Popes And One Hundred Years: The Construction Of St. Peter's Basilica
Seventeen Popes and One Hundred Years:
The Construction of St. Peter’s Basilica
Megan Malone
Since 64 CE, Rome has been a center for the Christian church. St. Peter, believed by many to have special authority given by Christ, was martyred and buried there. From then on, Rome has held religious significance, for the Christian church. His death and burial were memorialized by the construction of churches. Most significant of these buildings, St. Peter’s Basilica, is found in modern day Vatican City. The Roman Emperor Constantine built the original basilica in the fourth century. Twelve hundred years after Constantine, the papacy demolished and entirely rebuilt the church. The construction of St. Peter’s …show more content…
Peter’s Basilica was not finished until 1590 by Giacomo della Porta. He kept Michelangelo’s basic design, but gave the dome a taller profile. After its completion, the basilica saw many further alterations. During the Counter-Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church placed an emphasis on congregational worship. In 1606, Pope Paul V hired Carlo Moderno to adjust the current structure to accommodate larger processions and congregations. Moderno chose to extend the nave, transforming the building into the Latin cross plan; causing it to resemble the Old St. Peter’s. He also gave the building a new façade, completing the current basilica. Gianlorenzo Bernini made the final addition to the structure. Bernini worked on statues for the decoration of the dome until 1657 when he began his construction of the Piazza San Pietro, or, St. Peter’s Square. Designed to exemplify the magnificence of St. Peter’s Basilica, this tremendous elliptical space further portrayed the humanist ideals of the High Renaissance. The great colonnade was “like a huge set of arms extended to embrace the faithful as they approach the principal church of Western Christendom.”2 This space allowed for greater numbers of people to gather near the church, and it perfectly accentuated the grandeur of the previous architect’s …show more content…
Peter’s Basilica, but it was well worth the wait. Lord Byron once visited the church, and its splendor so struck him that he wrote several poems discussing it. Canto IV of Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage holds the following work:
“Then pause, and be enlighten 'd; there is
The Construction of St. Peter’s Basilica
Megan Malone
Since 64 CE, Rome has been a center for the Christian church. St. Peter, believed by many to have special authority given by Christ, was martyred and buried there. From then on, Rome has held religious significance, for the Christian church. His death and burial were memorialized by the construction of churches. Most significant of these buildings, St. Peter’s Basilica, is found in modern day Vatican City. The Roman Emperor Constantine built the original basilica in the fourth century. Twelve hundred years after Constantine, the papacy demolished and entirely rebuilt the church. The construction of St. Peter’s …show more content…
Peter’s Basilica was not finished until 1590 by Giacomo della Porta. He kept Michelangelo’s basic design, but gave the dome a taller profile. After its completion, the basilica saw many further alterations. During the Counter-Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church placed an emphasis on congregational worship. In 1606, Pope Paul V hired Carlo Moderno to adjust the current structure to accommodate larger processions and congregations. Moderno chose to extend the nave, transforming the building into the Latin cross plan; causing it to resemble the Old St. Peter’s. He also gave the building a new façade, completing the current basilica. Gianlorenzo Bernini made the final addition to the structure. Bernini worked on statues for the decoration of the dome until 1657 when he began his construction of the Piazza San Pietro, or, St. Peter’s Square. Designed to exemplify the magnificence of St. Peter’s Basilica, this tremendous elliptical space further portrayed the humanist ideals of the High Renaissance. The great colonnade was “like a huge set of arms extended to embrace the faithful as they approach the principal church of Western Christendom.”2 This space allowed for greater numbers of people to gather near the church, and it perfectly accentuated the grandeur of the previous architect’s …show more content…
Peter’s Basilica, but it was well worth the wait. Lord Byron once visited the church, and its splendor so struck him that he wrote several poems discussing it. Canto IV of Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage holds the following work:
“Then pause, and be enlighten 'd; there is