What is the history and architecture of St. Peter's Basilica?

St. Peter's Basilica is an Italian Renaissance church located in Vatican City that serves as one of the holiest Catholic shrines. Initially planned in the 15th century by Popes Nicholas V and Julius II to replace the 4th-century Old St. Peter's Basilica built by Constantine the Great, its construction spanned from 1506 to 1626. Designed by renowned masters including Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, and Carlo Maderno, with a piazza and fittings by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, it holds the record as the largest church in the world by interior measure.

What we know

• Construction of the present basilica began on April 18, 1506, and was completed on November 18, 1626, replacing an ageing building initially constructed in the fourth century by Roman emperor Constantine the Great. [2, 3]
• The basilica was designed principally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, and Carlo Maderno, with piazza and fittings by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. [2]
• Catholic tradition holds that the basilica is the burial site of Saint Peter, whose tomb is located directly below the high altar. [2]
• St. Peter's Basilica is the largest church in the world by interior measure. [2]

Where to go next

• whenWhat was Old St. Peter's Basilica?
• how it workedHow does St. Peter's Square complement the basilica?
• compared withWhich church is the mother church of the Catholic Church?
• whoWhat role did Michelangelo play in Renaissance architecture?
• the bigger pictureWhat are the four major papal basilicas in Rome?
• an unexpected connectionHow does an ancient Egyptian monument stand in St. Peter's Square?An ancient Egyptian obelisk stands at the center of St. Peter's Square, having been erected at its current site in 1586 long before Bernini designed the surrounding colonnades.

Sources

• [1]St. Peter's Basilica (Wikidata Q12512) · CC0 1.0
• [2]St. Peter's Basilica · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Old St. Peter's Basilica · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]List of largest church buildings · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]St. Peter's Square · CC BY-SA 4.0

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