Where is St. Peter's Basilica located. How it all began. The calling card of Rome.
St. Peter's Basilica (Italian: Basilica di San Pietro; St. Peter's Basilica) - Catholic cathedral, which is the most large structure Vatican and until recently 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:
But neither the crowds nor the slight drift of demolition changed the mood. Most of the visitors seemed cheerful, some of them almost left - flocks of Polish nuns, for example, who passed through the streets of Rome. When a group of twenty thirty singing sisters from Angola met an Italian girl who was also loud, the Africans instantly changed the tune, sang rhythmic Italian gospel for a while and complained with funny sayings.
Others, especially the older ones, were quite touched. In Engelsburg, a group of Americans ardently sang church members. Many French people clearly knew this melody, and they, of course, fell into the language of their country. Only the Japanese youth, who were equally cheerful, although in much smaller numbers than usual, in their fashionable clothes, did not know exactly who the hype was: “I don’t know, but okay, okay,” they said, Where they came from, most pilgrims used their digital cameras and smartphones to capture what needed to be photographed, favoring themselves over possible backgrounds.
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).
Meanwhile, the celebration at St. Peter's still continued for some time. Then the Gospel was read in Latin. On best visas There was also very little mood. And before big walls there were even small gaps because some would have preferred to get ice cream. It was only when Franz finished the round in the jeep on Petersplatz that the crowd forgot about their little retreats.
“It's nice to be here today,” said a young woman from Stuttgart. Title: "He'll Return." This will be a new day in history. It's nice to see that Benedict is also after his resignation, and even more luxuriously dressed as the current pope. When a man is canonized and then discovered that he still has corpses in his basement, is there another back? Would it then be wicked or what?
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.
No doubt this happened to many of these saints. Isn't the current pope a saint if he can talk to other saints? Are tenants of downtown church properties even more sacred? And the children in Latin America feel even more wicked than I do?
What does the Pope believe about what happens to him on the day of the final judgment? He must hope that the day will come. Thus, there are two "new" in Catholic pagan substitutes for the heaven-gods. This is the main reason for venerating saints. Christianity abolished all pagan gods, a special God for all purposes.
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.
The Catholic Church included him in this detour again. One more question: what was your task? So God certainly isn't the problem, is he? Originally Posted by Zaphod It is good to note that Benedict also after his resignation and even more magnificent items of clothing carried by the current pope. The current pope may be popular and social, but Benedict with his Papstam certainly better represented the splendor of Catholicism. Thus, the two appearances of these two sides demonstrate two main facets of Catholicism: caring for the weak and at the same time beauty and splendor for the glory of God!
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.
Overall, it was a poignant ceremony that impressively captured the instability of the Roman Catholic Church throughout different countries and cultures. We Germans are also indebted to him. Today was truly a historic event. Live broadcast is not available. Some of them, including many families, had already waited for more than twelve hours on the wide access road. The police opened Petersplatz to visitors only at 30 o'clock on Sundays.
“We waited here for five o'clock in the afternoon,” said Maria Husaluk, who arrived with her family from Belgium. Many of the waiting flags of their home countries, especially the red and white flag of Poland, were often seen. Some of the waiters reported that they could sleep while standing, the crowd was so great. About 200 police and other security forces are deployed to the Catholic mega-event. Large parts of Rome were closed to traffic. Many churches in the city remained open overnight - for pilgrims who did not want to be exposed to the crowds at Petersplatz.
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).
Many of them will be canonized on large video walls that have been displayed in several places in Rome. At least thousands of worshipers are expected to attend the celebrations, but they could also be much larger. "Just four popes at the ceremony is a fantastic thing, there is history before our eyes," said David Halfar, a visitor from Poland. “It’s great to be a part of this.”
The relics of two saints will also be present in the performance. More than 90 delegations from governments and international organizations signed up for the ceremony. Among them are dozens of state presidents, heads of government, as well as representatives of royal houses and other religions.
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 also emphasized Karol Wojtyła's tireless service and spiritual counsel, as well as the extraordinary testimony of holiness, which "led the church to the third millennium of faith." In Warsaw, Krakow and other places, it is released publicly on Sunday for anyone who does not want to watch the program in front of domestic television.
What a region, what a rock, a harmless height, and yet a single elevation of ancient splendor and darkness. Vatican Mountain: Followers of Judaism and fledgling Christianity were tortured to death in a nearby circus. That the soil at the foot of the hill always seemed to be a destructive movement, that this nervous landscape later complicated many of the building measures, is consistent with its dark history.
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.
Christianity of the century, was built in the valley before the Vatican rose, near the Tiber, a pilgrimage church in honor of Peter. Legend has it that the Apostle was crucified in the area during the time of Nero and buried in the nearby necropolis. But the religion, so quickly strengthened under the Emperor Constantine, needed its own symbols, its own ceremonies, its own identifiers. She also needed her own architectural landmarks.
Christianity occupied the hill, subjugating it pagan history. The architecture of antiquity, which was quoted and reinterpreted whenever it seemed useful, was transformed with self-confidence. For example, Peter wanted to honor the site of his martyrdom with a basilica. These elongated halls, which often ended in a semi-closed apse, were shopping centers and palaces of justice ancient world. Markets were held there, courts were located there, and emperors reigned there. Now the portraits of the rulers in the apse have been replaced by a mosaic with images of Christ.
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.
Simple but radical, the profane turned sacred. Maxentius' profane basalfia in the Roman Forum was completed by about 310 people. About ten years later, Emperor Constantine began building a Christian basilica. It was probably completed in less than ten years.
A new church miracle must arise. But the pilgrimage site in the Vatican became a real architectural symbol of this religion, and the oldest church in the Christian world was created here. The grave roads on the southern slope of the hill - regular rows of deaths - had to give way; they were poured out and were not recovered until the excavations of the century. The new Gotteshaus was built over the proposed Petrusgrab. The pilgrims approached the Temple of the Tiber, climbed the steps and were rewarded with a vast experience of space.
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.
Century: 120-meter hall above the ground plan of the cross. It consisted of five long-range ships, resulting in a cross-section of almost 90 meters. The nave of the nave was wider and much higher than the side ships. Below, the hem extended from the old columns of the temple. Light shone through the wide windows in the middle room. The scenery seemed to be made for dedicated processions, for sacred triumphs. In this way, Emperor Constantine also respected his rule. Ultimately, the message emanating from this most important building of early Christendom was political.
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.
Many centuries later, she has not yet died. From the point of view of the popes of the century, Constantine's church was a powerful legacy, one of which literally stood in their way. A variety of popes wanted to destroy the building in order to erect a monument with their own architecture of power itself.
Of course, there would be a saint's building. But a new church miracle had to be built. This became a miracle in stages, and one that in the meantime helped split the Christian Church forever. One of the most ambitious construction projects of the Renaissance.
Nicholas started a new choir, in which there was an altar. But when dad died, only a few walls stood in the air. As a memorial, they declared that someone wanted to go too long for too long - even contemporaries such as the architect Leon Battista Alberti criticized such destructive ruins. However, the papal builder still insisted on his deathbed that this project was never about his own glory, but the welfare of the believers.
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:
He was the first to recognize that the papal builders of the next 150 years became a double struggle: a struggle against time, because epochal construction should not be realized during a single pontificate. And the struggle with the old building, the destruction of which was wanted and feared at the same time.
However, what he began and his successors only hesitantly advanced became the starting point for one of the most ambitious projects of the Renaissance. And for one of the most confusing: to this day, scientists argue about who exactly designed, built, rejected, destroyed.
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. In the right hand of the 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 century, a new large-scale architectural project, began to influence the entire Christian world. He allowed himself to be celebrated as the new Caesar, he will preside over a defiant and victorious Church, as a worthy successor to the emperors. His fame was important to him, as was his post-fame. Just as quickly as not Dad, he took care of his own final retirement. Michelangelo Buonarroti, a young, sought-after sculptor, was to create an impressive tombstone from Carrara marble.
Michelangelo's ideas showed that the pope had a sense of monumentality for his own reason. First of all, Bramante had to complete the choir, begun 50 years earlier, and make it for the tomb. The builder wanted to celebrate his craftsmanship. Bramante, on the other hand, was the right man: the models of the ancient style ruled, especially in the Vatican. This builder could make churches look like temples. Its architecture is characterized by an elegant weight that expresses the fact that there is something immovable here.
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.
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 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 of the Old Testament of the Bible (25:10): “... and sanctify the fiftieth year and declare freedom on the earth to all its inhabitants: this shall 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 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. Author - Bernini, 1635:
The relic is the spear of Longinus.
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 (information from saintpetersbasilica.org).
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. For ciborium it was required great amount 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
Church Fathers - an honorary title used since the end of the 4th century in relation to a group of prominent church leaders and writers of the past, whose authority had special weight in the formation of dogma, the compilation of the canon - the list of the Holy Books of the Bible (the separation of inspired books from apocryphal ones), hierarchical organization, and worship Churches. 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:
February 22 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 Tempietto rotunda chapel 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.
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, 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. He is revered in both the Orthodox and Catholic traditions as a saint and one of the teachers of the Church. Saint Jerome's Day is celebrated by Catholics on September 30th. Memory in Russian Orthodox Church(called Jerome the Blessed) - 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 by the Turkish Sultan Bayezid II, in exchange for his sworn enemy, who was also the Sultan’s brother, being held captive in Rome. The tip of this arrowhead, kept in Paris, disappeared during the French Revolution.
Description of St. Peter's Basilica is a non-trivial task. Until recently, the main Catholic church in the world was the largest Christian religious building. St. Peter's Basilica is located in the possession of the Vatican State in the center of Rome.
History of the construction of St. Peter's Basilica
In the 1st century The Circus of Nero was located in this area. This notorious emperor organized not only performances and competitions there, but also demonstrative executions of the first Christians. In 67, the most famous of them, the Apostle Peter, died here. He was crucified in an unusual way - upside down, because he considered himself unworthy to be executed like Christ. The tomb of the apostle became an object of secret worship.
After the victory of Christianity at the beginning of the 4th century. At the behest of Emperor Constantine, a large basilica was built over the grave, in which the main religious and secular ceremonies took place for 5 centuries. The burials of the righteous also took place here, considering it an honor to be able to rest next to the apostle.
In the 9th century. The basilica was plundered by the Saracens, after which they tried to reconstruct it. In 1506, Pope Julius II ordered the construction of a new temple, the like of which had never been seen in the world. Who built St. Peter's Basilica? There is no clear answer to this question. Famous architects took part in the design and construction of the structure, replacing each other.
The first architect, Bramante, designed the church in the form of a symmetrical (Greek) cross. Raphael, who continued the construction, decided to focus on a cross with an elongated side (Latin). The idea of a dominant central dome belongs to Michelangelo, and it was realized by Giacomo della Porta. Carlo Maderna, who completed the construction, erected a massive western façade that hid most dome, which ceased to be the dominant feature of the structure. The consecration of the Cathedral took place in 1626.
Architectural solutions
The construction, which lasted more than a century, coincided with the transition from Renaissance ideas to the early Baroque architectural style. Therefore in architecture St Paul's Cathedral you can find features of both of these styles.
Main facade
Near the entrance to the Cathedral, on pedestals there are sculptures of the apostles - Peter with a key and Paul with a sword. The monumental façade, 45 m high and 115 wide, is topped with almost 6-meter tall figures of Jesus, 11 (except Peter) apostles and John the Baptist. The cathedral has 5 doors (portals), four of which were built relatively recently - in the 20th century.
The central portal is named Filarete after the Florentine master who created it. This door is the only one preserved from the old basilica of the 15th century. The upper bronze panels of the door depict Christ and the Madonna enthroned. In the middle are the apostles Peter and Paul, and at the bottom are scenes of their martyrdom. On top of the door is a marble bas-relief with the Apostle Peter receiving the keys. Opposite the Filarete portal is the famous Navicella mosaic, laid out by Giotto in the 13th century.
The Holy Portal is used once every quarter of a century. The stonework is being dismantled from the inside on the eve of the anniversary Christmas. At the end of the year, this door is walled up again. The Portal of Death is intended only for removing the body of a deceased pontiff. This door depicts relevant scenes - the death of Joseph, the Holy Sepulcher, the murder of Peter, as well as scenes of the sacrament of Communion. There is also a portal of Good and Evil and a door of Mysteries.
Height of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica reaches 138 m from the outside and 119 m from the inside, and the diameter is 42 m. The dome is based on four massive columns. Along its frieze is a mosaic inscription quoting the words of Jesus from the Gospel of Matthew about Peter, the Church and the keys to the Heavenly Kingdom. The authors of the 4 Gospels are depicted on the inner surface. Next to Mark, John and Luke are a lion, an eagle and an ox, respectively. These apocalyptic animals, according to Revelation, were seen by John at the throne of God. An angel is drawn next to the Evangelist Matthew leading his hand.
Under Pontiff Clement VIII, the dome of the cathedral was crowned with a cross. Lead caskets with relics were placed on it. From the balcony of the domed turret a memorable Roman panorama opens.
Interior
The interior of the Cathedral amazes with its size and splendor. Its length is 211.5 m, and its area is over 22 thousand m2. 55 thousand people can be inside at the same time. This is more than all other major religious buildings can accommodate. The world's largest new church in Côte d'Ivoire, which in 1990 surpassed the Cathedral in height and area, but not in capacity, is no exception. On the floor of the central nave there are marks indicating the comparative sizes of other large churches that easily fit inside .
Another 400 thousand people can listen to the Pope on the square of the same name in front of the Cathedral, designed by the great architect and sculptor Giovanni Bernini.
There are always a lot of tourists inside the Cathedral, but its huge size eliminates the bustle. Along its perimeter there are richly decorated chapels with the tombs of Popes and royalty. They were created by outstanding masters. In the first Chapel of Mercy on the right is the famous marble sculpture “Pieta” (Lamentation of Christ), in which the genius of the young Michelangelo was manifested in full force. After being attacked by a vandal, it is displayed behind thick protective glass.
Bernini made a great contribution to the sculptural decoration of the interior. Above the main altar in the center of the Cathedral rises a 29-meter ciborium (canopy) created by him, crowned with statues of angels. It rests on four twisted columns. Their shape is not accidental: it repeats the columnar silhouette of the Jerusalem Temple of Solomon. Only the pontiff has the right to conduct worship here. From the main altar a staircase leads to the tomb (“Confessional”) of St. Petra.
Nearby there is a bronze figure of a seated St. Petra. Its authorship is attributed to a 13th-century Florentine sculptor. Arnolfo di Cambio. According to other sources, the statue was made back in the 5th century. in Syria. The feet of the sculpture shine from the numerous touches of those who made a wish.
Among the relics kept in the temple are the relics of St. John Chrysostom, and the spear of the Roman centurion Longinus, with which Christ was pierced on the cross. A five-meter statue of this centurion, made by Bernini, stands in a niche of one of the columns. Shocked by the martyrdom and resurrection of the Savior, of which he became an eyewitness, Longinus began to preach Christianity, and was executed for this.
The main nave of the Cathedral ends with an altar projection (apse) with a bronze gilded pulpit, created inXVII century Bernini, and is considered one of the pinnacles of his work. Hidden inside the pulpit is a wooden throne that belonged to the Apostle Peter. According to tradition, the place where the relic is stored should resemble its shape. Therefore, in the center of the pulpit there is a bronze throne with a bas-relief on the theme of the presentation of the keys to the apostle.
On both sides of the throne, Bernini placed 4 figures of the Doctors of the Church. Eastern teachers John Chrysostom and Athanasius the Great stand closer to the throne, and Ambrose of Milan and Aurelius Augustine, with their heads covered with Western mitres, are on the outside. Above the pulpit there is a stained glass window lined with alabaster plates, in the center of which is a dove shining in the sun’s rays - a symbol of the Holy Spirit. From a distance it seems small, but its wingspan is about 3 m.
Chair of St. Petra is a symbol of the power of the pontiff. One of the titles of the Pope is “Successor of the Prince of the Apostles.” The account of the Roman pontiffs begins with Peter.
Tourist Information
How to get to St. Peter's Basilica? This can be done by several types of public transport:
- take metro line A to Ottaviano station;
- by trolleybus number 19 to the Piazza Risorgimento stop;
- by buses no. 32, 49, 62, 81, 590, 271 until Wednesday Via della Conciliazione.
Opening hours of St. Peter's Basilica– from 8 to 19 o’clock in the high season and until 18 – in the low season. Observation deck closes for 1 hour 15 minutes. earlier. Entrance to the Cathedral is free, but to the site is not. You have to pay 6 EUR for the ascent on foot, and 8 EUR for using the elevator. Only physically fit people who can climb more than 500 steps will be able to save money. Tourists should keep in mind that the last section of increasingly narrower steps is climbed independently in both cases. You have to almost crawl through the very narrow steps that complete the climb.
To minimize queue time, it is recommended to avoid Wednesdays (the day of worship and papal audience) and Sundays. It's better to come before opening or in the afternoon. Tourists who have completed their tour of the Vatican Museums enter the Cathedral without a queue. True, it is difficult for a person to cope with such a huge emotional load.
Visit St. Peter's Cathedral will be as informative as possible within the framework excursions. For a two-hour excursion you will need to pay 80 EUR.
When visiting, the dress code standard for religious buildings applies. Shoulders, arms and legs must be covered; for women, hair must be covered. Men, on the contrary, must remove their hats. Tourists pass through a turnstile with a metal detector.
The Vatican post office is located near the Cathedral. From here you can send a postcard with a special stamp confirming dispatch from the Vatican territory.