St. Peter's Basilica
On the 18th of April 1506, Pope Julius II laid the foundation stone for a new church to replace the aging Old St. Peter's Basilica that had stood since the fourth century. The original structure was built by Roman Emperor Constantine the Great between 319 and 333 AD over what tradition holds is the burial site of Saint Peter. Archaeological excavations beginning in 1939 under Pope Pius XII revealed fragments of bones folded in tissue with gold decorations tinted murex purple beneath the current basilica's high altar. On the 23rd of December 1950, Pope Pius XII announced the discovery of Saint Peter's tomb during a pre-Christmas radio broadcast to the world. The area now covered by Vatican City had been a cemetery for some years before the Circus of Nero was built, containing many Christian burials near the apostle's grave. By the end of the 15th century, the old basilica had fallen into disrepair during the period of the Avignon Papacy. Pope Nicholas V commissioned work from Leone Battista Alberti and Bernardo Rossellino but his reign ended with little achieved due to political problems. He did order the demolition of the Colosseum, and by his death, 2,522 cartloads of stone had been transported for use in the new building.
Donato Bramante designed the initial plan as an enormous Greek cross with a dome inspired by the Pantheon, where the supporting wall becomes a drum raised high above ground level on four massive piers. When Pope Julius II died in 1513, Bramante was replaced by Giuliano da Sangallo and Fra Giocondo who both died in 1515. Raphael was confirmed as architect on the 1st of August 1514 and changed the nave to five bays while making the squareness of exterior walls more definite. Baldassare Peruzzi maintained changes Raphael proposed but reverted to the Greek cross plan before Rome was sacked and plundered by Emperor Charles V in 1527. Antonio da Sangallo the Younger submitted a plan combining features of previous architects and extending the building into a short nave with a wide façade. On the 1st of January 1547, Michelangelo succeeded Sangallo as Capomaestro at age seventy-two, writing that he undertook the work only for the love of God and in honor of the Apostle. Carlo Maderno added three further bays to Michelangelo's single bay Greek Cross starting construction on the 7th of May 1607 under Pope Paul V. The final facade design proved problematic because it was too broad for its height and too heavy in the attic story according to James Lees-Milne.
Michelangelo redesigned the dome in 1547 taking into account all that had gone before, creating an ovoid shape rising steeply like Florence Cathedral's dome. Giacomo della Porta and Domenico Fontana brought the dome to completion in 1590 during the last year of Sixtus V's reign. The dome rises to a total height from floor to top of external cross and has an internal diameter slightly smaller than two of the three other huge domes that preceded it. Four iron chains were installed between the two shells in the mid-18th century when cracks appeared, binding it like rings that keep a barrel from bursting. As many as ten chains have been installed at various times with the earliest possibly planned by Michelangelo himself as a precaution. A fragment of red chalk drawing discovered on the 7th of December 2007 shows a small precisely drafted section of the entablature above two radial columns of the cupola drum. The profile of the wooden model is more ovoid than engravings but less so than the finished product suggesting Michelangelo may have reverted to the pointed shape on his deathbed. Helen Gardner suggests Michelangelo made the change to establish balance between dynamic vertical elements and a static dome.
Gian Lorenzo Bernini received patronage from Pope Urban VIII in 1626 and worked on the basilica for fifty years until his death in 1680 at age eighty-two. His first major work was the baldacchino, a pavilion-like structure tall and claimed to be the largest piece of bronze in the world standing beneath the dome. The design took inspiration from eight ancient columns that had formed part of a screen in the old basilica with twisted barley-sugar shapes modeled on those of the Temple of Jerusalem. Four huge columns of bronze were created decorated with laurel leaves and bees which were the emblem of Pope Urban. In 1666 the Cathedra Petri or throne of Saint Peter was enshrined in its new home with great celebration. A large bronze throne houses the chair raised high on four looping supports held by massive bronze statues of Doctors of the Church. Behind and above the cathedra, a blaze of light comes through a window of yellow alabaster illuminating the Dove of the Holy Spirit. Andrea Sacchi urged Bernini to make figures large so they would be seen well from the central portal of the nave.
The present arrangement of St. Peter's Square constructed between 1656 and 1667 is the Baroque inspiration of Bernini who inherited an Egyptian obelisk centrally placed to Maderno's facade. The obelisk known as The Witness stands at height including base and cross, making it the second largest standing obelisk since removal from Egypt in 37 AD. On the 28th of September 1586, Pope Sixtus V ordered the obelisk moved to its present location engineered by Domenico Fontana in an operation nearly ending in disaster when ropes began smoking from friction. Benedetto Bresca, a sailor of Sanremo, noticed the problem and his town was granted privilege of providing palms used at the basilica each Palm Sunday. Bernini created a piazza in two sections with the part nearest the basilica being trapezoid but rather than fanning out from the facade, it narrows. The second section is a huge elliptical circus gently sloping downwards to the obelisk at its center framed by colonnade formed by doubled pairs of columns supporting Tuscan Order entablature. The approach to the square used to be through jumble of old buildings adding element of surprise upon passing through colonnade before Mussolini built Via della Conciliazione after Lateran Treaties.
A major promoter of funding methods for rebuilding St. Peter's Basilica was Albrecht, Archbishop of Mainz and Magdeburg who had to clear debts owed to Roman Curia by contributing considerable sum toward program. To facilitate this he appointed German Dominican preacher Johann Tetzel whose salesmanship provoked scandal leading to Protestant Reformation. Albrecht obtained permission from Pope Leo X to conduct sale of special plenary indulgence where half proceeds were claimed to pay fees of benefices. Tetzel became salesman whose product caused scandal in Germany that evolved into greatest crisis in history of Western church between 1503 and 1510. This method employed granting of indulgences in return for contributions to finance building of basilica created financial burden on faithful while enriching Church officials. The controversy surrounding these sales directly contributed to Martin Luther posting his Ninety-five Theses in 1517 challenging Church authority and practices regarding salvation and forgiveness.
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Common questions
When did Pope Julius II lay the foundation stone for St. Peter's Basilica?
Pope Julius II laid the foundation stone on the 18th of April 1506 to replace the aging Old St. Peter's Basilica that had stood since the fourth century.
Who designed the initial plan for St. Peter's Basilica and what shape was it?
Donato Bramante designed the initial plan as an enormous Greek cross with a dome inspired by the Pantheon where the supporting wall becomes a drum raised high above ground level on four massive piers.
What happened during the relocation of the obelisk at St. Peter's Square in 1586?
On the 28th of September 1586 Pope Sixtus V ordered the obelisk moved to its present location engineered by Domenico Fontana in an operation nearly ending in disaster when ropes began smoking from friction.
How did the sale of indulgences affect the history of Western church between 1503 and 1510?
The controversy surrounding these sales directly contributed to Martin Luther posting his Ninety-five Theses in 1517 challenging Church authority and practices regarding salvation and forgiveness while creating financial burden on faithful.
When was the discovery of Saint Peter's tomb announced to the world?
Pope Pius XII announced the discovery of Saint Peter's tomb on the 23rd of December 1950 during a pre-Christmas radio broadcast to the world after archaeological excavations beginning in 1939 revealed fragments of bones folded in tissue with gold decorations tinted murex purple beneath the current basilica's high altar.