Saint-Pierre basilica

The basilica Saint-Pierre of Rome or more exactly of the the Vatican ( San Pietro in Vaticano ) is on Right Bank of the the Tiber. It is the most important religious building of the Catholicisme, so much in term of volume (193 m length, 120 m in height) that of fame. This place accommodates the Cathedra $petri . It is not the Cathédrale diocese of Rome since the bishop of Rome sits at Midsummer's Day of Lateran, on the other hand, it is the church of the Pape.

History

The Basilique is the work of several centuries. It starts by being a small memorial at the place where holy Pierre would have been deposited after having been martyrized, not far from the Cirque of Caligula. Then, starting from 324, the Empereur Constantin I {{er}} makes build large a Basilique. At the 15th century, the monument threatens to fall in ruin, and the Pape S decide to shave it to build new. Its financing was in particular ensured by the sale of indulgences in Europe.

The construction of the current building began the April 18th 1506 under the reign from Jules II to be completed in 1614 under that of Paul V. It was devoted in 1626 under the reign of Urbain VIII. Many a Architect S and Artiste S prestigious contributed to this realization of which Michel-Angel for the dome; the Bernin, originator of the Place Saint-Pierre and his famous colonnades; Giacomo beyond Carried cap or Carlo Maderno for the frontage. Bramante, Raphaël and Sangallo the Young person also took part in the drawing of the plans.

In April 2006, the basilica celebrates its 500e birthday.

Structure of the basilica

The plan of Saint-Pierre is a Latin cross with three naves. During the restoration the plans were unceasingly called in question during nearly 200 years. It is in the central nave that the Concile Vatican II of 1962 was held with 1965. In the pillars of the central nave, transept and apse are dug 39 niches, each one containing a Statue Saint. The vault is decorated with the words (in Greek old and Latin) that the Christ would have addressed to holy Pierre and who, according to the Catholique S, found the pontifical capacity: “You are Pierre, and on this stone I will build my Church, and them doors of the hell will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven” (MT 16:18). The basilica also shelters a great number of artistic treasures, among which the Pietà of Michel-Angel, the Baldaquin of the high altar (ordered in 1624 by Urbain VIII with the Bernin it was cast with bronze decorating initially the pediment of the the Pantheon, its height is of 29 meters) and the tomb of Alexandre VII by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the tomb of Innocent VIII of Antoine del Pollaiolo or the statue of holy Pierre of Arnolfo di Cambio.

Archeology: The tomb of Pierre saint

The archaeological excavations under the Saint-Pierre basilica, undertaken on the initiative of the pope Pie XII, consolidated the tradition of the presence of the tomb of the apostle at this place: Under the superimposed furnace bridges of Clement VIII, Calixte II and Gregoire Large the, a modest monument of the IIe century, inserted in the vestiges of the first basilica built by the emperor Constantin into the IVe century, was found on the site of a tomb the first century. On one of the walls, one could read the name of Pierre griffonné in Greek characters (what proves the seniority of the inscription), and in a cavity dug in another wall, one collected relics; perhaps those of the prince of the apostles?

For more details, to see the article holy Pierre.

Album

Random links: