Catholic Church.

Until 1990, St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome was the largest Christian cathedral in the world; in 1990, it was surpassed by the cathedral in Yamoussoukro, the capital of the African state of Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast).

The size of St. Peter's Basilica is simply amazing. It covers an area of 22067 sq.m. Cathedral height - 138 m, length without portico - 186.36 m, and with a portico - 211.5 m. Architectural style: Renaissance And baroque.

Once upon a time, in the place where St. Peter's Cathedral now stands, there were the gardens of Nero's circus (from it, by the way, the obelisk from Heliopolis remains, which to this day stands in St. Peter's Square).

In the circus arena during the times Nero Christians were martyred. In 67, after the trial, he was brought here apostle Peter. Peter asked that his execution not be compared to Christ’s. Then he was crucified head down. St. Clement, the then bishop of Rome, with the faithful disciples of the apostle, took his body from the cross and buried him in a nearby grotto.

The first basilica was built in 324 during the reign of the first Christian Emperor Constantine, and the remains of St. Peter were transferred there. In the first council in 800, Pope Leo III crowned Carla Great Emperor of the West.

At the beginning of the 16th century, the basilica, which had already existed for eleven centuries, threatened to collapse, and under Nicholas V they began to expand and rebuild it.

This issue was radically resolved by Julius II, who ordered the construction of a huge new cathedral on the site of the ancient basilica, which was supposed to outshine both pagan temples, and the existing Christian churches, thereby contributing to the strengthening of the papal state and the spread of the influence of Catholicism.

Almost all the major architects of Italy took turns participating in the design and construction of St. Peter's Basilica. In 1506, the architect's project was approved Donato Bramante, according to which they began to build a centric structure in the shape of a Greek cross (with equal sides).

After Bramante's death, he headed the construction Raphael, returning to the traditional form of the Latin cross (with an elongated fourth side), then Baldassare Peruzzi, stopped at a centric structure, and Antonio da Sangallo, who chose the basil form.

Finally, in 1546, the management of the work was entrusted to Michelangelo. He returned to the idea of a central-domed structure, but his project included the creation of a multi-columned entrance portico on the eastern side (in the most ancient basilicas of Rome, as in ancient temples, the entrance was on the eastern, not the western side). Michelangelo made all the supporting structures more massive and highlighted the main space. He erected the drum of the central dome, but the dome itself was completed after his death (1564) Giacomo della Porta, giving it a more elongated outline.

Of the four small domes envisioned by Michelangelo, the architect Vignola erected only two. To the greatest extent, the architectural forms exactly as they were conceived by Michelangelo have been preserved on the altar, western side.

But the story didn't end there. At the beginning of the 17th century. architect by order of Paul V Carlo Maderno extended the eastern branch of the cross - added a three-nave basilica part to the centric building, thus returning to the shape of the Latin cross, and built a facade.

As a result, the dome turned out to be hidden by the facade, lost its dominant significance and is perceived only from a distance, from Via della Concigliazione. Finally, November 18, 1626, on the 1300th anniversary of the first basilica, Pope Urban VIII consecrated the new cathedral.

A square was needed that could accommodate the large number of believers who flocked to the cathedral to receive papal blessings or take part in religious celebrations. Completed this task Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini, who created in 1656-1667. The square in front of the cathedral is one of the most outstanding works of world urban planning practice.

Height of the façade built architect Maderno, 45 m, width - 115 m. The attic of the façade is crowned by huge, tall 5.65 m, statues of Christ, John the Baptist and the eleven apostles (except the Apostle Peter). The inscription on the facade: "IN HONOREM PRINCIPIS APOST PAVLVS V BVRGHESIVS ROMANVS PONT MAX AN MDCXII PONT VII" (Pope Paul V Borghese, Roman Pontiff in the year 1612, the seventh year of his pontificate, erected in honor of the Prince of the Apostles).

From the portico, five portals lead to the cathedral. The doors of the central portal were made in the middle of the 15th century. and come from the old basilica. The middle of the nine balconies on the façade is called the Loggia of the Blessing. It is from here that the Pope addresses the numerous believers gathering in St. Peter's Square with a blessing "Urbi et Orbi" - "To the City and the World."

On the plan of the cathedral the numbers indicate:

1.Mosaic by Giotto “Navicella”.

2. Portico.
3.Equestrian statue of Charlemagne.
4.Gate of death.
5.The Gates of Good and Evil.
6. Filaret's door.
7. Door of Mysteries.
8.Holy door.
9. Inner courtyard of St. Gregory the Illuminator (elevator for the dome).
10.Equestrian statue of Constantine the Great.
11. Nave
12.Baptistery (baptismal font made from a sarcophagus).
13.Monument to Maria Sobieska.
14.Tomb of the Stuarts.
15.Tombstone of Pope Benedict XV.
16.Capella della Presentatione (gifts).
17.Tombstone of Pope John XXIII.
18.Tombstone of Pope Pius X.
19.Tombstone of Pope Innocent VIII.
20. Corot Chapel (choir chapel).
21.Altar of the Immaculate Conception.
22.Tombstone of Pope Leo XI (
23.Tombstone of Pope Innocent XI
24.Altar “Transfiguration” (last painting by Raphael).
25.Clementine Chapel.
26.Altar of Pope Pius VII.
27.Altar of Pope Gregory the Great.
28.Entrance in the sacristy.
29.Tombstone of Pope Pius VII.
30.Altar of Lies.
31.Figure of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called (old entrance to the grottoes).
32.Bronze statue of St. Peter (
33. Figure of the centurion Longinus (old entrance to the grottoes).
34.Figure of the Holy Queen Helen Equal to the Apostles.
35.Figure of St. Veronica.
36.Canopy(
37. "Confessional" (tomb of St. Peter).
38.Dome.
39.Left transpet (mass is celebrated here daily).
40.Altar of the Crucifixion of St. Peter.
41.Altar of St. Joseph.
42.Altar of St. Thomas.
43.Tombstone of Pope Alexander VII.
44.Altar of the Sacred Heart.
45.Capella Column.
46.Altar of Our Lady Column.
47.Bas-relief(
48.Tombstone of Pope Alexander VIII
49.Altar of St. Peter healing the lame.
50.Tribune-Altar of the pulpit.
51.Tombstone of Pope Paul III(
52.Cathedra of St. Peter.
53.Tombstone of Pope Urban VIII (
54.Tombstone of Pope Clement X (
55.Altar of St. Peter raising Tabitha.
56.Altar of St. Petronilla.
57.Chapel of the Archangel Michael.
58.Altar Navicella
59.Tombstone of Pope Clement XIII(
60.Right Transept.
61.Altar of St. Erasmus.
62.Altar of Saints and St. Martinian.
63.Altar of St. Wenceslas.
64.Altar of St. Basil.
65.Tombstone of Pope Benedict XIV
66.Altar of St. Jerome (Body of Pope John XXIII).
67. Chapel of San Gregorio.
68.Icon “Madonna del Socorso”.
69.Tombstone of Pope Gregory XVI.
70.Tombstone of Pope Gregory XIV.
71.Tombstone of Pope Gregory XIII.
72.Chapel of the Holy Sacraments (only for worshipers).
73.Tombstone of Matilda of Tuscany(
74.Tombstone of Pope Innocent XII.
75.Tombstone of Pope Pius XII.
76. Chapel of San Sebastiano (Tombstone of the new Blessed John Paul II).
77.Tombstone of Pope Pius XI.
78.Tombstone of Queen Christina of Sweden.
79.Tombstone of Pope Leo XII.
80. “Pieta” (sculptor Michelangelo)

Mosaic by Giotto "Navicella".(1 on the cathedral plan)

Enter the portico opposite the central portal, face the square and look up. In the lunette above the entrance there is a famous mosaic Giotto“Navicella” (Italian shuttle), created in 1310 by Giotto di Bondone or simply Giotto (1267-1337) - Italian artist and architect of the Proto-Renaissance era. One of the key figures in the history of Western art.

Having overcome the Byzantine icon painting tradition, he became the true founder of the Italian school of painting and developed a completely new approach to depicting space. Giotto's works were inspired by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo.

Presumably in 1300, Giotto was in Rome, where, under the guarantee of Cardinal Jacopo Stefaneschi, a monumental monument was created Navicella mosaic, a work that glorified the creator throughout Italy. The mosaic was located in the atrium of St. Peter's Church (IV century). Now this artist’s creation dates back to 1310.

The chronicler Filippo Villani spoke of Giotto's great talent and referred to this work as evidence of this. Giotto knew how to write a person as if “he was breathing, talking, crying or rejoicing.”

The theme of the mosaic composition - the Miracle on Lake Genicapets - symbolically illustrates the mercy of Christ to the people. Jesus saves the boat with the apostles caught in a storm and the drowning Peter.

The plot also symbolizes the very salvation of the Church from all possible misfortunes. Unfortunately, this creation was lost when the old building was destroyed; only a copy of the Baroque mosaic was preserved in the portico of the new church. The true form of the work can only be guessed from the sketches of artists of the 14th-15th centuries. and the surviving original mosaic frame.

Portico of the Cathedral.(2 on the cathedral plan)

Equestrian statue of Charlemagne(3 on the cathedral plan) , the first to be crowned in the cathedral in 800,

Gate of Death. (4 on the cathedral plan)

Gate of Death so named because funeral processions usually exited through these doors.

In preparation for the 1950 anniversary, Pope Pius XII announced a competition in 1947 to create three doors leading from the portico to the cathedral. The most outstanding artist among the winners was Giacomo Manzu. The door was made in 1961-64. 10 scenes on the doors express the Christian meaning of death. At the top right is the crucifixion of the Savior, on the left is the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. Below are reliefs with a bunch of grapes and a sheaf of ears of grain, which simultaneously serve as door handles. When grapes and wheat die, they turn into wine and bread.

During the sacrament of the Eucharist, they are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ, that is, into the bread of life and the wine of salvation. Below on the right are depicted: the death of the first martyr St. Stephen; the death of Pope Gregory VII, defending the Church from the claims of the emperor; death in space; death of mother at home in front of crying child. Below on the left are the murder of Abel, the peaceful death of Joseph, the crucifixion of St. Peter and the death of the “good pope” John XXIII.

Gates of Good and Evil. (5 on the cathedral plan)

"Gates of Good and Evil" 1975/77 Luciano Minguzzi (1911/2004), on the occasion of the eightieth birthday of Pope Paul VI. Evil is represented by a picture of martyrs during the 1943 partisan massacre at Casalecchio on the Rhine.

Filaret's door. (6 on the cathedral plan)

The huge bronze doors of the central entrance were made by the Florentine master Antonio Averuline, known as Filaret (1445). At the top of the doors there are large figures of the Savior and the Mother of God sitting on the throne. In the center are the apostles Peter and Paul. The two lower marks depict scenes of the trial of Nero and the subsequent execution of the apostles: the beheading of St. Paul and the crucifixion of St. Peter.

The doors are framed by numerous scenes on the themes of ancient myths (Leda and the Swan, Romulus and Remus, the Rape of the Sabine Women) and Aesop's fables ("The Wolf and the Lamb", "The Fox and the Crane", "The Crow and the Fox"), intricate floral patterns, as well as portraits emperors and other prominent people of that time. The door was also the main door of the old basilica.

Above the doors is a marble bas-relief by Bernini “Jesus Entrusting Peter with the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.”

On the inside of the doors you can see the mark of the master who made them, depicting himself riding a donkey at the head of a procession of assistants, each following him with his own tool (hammer, chisel, compass, etc.).

Door of Mysteries. (7 on the cathedral plan)

"Door of Mysteries" 1965 - Venantius Crocetti (1913/2003), commissioned by Pope Paul VI Montini (1963/78), on the occasion of the reopening of the Second Vatican Council.

Holy door. (8 on the cathedral plan)

From inside the cathedral Holy door walled up with concrete, on the concrete there is a bronze cross and a small square box in which the key to the door is stored.

Every 25 years, on Christmas Eve (December 25), the concrete is broken before the anniversary year. In accordance with a special ritual, after three kneelings and three blows of the hammer, the Holy Door swings open and the pope, taking the cross in his hands, is the first to enter the cathedral.

At the end of the Jubilee Year, the door is closed again and sealed for the next 25 years.

Equestrian statue of Constantine the Great. (10 on the cathedral plan)

Equestrian statue of the emperor Constantine the Great, one of the masterpieces Bernini.

It was ordered by Pope Innocent X in 1654, but the order was completed only in 1670 under Pope Clement X, who ordered the statue to be placed near the stairs leading to the Vatican Palace.

Eusebius, a contemporary of the event, who heard about it personally from Constantine the Great, narrates: “One afternoon, when the sun began to lean towards the west,” the king said, “I saw with my own eyes the sign of the cross made of light and lying in the sun with the inscription: “ win this." This sight struck with horror both the king himself and the army around him, for the cross, as a shameful instrument of execution, was considered a bad omen by the pagans. Konstantin was at a loss and said to himself: what does such a phenomenon mean? But while he was thinking, night fell. Then Christ appeared to him in a dream with a sign seen in heaven and commanded him to make a banner similar to the one seen in heaven and use it for protection when attacked by enemies.

Stucco (artificial marble) imitates damask fabric. Despite the theatricality, the fluttering folds of fabric emphasize the swiftness of the horse’s movement, and the emperor’s rush into battle and his amazement look quite realistic. Constantine, together with Charles, are considered guardians, secular defenders of the Church.

Nave. (11 on the cathedral plan)

Total length of the basilica 211.6 m. On the floor of the central nave there are marks showing the dimensions of the other 28 largest cathedrals in the world, which allows them to be compared with the largest Cathedral of St. Petra - (2) St. Paul's Cathedral Londra, (3) S. Maria del Fiore Firenze, (4) Basilica del Sacro Cuore Bruxelles, (5) Immacolata Concezione Washington, (6) Cattedrale Reims, (7) Cattedrale Colonia , (8) Duomo Milano, (9)Cattedrale Spira, (10) Basilica di S. Petronio Bologna, (11)Cattedrale Siviglia, (12)Notre Dame Parigi, (13)S.Paolo Fuori le Mura Roma,... (25) Westminster Abbey Londra, (26) Santa Sofia Istambul, (27) Cattedrale di S. Croce Boston, (28) Basilica di S. Maria Danzica e (29) Cattedrale di S. Patrizio New York.

Baptistery (baptistery - font made from a sarcophagus).(12 on the cathedral plan)

A red Egyptian porphyry sarcophagus, possibly of Emperor Hadrian, was then used as the tomb of Emperor Otto II and was placed here in 1695 under the direction of Carlo Fontana (1634-1714). The gilded bronze sarcophagus lid is the work of Lorenzo Ottoni (1648-1736).

Monument to Maria Klementina Sobieska.(13 on the cathedral plan)

Maria Clementina was considered one of the richest heiresses in Europe. King George I of England was opposed to the planned marriage of Mary Clementine and James Stuart, who laid claim to the English throne and had the opportunity to have legal heirs.

Emperor Charles VI, acting in the interests of the English king, arrested Maria Clementine, who was heading to Italy to marry James Stuart. She was imprisoned in Innsbruck Castle, she managed to escape from there to Bologna, where, by proxy, she married James Stewart, who was in Spain at that time.

Maria Clementine's father, Jacob Sobieski, welcomed the news of her escape, declaring that since she was engaged to James Stewart, she should follow him. Maria Clementine and James Stuart formally became spouses on September 3, 1719 in the chapel of the bishop's palace in Montefiascone.

At the invitation of Pope Clement XI, who recognized them as king and queen of England, Scotland and Ireland, James and Mary Clementine settled in Rome. The Pope provided them with security, allocated Palazzo Muti in Rome's Piazza di Santi Apostoli and a country villa in Albano for their residence. Every year, the spouses were paid an allowance of 12,000 crowns from the papal treasury.

Pope Clement XI and his successor Innocent XIII considered the Catholics James and Mary Clementine to be the rightful king and queen of England.

The life together of James and Maria Clementine was short-lived. Soon after the birth of their second child, Maria Clementina left her husband and retired to Rome. convent Saint Cecilia. The reason for the breakup, according to her, was her husband’s infidelity. James insisted on his wife's return, arguing that it would be sinful to leave him and their children. However, two years later the couple divorced. Maria Clementina died on January 18, 1735.

She was buried by order of Pope Clement XII with royal honors in St. Peter's Basilica. Pope Benedict XIV commissioned the sculptor Pietro Bracci (1700-1773) to create a funerary monument for Maria Clementina.

Stuart burial vault.(14 on the cathedral plan)

Not far from the entrance you can see the creation sculptor Canova- tombstone of the last representatives of the Scottish Royal Stuart family (1817-1819). The tombstone was made at the expense of the English King George III. The exiled British Catholic aristocrat James Francis Edward Stuart and his two sons, Charles Edward Stuart and Henry Benedict Stuart, are buried here. The grave itself is located in the Vatican grottoes.

Tombstone of Pope Innocent VIII.(19 on the cathedral plan)

Of great interest is the creation created in 1498 by the sculptor Antonio Pollaiolo The tombstone of Innocent VIII is one of the few surviving monuments that were still in the old basilica. In his left hand, the pope holds the tip of the Holy spear, with which the centurion Longinus pierced the crucified Christ to ensure his death.

Altarpiece "Transfiguration" (last painting by Raphael 1518-1520)(24 on the cathedral plan)

Shortly before his suffering and death on the cross, Jesus Christ told the apostles that among them there are those who, before death, will see the Kingdom of God come in power.

A few days later, He led three of them: Peter, James and John, to the high Mount Tabor and there, during prayer, He was transfigured before them. “His clothes became shining, very white, like snow, as a whitener on earth cannot bleach. And Elijah appeared to them with Moses; and talked with Jesus."

This is how Evangelist Mark describes this event. The meaning of the Transfiguration of the Lord for the apostles was that when they saw Jesus crucified, they would not doubt his teaching, but would see the voluntary suffering and death of God for people. And they preached to the world that the Lord Jesus Christ is the true Son of God.

The celebration of this gospel event by the Church coincides with the harvest, so on this day it is customary to consecrate various earthly fruits and thank God for them.

Cardinal Giuliano di Medici, the future Pope Clement VII, commissioned this painting in 1517 from Raphael for the French cathedral in Narbonne - the cardinal's see. The painting was completed by Raphael's students, Giuliano Romano and Francesco Penni, after Raphael's death.

Vasari wrote that the unfinished painting was displayed near the head of Raphael's deathbed, breaking the hearts of everyone who saw it. The painting remained in Rome in the Palazzo Cancelleria, and was then placed in the church of San Pietro in Montorio after 1523. In 1797, Napoleon took it to Paris, the painting was returned back in 1815.

The female figure below symbolizes the Church, giving peace, hope and faith.

The film combines two plots - the transfiguration of Christ and the episode about the meeting of the apostles with a demon-possessed boy who was healed by Jesus Christ, who descended from Mount Tabor. The painting itself is now in Pinakothek Vatican, and in the cathedral there is a mosaic copy of it.

Dome. (38 on the cathedral plan)

The dome, a masterpiece of architecture, has a height inside 119 m and diameter 42 m. In Rome it is called "cupollone" ("dome").

Along the frieze of the dome and further along the frieze of the entire church there is a mosaic inscription in Greek and Latin (“Tu es Petrus et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam mean et tibi dabo claves regni caelorum” Matthew 16:18) with the words of Christ: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it; And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

The dome is divided into 16 sectors and 6 horizontal tiers. At the very bottom are the 16 popes buried in the cathedral. The next tier depicts Jesus Christ, the Mother of God and the apostles.

The rectangular frames depict angels holding the instruments of the Lord's passion. In round medallions there are cherubs and seraphim. Next are the angels guarding the tomb of St. Peter and the winged angels.

The inner surface of the dome is decorated with images of the four evangelists: Matthew- with an angel guiding his hand while writing the Gospel, Mark- with a lion, Luke- with an ox, John- with an eagle. The lion, eagle and ox are the so-called “apocalyptic beasts”, which St. John the Theologian writes about in his “Apocalypse” as animals that surrounded the throne of God.

St. Matthew, 1599, Cesare Nebbia

St. Luke, 1599, Giovanni De Vecchi

In 1624, Pope Urban VIII ordered Lorenzo Bernini to create 4 loggias in the Cathedral under the dome to store relics. Bernini's role in the creation of the sculptural decoration of the cathedral is very great; he worked here intermittently for almost fifty years, from 1620 to 1670. Below the loggias, in the niches of the pillars, there are huge statues corresponding to the relics kept in the loggias. Currently, some of these relics are located in other places.

Statue of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called.(31 on the cathedral plan)

The relic was brought to Venice by Thomas Palaiolagos, the last ruler of Morea, fleeing the Turkish invasion of the Peloponnese, and presented to Pius II (1460). As a sign of friendship with the Greek Orthodox Church, in 1966 Pope Paul VI presented the relic as a gift to the Church of St. Andrew in the city of Patras, where the saint died.

Statue of St. Longinus.(33 on the cathedral plan)

Like his predecessors, Pope Innocent VIII tried to stop the Turkish invasion, but he succeeded without the crusade he had planned to undertake. Pierre d "Aubusson captured Djem, the brother and rival of Sultan Bayezid II. The Sultan and the pope entered into an agreement in 1489, according to which Djem was held captive in Rome, and the Sultan left Europe and paid a ransom every year. In 1492, Bayezid gave the pope a fragment of a spear, which was believed to have belonged to the centurion Longinus (material from http://saintpetersbasilica.org/)

During the execution of Jesus on Golgotha, the guard was carried out by soldiers from the detachment of the centurion Longinus. Longinus and his subordinates witnessed last minutes life of the Lord. They were in awe of a sudden eclipse of the sun and an earthquake in which the stones fell into pieces. Horror gripped many soldiers who had seen it in their lifetime when they saw the opened graves and the dead rising from them.

According to custom, to ensure the death of the crucified man, Longinus pierced the Lord with a spear, and the blood of the Savior splashed onto his face. The Roman centurion suffered from an eye disease, and as soon as the divine blood touched them, he received healing. Everything that happened so shocked Longinus and his two friends that, looking at the Lord nailed to the cross, they publicly confessed Him as the Son of God.

After the burial of the Lord, Longinus and his men were assigned to guard the cave with the body of Jesus in order to prevent a possible attempt to kidnap him. Here he became an eyewitness to the appearance of an angel who announced to the myrrh-bearing women about the resurrection of the Son of God. The new miracle touched Longinus to the depths of his soul. He reported everything that happened to Pontius Pilate.

The procurator, who against his will, to please the Jews, gave Jesus of Nazareth to execution, was puzzled by the centurion’s story. He remembered that on the eve of the trial of Jesus his wife Claudia dreamed prophetic dream, and she asked not to harm the Nazarene.

Apparently, it was in vain that he did not listen to her. Longinus reported the resurrection of the Lord to the Sanhedrin. The members of the Great Council did not believe him and decided to bribe the soldiers. They were given a significant sum for agreeing to make a statement that the body of Jesus was stolen by His disciples. Longinus, however, rejected the bribe and did not want to remain silent about the resurrection of the Lord.

Having believed in the Savior, he began to openly testify to events in which he himself was a participant. The Jewish elders soon learned about his preaching, and they immediately realized how dangerous the centurion’s public statements were for them that Jesus was the true Son of God.

With his speeches, as a neutral witness, he made the preaching of Christ’s disciples even more convincing. The high priests and elders were indignant, but with their power they could not prohibit the Roman officer from saying what he wanted.

Only Pilate, with whom the Jewish leaders did not have a good relationship, could influence him. Nevertheless, they bowed down, since Longinus, despite the warnings, did not stop preaching. When the Sanhedrin turned to Pilate with a request to reason with the officer, the procurator again felt pressure from the Jewish elders.

First, the Jews forced him to give the order to crucify Jesus, Who was accused of proclaiming Himself king and of rebelling against the emperor, now they demand the punishment of the centurion, who took the side of the rebel. In both cases, their requests included hidden threat to inform the emperor that Pilate patronizes state criminals. But complicity in high treason is a serious charge, of which one may not be justified.

The procurator spoke with the officer, trying to persuade him to compromise with the Jews. But for Longinus, the truth turned out to be more valuable than the favor of his superiors. Having received a refusal, Pilate became embittered, but did not openly oppress his subordinate, who was an honored veteran, a valiant and honest man, moreover, known to the emperor himself.

However, Longinus soon learned from friends that both the procurator and noble Jews were looking for a reason to reprisal him, and he was killed for his faith in Caesarea Cappadocia in 58, where, according to other evidence, he was from.

Statue of St. Queen Helen Equal to the Apostles.(34 on the cathedral plan)

Compared to Bernini's works, this statue looks more static. Many fragments of the Holy Cross kept in the cathedral were donated to other churches. Therefore, Pope Urban VIII decided the particles were kept in the Church of St. Anastasia and the Cathedral of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (Italian: Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, which means “Holy Cross in Jerusalem” - one of the seven pilgrimage churches of Rome, located south of the Lateran ), move to St. Peter's Cathedral.

Holy Equal to the Apostles Queen Helena, Flavia Julia Helena Augusta (lat. Flavia Iulia Helena, c. 250 - 330) - mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine I. She became famous for her activities in spreading Christianity and her excavations in Jerusalem, during which the Life-Giving One was found Cross and other relics of the Passion.

For her work in spreading Christianity, Elena was canonized as an Equal-to-the-Apostles honor, which was awarded to only 5 other women in Christian history (Mary Magdalene, First Martyr Thekla, Martyr Apphia, Princess Olga and the enlightener of Georgia Nina). In the East, the veneration of Helen as a saint arose soon after her death; at the beginning of the 9th century, her cult spread to the Western Church.

The memory of Saint Helena is celebrated: in the Orthodox Church - March 6 (memory of Helen's finding of the Life-giving Cross and nails) and May 21 (dates according to the Julian calendar);

Statue of St. Veronica.(35 on the cathedral plan)

With the image of Jesus Christ. St. Veronica, in Christian tradition, is a pious Jewish woman who accompanied Christ on his way to Calvary and gave him, who was exhausted under the weight of the cross he carried on his shoulders, a linen handkerchief so that he could wipe the blood and sweat from his face. The face of Jesus was imprinted on the handkerchief . The "Plate of Veronica", considered authentic, is kept in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

a number of legends designed to give the image of St. Veronica historical features. According to one legend, she subsequently preached Christianity in the south of Gaul. In other legends, she is called a Greek princess or identified with Martha, the sister of Lazarus.

In Italy there was a legend according to which she healed Emperor Tiberius with the help of her plate with the miraculous image of the Savior. It is believed that the name Veronica is a corruption of Lat. vera icon (“true image”) - this is what they called the “Veronica’s cloth”, distinguishing it from other images of Christ.

The story of St. Veronica first appears in the apocryphal Acts of Pilate, dating back to the 4th or 5th century. Veronica's act of mercy is remembered during the sixth station of the Stations of the Cross. The memory is celebrated in the Orthodox Church on July 12 (according to the Julian calendar), in the Catholic Church on February 4.

Bronze statue of St. Peter. (32 on the cathedral plan)

At the end of the central nave, at the last pillar on the right next to the statue of St. Longinus, there is a statue of St. Peter, 13th century, attributed to Arnolfo di Cambio. The statue is credited with miraculous properties, and numerous pilgrims reverently place their hands on the bronze legs.

In his left hand, St. Apostle Peter holds the keys to heaven. The wall behind the statue is decorated with mosaics rather than fabric. St. Peter led the church for 25 years. For 19 centuries, the only pope who sat on the throne of Peter longer (1847-1878) than Peter himself was Pope Pius IX. His portrait is placed on the wall above the statue of the apostle. The alabaster pedestal was made in 1757 by Carlo Marchionni. The marble chair dates back to the early Renaissance.

On June 29, on the day of remembrance of the apostle, his statue is dressed in clothes, so that it seems that the statue comes to life.

Canopy ((36 on the cathedral plan)

In the under-dome space above the main altar there is a work by Bernini in the cathedral (1633) - a huge, 29 m high canopy (ciborium) on four twisted columns on which stand statues of angels, by Francois du Duquesnoy. Between these angels, one pair of angels holds the symbols of the pope - keys and tiara, the other pair of angels holds the symbols of St. Paul - a book and a sword. Unusual shape The column repeats the silhouette of a twisted column from the Temple of Solomon, brought to Rome after the capture of Jerusalem.

Among the laurel branches on upper parts The columns display the heraldic bees of the Barberini family. The ciborium required a huge amount of bronze. 100,000 pounds (37 or 45 tons, it all depends on which pound was used for measurements) was removed from the dome of the old cathedral, then the same amount was sent from Venice and Livorno. When this was not enough, by order of Pope Urban VIII (Barberini), the structures that supported the roof of the portico and the bronze bas-relief from the pediment were dismantled.

It was then that Pasquino said his catchphrase: “Quod non fecerunt Barbari fecerunt Barberini” (what the barbarians did not destroy, Barberini destroyed). Although the canopy does not look particularly large in the interior of the cathedral, it is equal in height to a 4-story building. Bernini's masterpiece became the personification of the Baroque style.

The main altar is called the papal altar because only the Pope can celebrate Mass in front of it. The altar was consecrated by Pope Clement VIII on June 5, 1594. The altar is made of big piece marble brought from the forum of Emperor Nerva.

"Confessional" (tomb of St. Peter). (37 on the plan of the cathedral)

In front of the altar there is a staircase leading down to the tomb of St. Peter. This descent is called Confessio (confession box), because it can be considered as a cut-out window in the confessional box, through which believers could turn their gaze to the shrine, hidden deep underground, where part of the relics of St. Peter is kept.

Tombstone of Alexander VII by Bernini, 1678 (43 on the plan of the cathedral)

The last masterpiece of 80-year-old Bernini. The Pope is depicted kneeling surrounded by allegories of Mercy (with children, sculptor G. Mazzuoli), Truth (resting his left foot on the globe, sculptors Morelli and Cartari), Prudence (sculptor G. Cartari), and Justice (sculptor L. Balestri). Initially the figures were naked, but by order of Innocent XI, Bernini draped them.

The pontiff’s prayer is not disturbed even by the sudden appearance of Death, lifting the heavy canopy. The truth has set its foot on England, which symbolizes the pope's futile attempts to stop the spread of Anglicanism there.

Tombstone of Pope Paul III (Alessandro Farnese). (51 on the cathedral plan)

They say that the allegories of Justice and Prudence are like Dad's sister and mom. When creating the tombstone, della Porta may have used a sketch by Michelangelo, and the work on creating the tombstone itself most likely was carried out under the supervision of Michelangelo. Bernini moved the tombstone in the central apse of the cathedral in 1628.

This sculptural composition is one of the most beautiful due to its harmony and restraint. The Statue of Justice was originally naked, but in 1595 Cardinal Farnese ordered a cape for it. Prudence remained naked to the waist. The mirror is in the hand of Prudence.

The central apse also contains a design by Bernini Chair of St. Peter (1666). (52 on the cathedral plan)

Under Pope Alexander VII, the Chair of the Apostle Peter (1657-1665) was established, revered as the throne of St. Peter. Bernini decorated the throne with a magnificent bronze throne, which was carried by figures of two human heights, depicting the four Fathers of the Church. (Ambrose and Augustine as representatives of the Roman Church, Athanasius and John Chrysostom - the Greek)

From above, the throne was immersed in a sparkling golden light pouring from an oval glass window depicting a dove - a symbol of the Holy Spirit - the divine source of papal infallibility. Golden rays extend from the image of a dove in all directions and pierce the swelling clouds populated by angels.

Tombstone of Pope Urban VIII. (53 on the cathedral plan)

The coat of arms with the Barberini bees can be seen throughout the cathedral.

It was this pope who forced Galileo to renounce the teachings of Copernicus, although Urban was a personal friend of Galileo, but the political situation of that time forced him to do so. By his bull of April 22, 1639, the pope prohibited slavery in any form of Indians in Brazil, Paraguay and throughout the West Indies.

The composition of the tombstone is reminiscent of the tombstone of Pope Paul III, but is more harmonious. Magnificent figures Mercy and Justice in white marble form a transition from the observer to the statue of the pope, raising his hand in blessing and attracting the viewer's full attention.

Altar of St. Jerome. (66 on the cathedral plan)

Altarpiece "Last Communion of St. Jerome" by Domenichino, 1614. Translated into mosaic in 1744. The famous painting is now kept in Pinakothek Vatican. The painting depicts St. Jerome receiving last communion from St. Ephraim, who is helped by St. Paula.

Under the altar stands a sarcophagus containing the embalmed body of Pope John XXIII. Blessed John XXIII, Pope since 1958. Vatican diplomat, served as papal nuncio (envoy) to Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey and France. Having ascended the papal throne, he advocated peace and peaceful coexistence of states with different social systems. He sought to modernize the Catholic Church in connection with changing conditions in the world. In 1962 he convened the Second Vatican Council.

The pontificate of John XXIII, which lasted less than 5 years, set a new course for Vatican policy, which corresponded to new realities and was designed to establish dialogue between different countries and faiths, as well as improve the social situation of believers in different regions of the world. Most researchers call Pope John XXIII's policies aimed at protecting the world's poorest people an example of the affirmation of the principles of Christian socialism that developed in papal encyclicals.

Dad's activities were not properly appreciated in his inner circle. Opponents of the course of John XXIII called him the “red pope,” while supporters called him “the pope of the world.” The Pope was not destined to carry out the program of “renewal” of the Church adopted by the Second Vatican Council. He died on June 3, 1963 from stomach cancer, refusing surgery.

As it recently turned out, the body of the holy father was embalmed immediately after death by Gennaro Goglia, an assistant at the Institute of Anatomy of the Faculty of Medicine of the Catholic University of the Heart of Jesus, so when exhumed on January 16, 2001, it was found completely incorrupt.

The pope is depicted with eminent astronomers and mathematicians, including Jesuit Priest Ignatius Danti, Father Clavius of Bamberg, and Antonio Lilio of Calabria. The dragon below is the heraldic animal of the Boncompagni family. Pope Clement XI, persuaded by Candinal Buoncompagni (Gregory's cousin), ordered this new tombstone.

Chapel of the Holy Sacraments. (72 on the cathedral plan)

Next to the tombstone of Gregory XIII, there is a small chapel of the Holy Sacraments.

The forged lattice of the chapel is made according to a Borromini drawing. The entrance to the chapel is closed to tourists. You can only come here for prayers.

Magnificent tabernacle by Bernini (1674), gilded bronze. The central part of the tabernacle is made in the form of a chapel - the Tempietto rotunda by the architect Bramante (1502), located in the courtyard of the monastery of San Pietro in Montorio on the Janiculian Hill (eighth hill) in Rome.

The altarpiece - "Trinity of the New Testament" - is the only oil painting in the cathedral, the artist is Pietro da Cortona.

Tombstone of Matilda of Tuscany.(73 on the plan of the cathedral)

Behind the tombstone of Gregory XIII is the tombstone of the Margravess Matilda of Canossa by Bernini with his students; this was the first woman to have the honor of being buried in this cathedral. (In 1077 in Canossa, in the castle of the Margravine Matilda, the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV, who had been excommunicated and deposed, humbly begged forgiveness from Pope Gregory VII.)

Pope Urban VIII ordered this tombstone at the end of 1633. He wanted to honor the memory of this outstanding woman. On March 10, 1634, her body was transported from Mantua to the cathedral, where the tombstone was already ready. The bas-relief by Stefano Speranza depicts Henry IV kneeling before Gregory VII on January 28, 1077. At the top of the arch, Matteo Bonarelli, Andrea Bolgi and Lorenzo Flori sculpted putti holding a crown, coat of arms and the motto: TUETUR ET UNIT (I protect and unite).

Matilda of Tuscany (Italian: Matilde, Latin: Mathilde) (1046 - July 24, 1115) - Margravess of Tuscany, also called the Great Countess in history. She was a supporter of Pope Gregory VII during the struggle for investiture. One of the few medieval women who carried out military operations. Her father Boniface III of Tuscany was the ruler of most of the lands of Northern Italy, including Ferrara, Modena, Mantua, Brescia, Reggio Emilia, and had the title "Marquis of Tuscany".

In 1070, for political reasons, she entered into secret marriage with Godfrey the Hunchback, Duke of Lorraine, who died in 1076. In her castle of Canossa, Gregory VII took refuge from Henry IV, who in 1077 came to him there for repentance. When Henry attacked Gregory in 1081, Matilda prevented the latter's complete defeat, and after Gregory's death she continued to quarrel with Henry.

In 1089, she agreed, at the request of Pope Urban II, to enter into a second secret marriage with the 18-year-old enemy of Henry IV, Welf V, the son of the Bavarian Duke; this marriage, however, was dissolved a few years later. Matilda later supported the rebellions of Conrad and Henry V against their father. Matilda appointed the Roman Church as the heir to her fief lands and estates.

Chapel of San Sebastiano. (76 on the plan of the cathedral)

Mosaic "The Death of Saint Sebastiano" from the original, 1614, by the artist Domenichino, kept in the Vatican Pinacoteca.

The tombstone of Pope Innocent XI was kept under the altar until May 2011, and in April 2011 the body of Pope Innocent XI was transferred to the Clementine Chapel. On April 29, 2011, the body of Pope John Paul II was exhumed and placed in front of the main altar of the Cathedral of St. Peter, and after beatification he was reburied in a new tomb under the altar of the Chapel of San Sebastiano. The marble slab that covered the pontiff's former grave was sent to his homeland - Poland.

Beatification of John Paul II.

In the Latin tradition, since the establishment of Pope Urban VIII in 1642, it has been customary to distinguish between the process of beatification (beatification) and sainthood (canonization).

Later, under Pope Benedict XIV, the requirements that a candidate must meet were established: his writings must be in accordance with the teachings of the Church, the virtues he has demonstrated must be exceptional, and the facts of a miracle performed through his intercession must be confirmed by documents or testimony.

For canonization, at least two miracles are required, through the intercession of the deceased. Issues of glorification are dealt with by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in the Vatican, which studies the submitted materials and sends them, in case of a positive preliminary conclusion, for approval by the pope, after which an icon of the newly glorified is opened in St. Peter's Basilica.

John Paul II himself canonized more people as saints and beatifieds than all his predecessors after the 16th century. From 1594 (after the adoption by Sixtus V in 1588 of the apostolic constitution Immensa Aeterni Dei, concerning, in particular, issues of canonization) to 2004, 784 canonizations were made, of which 475 were made during the pontificate of John Paul II. John Paul II beatified 1,338 people.

Pope Benedict XVI has begun the process of beatifying his predecessor, John Paul II. Benedict XVI announced this at a meeting of priests in the Basilica of St. John in the Lateran in Rome. A prerequisite for beatification is the performance of a miracle. It is believed that John Paul II healed the French nun Marie Simon-Pierre of Parkinson's disease several years ago. On May 1, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI beatified John Paul II.

Canonization of John Paul II.

The canonization procedure for the 264th Pope will take place on April 27, 2014. This decision was made as a result of the cardinal consistory held by Pope Francis on September 30, 2013. On July 3, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints of the Holy See made a statement that the second miracle required for canonization, assisted by the pontiff, occurred on May 1, 2011.

The Vatican has not yet made official comments about the nature of the miraculous phenomenon. But there is already information that a miracle happened in Costa Rica to a sick woman who was healed of a severe brain disease thanks to the prayers of the late John Paul II. The decision on canonization has already been made by the current head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis.

Tombstone Queen Christina of Sweden.(78 on the cathedral plan)

Author - Carlo Fontana, 1670 Christina (1626-1689) - Queen of Sweden, daughter of Gustav II Adolf and Maria Eleanor of Brandenburg. One of three women buried in St. Peter's Basilica. In Brussels on Christmas Day 1654, she converted to Catholicism. Christina's conversion to Catholicism caused a sensation throughout the Protestant world. From Brussels, Christina went to Italy. On November 3, 1655, in Innsbruck, she officially renounced the Protestant Church.

"Pieta" (sculptor Michelangelo). (80 on the cathedral plan)

The most famous sculpture on a religious subject. Most Outstanding piece of art from those in the cathedral. Michelangelo created it from one block of Carrara marble when he was not yet 25 years old.

The order for the sculptural group was received on August 26, 1498 from Cardinal Jean Bilheres de Lagraulas, ambassador of the French king; the work was completed around 1500 after the death of the cardinal, who died in 1498. The sculpture was intended for the tombstone of the cardinal. The pedestal was made by Francesco Borromini in 1626.

This is the only work by the sculptor that he signed (according to Vasari, after overhearing a conversation between onlookers who argued about its authorship). Copies of the Pieta can be seen in many Catholic churches around the world, from Mexico to Korea.

"Pieta"- one of the works in which art historians see the divide between the Quattrocento and the High Renaissance. The Italian master reinterpreted the traditional Northern Gothic sculptural image of the lifeless Christ in the arms of his mother in the spirit of high humanism. Madonna is presented by him as very young and a beautiful woman, who mourns the loss of the person closest to her.

Despite the difficulty of combining two such large figures in one sculpture, the composition of the Pietà is impeccable. The figures are treated as a single whole, their connection is striking in its cohesion. At the same time, the sculptor subtly contrasts male and female, living and dead, naked and covered, vertical and horizontal, thereby introducing an element of tension into the composition.

“Pieta” served as a model for subsequent interpretations of this iconographic plot. The large, fraying folds of Madonna’s robe not only deliberately enhance the dramatic fracture of the body lying on her lap, but also serve as a kind of pedestal for the entire pyramidal composition. In these sophisticated folds one can discern hidden power, both spiritual and physical, contrasting with the soft features of the Mother of God. In terms of completeness and elaboration of details, the Pieta surpasses almost all other sculptural works of Michelangelo.

In 1972, the statue was attacked by an Australian geologist of Hungarian origin, Laszlo, with a rock hammer. The one who shouted that he was Christ. After restoration, the statue was installed behind bulletproof glass to the right of the entrance to the cathedral.

The Pieta Chapel is decorated with mosaics made by F. Cristofari according to drawings by Ferri and Pietro da Cortona. The latter is called the Bernini of painting because of the quantity and importance of his works for the cathedral. Above the altar is the fresco "Triumph of the Cross" by Lanfranco, the only fresco from the cathedral not translated into mosaic. The Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament contains the only oil painting in the cathedral.

and from the Vatican website -

St. Peter's Cathedral (Italian: Basilica di San Pietro; St. Peter's Basilica) is a Catholic cathedral, which is the largest building of the Vatican and until recently was considered the largest Christian Church in the world. One of the four patriarchal basilicas of Rome and the ceremonial center of the Roman Catholic Church.

Cathedral and St. Peter's Square:

St. Peter's Basilica (Italian: Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano; St. Peter's Basilica) is a Catholic cathedral on the territory of the sovereign state of Vatican City. One of the four patriarchal basilicas of Rome and the ceremonial center of the Roman Catholic Church. Until 1990, the Cathedral of St. Peter's in Rome was the largest Christian cathedral in the world; in 1990 it was surpassed by the cathedral in Yamoussoukro, the capital of the African state of Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast).

St. Peter's Basilica and St. Peter's Square:

The size of St. Peter's Basilica is simply amazing. It covers an area of 22,067 square meters. m. The height of the cathedral is 189 m, the length without a portico is 186.36 m, and with a portico - 211.5 m. Architectural style: Renaissance and Baroque.

Story

Once upon a time, on the spot where the Cathedral of St. Peter, the gardens of Nero's circus were located (from it, by the way, the obelisk from Heliopolis remained, which to this day stands in St. Peter's Square). In the circus arena during the time of Nero, Christians were martyred. In 67, the Apostle Peter was brought here after the trial. Peter asked that his execution not be compared to Christ’s. Then he was crucified head down. St. Clement, the then bishop of Rome, with the faithful disciples of the apostle, took his body from the cross and buried him in a nearby grotto.

Reconstruction plan for the Circus of Nero:

Reconstruction plan of Nero's Circus, superimposed on the plan of the cathedral. St. Peter's Tomb - St. Peter's grave

The first basilica was built in 324, during the reign of the first Christian emperor Constantine, and the remains of St. Peter, who suffered martyrdom in the circus of Nero in 66. At the second council in 800, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne Emperor of the West. In the 15th century The basilica, which had existed for eleven centuries, threatened to collapse, and under Nicholas V they began to expand and rebuild it. This issue was radically resolved by Julius II, who ordered the construction of a huge new cathedral on the site of the ancient basilica, which was supposed to eclipse both the pagan temples and the existing Christian churches, thereby helping to strengthen the papal state and spread the influence of Catholicism.

Almost all the major architects of Italy took turns participating in the design and construction of St. Petra. In 1506, the architect's project was approved Donato Bramante , according to which they began to build a centric structure in the shape of a Greek cross (with equal sides).

After Bramante's death, the construction was led by Raphael, who returned to the traditional form of the Latin cross (with an elongated fourth side), then Baldassare Peruzzi, who settled on a centric structure, and Antonio da Sangallo, who chose the basilica form. Finally, in 1546, the management of the work was entrusted to Michelangelo.

He returned to the idea of a central-domed structure, but his project included the creation of a multi-columned entrance portico on the eastern side (in the most ancient basilicas of Rome, as in ancient temples, the entrance was on the eastern, not the western side). Michelangelo made all the supporting structures more massive and highlighted the main space. He erected the drum of the central dome, but the dome itself was completed after his death (1564) by Giacomo della Porta, who gave it a more elongated outline. Of the four small domes envisaged by Michelangelo's design, the architect Vignola erected only two. To the greatest extent, the architectural forms exactly as they were conceived by Michelangelo have been preserved on the altar, western side.

But the story didn't end there. At the beginning of the 17th century. At the direction of Paul V, the architect Carlo Maderna lengthened the eastern branch of the cross - he added a three-nave basilica part to the centric building, thus returning to the shape of the Latin cross, and built a facade. As a result, the dome turned out to be a hidden façade, lost its dominant meaning and is only perceived from a distance, from Via della Concigliazione.

A square was needed that could accommodate the large number of believers who flocked to the cathedral to receive papal blessings or take part in religious celebrations. Completed this task Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini , who created in 1656-1667. The square in front of the cathedral is one of the most outstanding works of world urban planning practice.

St. Peter's Square. Bernini:

Facade

The height of the facade, built by the architect Carlo Maderna, is 45 m, width - 115 m. The attic of the facade is crowned with huge, 5.65 m high, statues of Christ, John the Baptist and the eleven apostles (except for the Apostle Peter). From the portico, five portals lead to the cathedral.

Carlo Maderna (Maderna; 1556-1629) - Roman architect, student of his uncle, Domenico Fontana. He immortalized his name mainly by completing the construction (in 1605-1613) of St. Peter's Cathedral.

Facade of St. Peter's Basilica. Architect Carlo Maderna:

Statues of the Apostles Peter and Paul:

At Easter 1847, Pope Pius IX decided to replace the statues of the apostles Peter and Paul that stood in front of the cathedral. The old statues were moved to the library of Sixtus IV, and in their place were placed statues made for St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls. Author: Venetian sculptor Giuseppe De Fabris, 1838-1840. right hand apostle - the keys to paradise, on the left is a scroll with the words “ET TIBI DABO CLAVES REGNI CAELORUM” (and I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, Matthew 16:19).
The author of the statue of St. Paul is Adamo Tadolini, 1838. In the right hand of the apostle is a sword, his symbol, in the left is a scroll with the words “I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me,” Phil. 4:13, in Yiddish.

The doors of the central portal were made in the middle of the 15th century. and come from the old basilica. Opposite this portal, above the entrance to the portico, is a famous mosaic by Giotto from the late 13th century. "Navichella". The reliefs of the leftmost portal - the “Gate of Death” - were created in 1949-1964. by the great sculptor Giacomo Manzu. The image of Pope John XXIII is very expressive.

The Doors of Death are so named because funeral processions usually exited through these doors.

Below on the right are depicted: the death of the first martyr St. Stephen; the death of Pope Gregory VII, defending the Church from the claims of the emperor; death imporvised in space; death of mother at home in front of crying child.

"Gate of Death":

Gate of Death (fragment):

Bottom left (detail): depicts the murder of Abel, the peaceful death of Joseph, the crucifixion of St. Peter and the death of the “good pope” John XXIII.

There are five doors leading into the cathedral. The last door on the right is the Holy (3.65 m x 2.30 m), and it opens only in the Holy, or jubilee year, celebrated every quarter of a century.

Holy Gate:

From inside the cathedral, the Holy Door is walled up with concrete; a bronze cross and a small square box are attached to the concrete, in which the key to the door is stored. Every 25 years, on Christmas Eve (December 25), the concrete is broken before the anniversary year. In accordance with a special ritual, after three kneelings and three blows of the hammer, the Holy Door swings open and the pope, taking the cross in his hands, is the first to enter the cathedral. At the end of the Jubilee Year, the door is closed again and sealed for the next 25 years.

Walled Holy Gate (with Cross):

The holy gates are open. John Paul II walks through the door in 2000:

On December 24, 1949, the wooden panels, made in 1749, were replaced with bronze ones, by Vico Consorti, "master of doors" as he is called.

16 rectangular panels are separated by the coats of arms of the 36 popes who celebrated their next jubilee years. The main theme of the scenes depicted on the panels is the atonement of human sins by the grace of God.

The Lord knocks on everyone's door and waits for us to open it for him.

Panels of the Holy Door. 1st row:

Panels of the Holy Door. 2nd row:

Panels of the Holy Door. 3rd row:

Panels of the Holy Door. 4th row:

Jubilee year periodically proclaimed Holy year, during which the possibility of special absolution was allowed. This tradition has its origins in the Book of Leviticus Old Testament Bible (25:10): “...and sanctify the fiftieth year and proclaim freedom on the earth to all its inhabitants: let this be your jubilee; and return every one to his possessions, and every one return to his tribe.”

The Hebrew word yo-bale" (hence the word "jubilee") means the sound of the shofar, the ram's horn, which announced the advent of the Year of Jubilee. Throughout the year, work in the fields was suspended, and slaves were set free. Houses sold or mortgaged (except those outside the walls cities or in the Holy Land) were returned free of charge to their original owner or his rightful heir, and all debts were released.

The Catholic Church associated the receipt of indulgences and the abolition of imposed penances with the jubilee years. The Holy Year was first celebrated in 1300 by decree of Pope Boniface VIII. Jubilee years were to be celebrated every hundred years, at the beginning of a new century. After Boniface VIII, it was decided to celebrate the anniversary every 50 years, then every 33 years (in honor of the earthly life of Christ). In 1470, Pope Paul II adopted a new decree: jubilee years should be celebrated every 25 years, so that each new generation could take part in the jubilee; A tradition arose obliging us to celebrate anniversary years at the beginning of each quarter of a century. At the beginning of the year 2000, called the Great Jubilee, Pope John Paul II, for the first time in history, pronounced a lengthy Mea Culpa on behalf of the Catholic Church, asking for forgiveness of sins committed by members of the church throughout history.

Interior

Inside, the cathedral amazes with its harmony of proportions, its enormous size, and the richness of its decoration - there are a lot of statues, altars, tombstones, and many wonderful works of art.

St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican. View inside St. Peter's Basilica
from the main entrance:

Central nave

The total length of the basilica is 211.6 m. On the floor of the central nave there are marks showing the dimensions of other largest cathedrals in the world, which allows them to be compared with the largest, the Cathedral of St. Petra.

At the end of the central nave, near the last pillar on the right, there is a statue of St. Peter's from the 13th century, attributed to Arnolfo di Cambio. The statue is credited with miraculous properties, and numerous pilgrims reverently place their lips on the bronze leg.

St. Peter Statue:

Statue of St. Peter (this is how the foot was cut off by the kisses of pilgrims):

The dome, an architectural masterpiece, has a height of 119 m inside and a diameter of 42 m. It is supported by four powerful pillars. Pope Julius II laid the first stone of the new cathedral on April 18, 1506 at the base of one of these pillars (with a statue of St. Veronica).

Dome of St. Peter's Basilica:

In 1624, Urban VIII ordered Bernini to create 4 loggias in these pillars to store relics. Bernini's role in the creation of the sculptural decoration of the cathedral is very great; he worked here intermittently for almost fifty years, from 1620 to 1670.

Below the loggias, in the niches of the pillars, there are huge statues corresponding to the relics kept in the loggias. Currently, some of these relics are located in other places.

Statue of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called.

The relic is the head of a saint.

The relic is the spear of Longinus.

Statue of Holy Queen Helen Equal to the Apostles:

Relic - particles of the Life-giving Cross.

Many fragments of the Holy Cross kept in the cathedral were donated to other churches. Therefore, Pope Urban VIII decided the particles kept in the Church of St. Anastasia and the Cathedral of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (Italian: Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, which means “Holy Cross in Jerusalem” - one of the seven pilgrimage churches of Rome, located south of the Lateran ), move to St. Peter's Cathedral.

Statue of Saint Veronica. Author - Francesco Mochi, 1629:

Relic - part of the board with the image of Jesus Christ.

In the under-dome space above the main altar is Bernini's first work in the cathedral (1633) - a huge, 29 m high canopy (ciborium) on four twisted columns on which stand statues of angels, by Francois du Duquesnoy. Among these angels, one pair of angels holds the symbols of the pope - the keys and tiara, the other pair of angels holds the symbols of St. Paul - a book and a sword.

Ciborium (canopy) Baldacchino. Bernini:

The unusual shape of the columns repeats the silhouette of a twisted column from the Temple of Solomon, brought to Rome after the capture of Jerusalem. Among the laurel branches on the upper parts of the columns are visible the heraldic bees of the Barberini family. The ciborium required a huge amount of bronze. 100,000 pounds (37 or 45 tons, it all depends on which pound was used for measurements) were removed from the dome of the cathedral, then the same amount was sent from Venice and Livorno. When this was not enough, by order of Pope Urban VIII (Barberini), the structures that supported the roof of the Pantheon portico were dismantled. It was then that Pasquino said his catchphrase: “Quod non fecerunt Barbari fecerunt Barberini” (what the barbarians did not destroy, Barberini destroyed).

Although the canopy does not look particularly large in the interior of the cathedral, it is equal in height to a 4-story building. Bernini's masterpiece became the personification of the Baroque style.

The main altar is called the papal altar because only the Pope can celebrate Mass in front of it. The altar was consecrated by Pope Clement VIII on June 5, 1594. The altar was made of a large piece of marble brought from the forum of Emperor Nerva.

The main altar is called papal:

In front of the altar there is a staircase leading down to the tomb of St. Petra. This descent is called Confessio (confessional), because it can be considered as a cut-out window in the confessional, through which believers could turn their gaze to the shrine, hidden deep underground, where part of the relics of St. Apostle Peter.

“Confessional” of the Apostle Peter (under the floor is the place of the apostle’s supposed burial):

Place of storage of the relics of St. Peter the Apostle:

Through the canopy one can see the Cathedral of St., located in the central apse and also created by Bernini. Petra.

The Chair of Saint Peter:

It includes the chair of St., supported by four statues of the church fathers. Peter, above which the symbol of the Holy Spirit hovers in radiance. To the right of the pulpit is the tombstone of Pope Urban VIII by Bernini, to the left is the tombstone of Paul III (16th century) by Guglielmo della Porta, one of Michelangelo’s students.

Chair of St. Peter and Glory (fragment) Church Fathers

Fathers of the Church - an honorary title used since the end of the 4th century in relation to a group of outstanding church figures and writers of the past, whose authority had special weight in the formation of dogma, the compilation of a canon - a list Holy books The Bible (the separation of inspired from apocryphal books), hierarchical organization, and the worship of the Church. It is believed that the Fathers of the Church are distinguished by Orthodoxy of teaching, holiness of life, recognition of the Church and antiquity. The philosophical and theological teaching of the Church Fathers is called patristics.

In 1568, Pope St. Pius V recognized four Orthodox saints as Fathers of the Church: John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus and Athanasius of Alexandria.

Saints Ambrose of Milan, Athanasius the Great, John Chrysostom and Blessed Augustine:

On February 22, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of the Chair of St. Apostle Peter, which is a symbol of his preaching of the Word of God in Rome. Actually, a simple wooden chair served as the pulpit for St. Peter. Subsequently, it was strengthened and decorated, as is believed in Byzantium. Bernini built the composition so that it seems that the pulpit is floating in the clouds, supported by the Fathers of the Church (statues 5 m high). The base of the altar is made of Aquitanian black and white marble and jasper from Sicily.

Right nave

First on the right is the Chapel of the Pieta, before the Crucifixion. The chapel was renamed in 1749 after Michelangelo's Pietà was moved here, having previously changed several places in the cathedral. The chapel is decorated with mosaics made by F. Cristofari according to drawings by Ferri and Pietro da Cortona. The latter is called the Bernini of painting because of the quantity and significance of his works for the cathedral. Above the altar is the fresco "Triumph of the Cross" by Lanfranco, the only fresco from the cathedral not translated into mosaic. The Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament contains the only oil painting in the cathedral.

Chapel of the Pieta, before the Crucifixion:

The chapel contains Michelangelo's masterpiece - the marble Pieta. It was created by Michelangelo at the age of 25 at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. The order for the sculptural group was received on August 26, 1498 from Cardinal Jean Bilheres de Lagraulas, ambassador of the French king; the work was completed around 1500 after the death of the cardinal, who died in 1498. The sculpture was intended for the tombstone of the cardinal. The pedestal was made by Francesco Borromini in 1626.

Pieta, or lamentation of Christ. Michelangelo:

After the attacker attempted to break the statue, it was protected with glass.
On May 21, 1972, on the Saturday before Trinity, Laszlo Toth, a Hungarian from Australia, shouting “I, Jesus Christ!” struck the sculpture 15 times with a hammer. All blows fell on the Mother of God. Two years before this attack, a German knocked off two fingers from the statue of Pope Pius VI.

Nearby is a magnificent wooden crucifix from the late 13th to early 14th centuries, attributed to Pietro Cavallini.

Next to the Pietà there is a small chapel of the Blessed Sacraments.

Chapel of the Holy Sacraments:

The entrance to the chapel is closed by a forged lattice, made according to a drawing by Borromini. The entrance to the chapel is closed to tourists. You can only come here for prayers.

Magnificent tabernacle by Bernini (1674), gilded bronze:

The central part of the tabernacle is made in the form of a chapel-rotunda Tempietto by the architect Bramante (1502), located in the courtyard of the monastery of San Pietro in Montorio on the Janiculian Hill (eighth hill) in Rome.

Next to the Chapel of the Holy Sacraments is the tombstone of Gregory XIII,

On the left is an allegory of Religion, holding tablets with the law of God. On the right is Knowledge.

Tombstone of Pope Gregory XIII:

The bas-relief recalls the reform carried out by the pope - the introduction of a new calendar (Gregorian). October 4, 1582 was followed by October 15. October 4 is the day of remembrance of St. Francis, which should never have been missed. The pope is depicted with eminent astronomers and mathematicians, including Jesuit Priest Ignatius Danti, Father Clavius of Bamberg, and Antonio Lilio of Calabria. The dragon below is the heraldic animal of the Boncompagni family.

Pope Clement XI, persuaded by Candinal Buoncompagni (Gregory's cousin), ordered this new tombstone.

Tombstone of Matilda of Canossa:

In 1077, in Canossa, the castle of the Margravess Matilda, the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV, who had been excommunicated and deposed, humbly begged forgiveness from Pope Gregory VII.

The bas-relief by Stefano Speranza depicts Henry IV kneeling before Gregory VII on January 28, 1077.

At the top of the arch, Matteo Bonarelli, Andrea Bolgi and Lorenzo Flori sculpted putti holding a crown, a coat of arms and the motto: TUETUR ET UNIT (I protect and unite).

Altar of Saint Jerome:

Altarpiece "Last Communion of St. Jerome" by the artist Domenichino, 1614. Translated into mosaic in 1744. The famous painting is now kept in the Pinacoteca of the Vatican. The painting depicts St. Jerome receiving last communion from St. Ephraim, who is helped by St. Paula.

Hieronymus of Stridonsky
Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus (lat. Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; 342, Stridon on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia - September 30, 419 or 420, Bethlehem) - church writer, ascetic, creator of the canonical Latin text of the Bible. Revered in both the Orthodox and Catholic tradition as a saint and one of the teachers of the Church. Saint Jerome's Day is celebrated by Catholics on September 30th. Memory in the Russian Orthodox Church (called Jerome the Blessed) is June 15 (according to the Julian calendar), in the Greek Orthodox Church - June 15.

Tombstone of Clement XIII. Sculptor Canova (1792):

Left nave

Tombstone of Alexander VII by Bernini, 1678. The last masterpiece of the 80-year-old Bernini.

Tombstone of Alexander VII, sculptor Bernini (1678):

The Pope is depicted kneeling surrounded by allegories of Mercy (with children, sculptor G. Mazzuoli), Truth (resting his left foot on the globe, sculptors Morelli and Cartari), Prudence (sculptor G. Cartari), and Justice (sculptor L. Balestri). Initially the figures were naked, but on the orders of Innocent XI Bernini draped the statues in metal.

Altar "Transfiguration of the Lord". Raphael, 1520:

Cardinal Giuliano di Medici, the future Pope Clement VII, commissioned this painting in 1517 from Raphael for the French cathedral in the city of Narbonne - the cardinal's see. Having completed only the face of Jesus Christ, Raphael died on Good Friday in 1520. The painting was completed by Raphael's students - Giuliano Romano and Francesco Penni. Vasari wrote that the unfinished painting was displayed near the head of Raphael's deathbed, breaking the hearts of everyone who saw it. The painting remained in Rome in the Palazzo Cancelleria, and was then placed in the Church of San Pietro in Montorio after 1523. In 1797 Napoleon took it to Paris, the painting was returned back in 1815. The female figure below symbolizes the Church, which gives peace, hope and faith.
The film combines two plots - the transfiguration of Christ and the episode about the meeting of the apostles with a demon-possessed boy who was healed by Jesus Christ, who descended from Mount Tabor. The painting itself is now in the Vatican Pinacoteca, and in the cathedral there is a mosaic copy of it.

Of great interest is the work created in the 1490s. The tombstone of Innocent VIII by the sculptor Antonio Pollaiolo is one of the few surviving monuments that were still in the old basilica.

Tombstone of Innocent VIII (1498), sculptor Antonio Pollaiolo:

Tombstone of Pope Innocent VIII (1498), fragment:

In his left hand, the pope holds the tip of the Holy spear, with which the centurion Longinus pierced the crucified Christ to ensure his death. This tip was presented to the Pope Turkish Sultan Bayezid II, in exchange for his sworn enemy, who is also the Sultan’s brother, being held captive in Rome. The tip of this arrowhead, kept in Paris, disappeared during the French Revolution.

Not far from the entrance you see another creation by the sculptor Canova - the tombstone of the last representatives of the Scottish royal Stuart family.

Tombstone of the last representatives of the Scottish royal family Stuart:

What is St. Peter's Cathedral famous for - how to get there and what to see. Tips: how to dress and what not to take with you. St. Peter's Basilica on the map of Rome.

The ancient shrine of the entire Christian world is St. Peter's Basilica, located in the center of the Vatican. The history of construction is associated with the names of famous Italian architects and artists. In addition, the site chosen for the construction of the church is an archaeological site.

St. Peter's Basilica - history

The first Christian basilica on the site of the current cathedral was built at the beginning of the 4th century, fulfilling the order of the Christian Roman emperor Constantine. Before this, the circus gardens of another ruler of Rome, Nero, were located here. It is believed that only the obelisk remains of its structure. Now it stands on the square in front of the cathedral. An altar was erected in the basilica, which was placed directly above the tomb of St. Peter. Ironically, he was executed by Nero for his faith, and the saint was buried in his gardens. The Christian church stood for more than 11 centuries when Pope Nicholas the Fifth decided to rebuild and reconstruct it.

His work was continued by Julius II, who replaced the ancient basilica with a large cathedral. This was done for the safety of believers, as well as to strengthen the power of papal authority.

Construction and ideas of the masters

The new St. Peter's Cathedral was designed by the architect D. Bramante, thanks to whom a centric cruciform building (equal sides) was built.

Where is the dome?.. Not everyone knows that the façade of the cathedral does not have ideal proportions :)

After him, the work was continued by R. Santi, who relied on the traditional Latin cross. In accordance with Raphael's design, the center of the cathedral was slightly shifted and moved. Another master B. Peruzzi, striving for centrism, returned to Bramante’s idea. Next, A. da Sangallo worked on the cathedral, preferring the basilica form. The completion of the work is attributed to Michelangelo, who was a proponent of having a central dome in the temple. The rest of the construction and interior of the cathedral was based on this. The entrance was created in the form of a portico with columns. It was located in the east, not in the west. Michelangelo created massive supporting structures and began construction of the drum for the main dome of St. Peter's Basilica.

It fell to other architects to complete the construction - D. della Porta, Vignola, C. Maderna. Only 2 small domes out of the planned four appeared in the cathedral, and the center became a three-nave basilica. Another façade was also built, which completely covered it. It can now be seen from the side of the square.

Interesting facts about St. Peter's Basilica

The obelisk installed in St. Peter's Square is a tall stone stele from the 13th century BC. e. - was brought from Egypt at the very beginning of our era. Lorenzo Bernini made this stele the center of an oval square;
The Vatican coat of arms features a tiara and keys. These are the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, which, according to Christian tradition, Simon (St. Peter) received from Jesus;
Popes are buried in the dungeon of St. Peter's Basilica. On April 8, 2005, John Paul II was buried here;
In the Basilica of Constantine, on the site of which St. Peter's Cathedral was built, there were 120 altars. Light entered the temple through 72 windows. 23 Holy Roman Emperors were crowned in the basilica.

How does the excursion to St. Peter's Basilica work?

This basilica is a whole complex of buildings, because it is not for nothing that it is the largest Christian temple in the world. Therefore, be prepared that the excursion to St. Peter’s Cathedral (including a tour of the square, photos and selfies) will take you at least an hour. Or better yet, 1.5 – 2 hours. You won’t be able to run into this temple for a minute. If only because you will first have to stand in a huge queue.

The Cathedral Square is a place for believers

St. Peter's Basilica in Rome is enormous - 211 meters long and 136 meters high. But even with these dimensions, everyone cannot fit inside, so additional space was created. In the middle of the 17th century. Giovanni Bernini fulfilled the Pope's order and began building a huge square located opposite the cathedral.

St. Peter's Square - the best panorama of the basilica opens from here!

The queue to the cathedral, ringing the square. It's worth coming early, isn't it?

The square is one of the most recognizable places in Rome (despite the fact that it is a different state, for a minute!). Most tours of St. Peter's Basilica begin from this starting point. Closer to noon, a huge queue seems to ring the square from left to right. To get to the treasured “frame” of the metal detector, you will have to wait about an hour.

Advice: if you find yourself in the area of the cathedral in the morning, and the queue does not reach the end of the colonnade on one side, then you are in luck - feel free to occupy it! This way you will save a lot of time, which is very expensive in Rome.

Entrance to the temple - prohibited items and clothing

There are metal detectors at the entrance to the Vatican, so it is better not to take sharp objects (scissors, nail files, etc.) with you. And also cutting ones - for example, my favorite Victorinox knife, which is indispensable during a spontaneous picnic. But in in this case It is better to refuse such an accessory.

There are requirements for girls and ladies. With all the European democracy, the Catholic Church has recently been zealous about appearance. This has reached its apex in the Vatican. In 98% of cases you will not be allowed into St. Peter's Basilica with your shoulders and knees exposed. Moreover, restrictions do not apply to the neckline and other delights. There is no need to cover your head with a scarf.

Such rules apply in a “foreign monastery”, and they should be respected.

Interior of St. Peter's Cathedral - what to see

So, after standing in a long line at the entrance to the Vatican, you are finally at your cherished goal. Still not believing your eyes, you act step by step. To begin with, you freeze at the great Pieta by Michelangelo, which is at the very entrance to the Cathedral. And even though it has recently been placed behind thick glass - away from vandals and madmen - this in no way diminished its beauty, divine grandeur and solemn sorrow.

Then, as if in a fog (your mind is already clouded from the fact that you just stood next to the Pieta itself!), you examine the majestic tombs of Popes, noble persons and freeze for a long time in silent admiration for the greatest Bernini's creations - the famous Baldachin over the main Altar cathedral! These are the main masterpieces of St. Peter's Basilica that should not be missed.

If you don’t mind making a wish, you can approach the statue of Peter himself, touch the desired place (it sparkles when touched) and ask for a painful problem. Everything will definitely come true and get better! It is better to devote the rest of the time to quiet contemplation of the majestic interior. Thoughtfully enjoy the beauty of the temple, approach each one below, admire the dome of the cathedral, admire the play of streams of light breaking through the stained glass windows.

St. Peter's Basilica on the map of Rome

Address: Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Città del Vaticano, Papal See (Vatican City).

St. Peter's Basilica - how to get there

If hotels in the area of St. Peter's Square do not appeal to you, then you can get to the basilica by public transport. Closest to the cathedral metro station - Ottaviano. She was even specially noted - Ottaviano-San Pietro. From it, almost in a straight line, namely the eponymous Via Ottaviano, you will exit to the main square.

There is another metro station near the cathedral - this Cipro. The street Via Fra Albenzio, leading from it, practically abuts the stern Vatican wall on the back side - this is the border of the state. The station is more suitable for those seeking entry to the Vatican Museums rather than St. Peter's Basilica. If you also plan to admire the Sistine Chapel first, then remember the name - Cipro-Musei Vaticani.

Express bus No. 40 stops not far from the “cathedral” square. You can use it if you want to get to St. Peter's Basilica from the Old Town. You can use the same bus to get to Hadrian's Mausoleum. This is another significant one.

How do you know that when you exit the subway you are heading in the right direction? It’s very simple: you are immediately attacked by numerous promoters offering excursions to St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican - licensed, with a Russian-speaking guide, etc. In Rome you will have to get used to this and not get irritated in vain.

Hotels near the Cathedral and St. Peter's Square

It's a great idea to book a hotel in Rome in the area of St. Peter's Basilica. This way you will have a chance to do everything and even visit the Vatican more than once. After all, it is very difficult to cover everything at once - visit the basilica, climb the dome, visit museums. In addition, this is a prestigious area, and most rooms offer views of the main Christian shrine:

Two thousand years ago, when Nero ruled Italy, there was an amphitheater here, in which many Christians died. In 67, the Apostle Peter was captured, tried, sentenced to death, and brought here. He, not wanting to die exactly the way Christ died, asked to be executed by a different method. They crucified him upside down and buried him not far from the place of death. And three centuries later, a structure was erected at the place of his burial - St. Peter’s Cathedral is now located there.

St. Peter's Cathedral is located in the Vatican, in the northwestern part of Rome, the capital of Italy (on the map the temple can be found at the following coordinates: 41° 54′ 7″ N, 12° 27′ 11″ E).

This cathedral is the largest church in the Vatican and until recently was the largest Christian church in the world: the area exceeds 22 thousand square meters, height - 133 m, length including the portico - almost 212 m. The basilica is designed for 60 thousand believers, The square located in front of the cathedral can accommodate another four hundred thousand Christians.

The size of this temple is exceeded only by the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Peace, built in 1990 in Yamoussoukro, the capital of Cote’d Ivoire, with an area of about 30 thousand square meters. m. True, despite its enormous size, it can only accommodate 18 thousand parishioners.

History embodied in stone

Erected by order of Constantine, the basilica had a rather modest appearance, for a long time did not differ in anything special and stood for eleven centuries. Until in 1506 the Pope ordered on the spot old church, whose age exceeded eleven centuries and was in disrepair by that time, to build St. Peter's Cathedral.

The structure would eclipse not only all pagan temples, but also existing Christian churches, while becoming the center of Catholicism and a symbol of the power of the pontiff. The fact that it was in this place that the Apostle Peter found his martyrdom played an important role in the choice of the high priest.

The best sculptors, architects and artists from all over Italy were invited to build the temple. Considering that the time of construction of the cathedral dates back to the Renaissance, during which such artists as Michelangelo, Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini and others lived and worked famous personalities, it is not surprising that the plan was one hundred percent successful.

Throughout the entire construction (and in total it lasted more than one century), different people were responsible for the work, who constantly made fundamental changes to the layout of the temple, which had a serious impact on the architecture of this temple:

The first architect of the cathedral was Donato Bramante - he proposed to build a temple whose shape would be similar to a Greek cross with equal sides (construction work began in 1506)
When he died, Raphael Santi was appointed architect, who modified the plan, giving the temple the shape of a Roman cross (with a longer fourth side).
The next architect, Baldassare Peruzzi, preferred the original plan.
But Antonio da Sangallo supported the idea of the second architect.
Michelangelo began working on the cathedral in Italy in 1546. He returned to Bramante’s original plan, but still modified the project: he provided for a portico with a huge number of columns in the east of the building, made the load-bearing structures more massive and defined the central space (what the basilica looked like in Michelangelo’s time can be seen from the western side of the temple). Also Michelangelo managed to build the drum of the main dome, the construction of which had to be completed by the next architect, Giacomo della Porta (he gave the dome a more elongated shape). Michelangelo planned to surround the main dome with four smaller ones, but the architect Vignola decided to build only two, placing them on either side of the central one.

Carlo Maderna at the beginning of the 17th century. By order of Pope Paul V, returning to the Roman version, he increased the length of the cross on the eastern side. He also erected a facade 48 m high (without sculptures) and about 120 m wide, completely hiding the dome, which had lost its dominant position. At the top of the facade were six-meter-tall sculptures of Jesus Christ, John the Baptist and almost all the apostles, except Peter.
Quite soon, due to the huge influx of believers, it became obvious that it was necessary to build a square in front of the cathedral. The construction work was entrusted to Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini.

Temple doors

In front of the central doors there are sculptures of the apostles Paul and Peter, in whose hands are the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. Five bronze doors lead into the temple.

Moreover, the outermost one, located on the right, is walled up and is opened only once every 25 years, on the Holy Year, on the eve of Catholic Christmas(at this time there is the possibility of remission of the most serious sins). When this year ends, the holy doors are sealed with concrete again.

In the central part of the main doors, Paul and Peter are depicted, above them are Jesus and Mary sitting on a throne.

Below are fragments depicting the trial and execution of Christ's ascetics (Peter was crucified upside down, Paul's head was cut off). Above the doors is a bas-relief by Bernini made of marble with the inscription: “Jesus hands Peter the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.”

What does the temple look like from the inside?

Inside, St. Peter's Basilica in Rome surprises with its incredible size and extremely rich design - there is a huge number of statues, columns, altars, tombs, which were made by the most eminent masters of their time.

One of these masterpieces is the Lamentation of Christ (Pieta), a marble sculptural composition by Michelangelo, the only sculpture by the master that was signed by him.

Michelangelo's composition is a statue of Mary, which the sculptor depicted as a young woman, on whose lap lies the dead Savior. To all the questions of his contemporaries why the mother of Jesus was so young, Michelangelo answered that the mother of God does not age.

Inside the temple there is an altar with lamps that never go out, from which only the Holy Father has the right to celebrate Mass. They placed this altar in the same place as the previous one, which was once installed over the grave of Peter ( interesting fact: despite the accepted canons, it faces not east, but west). A small “window” was cut into the floor next to it, through which you can see the grave of St. Petra (that it really exists there was proven by excavations carried out in the forties of the last century).

Under the dome of the temple above the central altar there is another masterpiece of Bernini (in the middle of the cathedral there are many of his sculptural works): a bronze canopy (ciborium) 29 m high - it is located on four columns, where figures of angels are installed.

The pulpit of St. is visible through the ciborium. Peter is the chair of the apostle, which is supported by sculptures of the four Holy Fathers, and the Holy Spirit hovers above their heads.

Near the altar there is a bronze sculpture of St. Peter sitting on the papal throne, in whose hands are the keys to heaven. Every Catholic considers it their duty to touch his foot - many believe that if you sincerely ask for the fulfillment of your desire, it will certainly come true.

Temple dome

The dome of St. Peter's Cathedral is the tallest in the world: its height from the outside is almost 137 m, from the inside - 119 m, and its diameter is 42 m. On the dome's vault you can see images of the evangelists with animals, which in the "Revelations" of John the Theologian were near the throne of God : near Mark - a lion, Luke - an ox, John - an eagle. But Matthew is depicted with an angel who guided his hand while writing the Gospel.

There are two ways to get to the top of the dome: first, take the elevator to its lower part, and then climb 320 steps. Or do without a lift and climb an additional 231 steps. At first the climb is quite easy: the steps are low and it’s easy to climb, and the only thing that causes discomfort is the constant movement in a circle, which makes you feel dizzy.

Then the climb becomes more difficult: the steps gradually become smaller, steeper and narrower, and at the very top the width between the opposite walls is not even a meter. Anyone who finds the strength and can reach the goal will not regret it - the panorama of Rome and the Vatican that opens before him will not leave anyone indifferent.

A small state on the territory of Rome. This Catholic cathedral is the largest Christian church in the world.

The cathedral area can accommodate about 400,000 people, but up to 60,000 people can be inside at the same time. Such masters of their craft as Michelangelo, Carlo Maderna, Vignola, Rafael Santi, Baldassare Peruzzi, Donato Bramante were involved in the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral, that is, there is simply no single author of St. Peter's Basilica. The cathedral turned out to be so incredible precisely because it contained all the thoughts and images of the most talented creators of that time.

The architecture of St. Peter's Cathedral is very beautiful and harmonious, the richness of the designs is amazing. Inside there are many works of art, altars, statues and tombstones. In this cathedral there is a work by Michelangelo, made when he was twenty years old. This sculpture is called "Lamentation of Christ", it is carved from a solid piece of white marble. Michelangelo worked on the sculpture for two years, he depicted Holy Virgin Mary with her dead son Jesus on her lap. The sculpture is made in full size and is so realistic that you can’t even believe that it is a cold piece of marble.

There is also a sculpture of St. Peter himself in the cathedral. It was made in bronze back in the 4th century by an unknown sculptor from Syria. A very ancient custom is associated with this sculpture. For the prayer to be heard, it is enough to touch the statue. Due to the great popularity of this custom, the sculpture of Peter is slightly worn out.

The tallest in the world is dome of St. Peter's Basilica— its height is almost 137 meters. The dome is measured from the top of the crowning cross to the floor of the basilica. The diameter of the dome is almost 42 meters. The dome offers stunning views of the city square. But this is not the largest dome in Italy. For example, the diameter of the dome of the Florence Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is 44 meters, and the diameter of the dome of the ancient Roman Pantheon is 43.3 meters.

In 1590, the construction of the dome was completed. It was Last year reign of Sixtus V. It was in his honor that an inscription was made inside the lantern on the dome. The dome was completed by Domenico Fontana and Giacomo Della Porta.

In the middle of the 18th century, the first cracks appeared on the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. It was held together with four metal chains. They crimp the structure and are fastened between the shells of the dome.

St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican is a true masterpiece of art and the most popular destination for tourists and pilgrims who come from the farthest corners of our planet.

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