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St Peter's Basilica
Bramante was the first, and he also started the ruthless destruction of the old church. The new one he planned in the form of a Greek cross, but both Julius II and Bramante died after a few years, and owing to the political and economic situation of the papacy, the gigantic undertaking didn't make much progress until the 71 year old Michelangelo, in 1546, was named architect in chief by Pope Paul III. Michelangelo's final project was altered by Delia Porta, who completed the dome, and Carlo Maderno, who added the nave and the facade, and at Pope Paul V's command, changed the church into the form of a Latin cross. The new Basilica was consecrated on November 18th, 1626. Through the great central portal, under the Loggia of Benediction, from which the newly elected Pope gives his blessing, we enter the portico with the five doors of the church. The central bronze one was made for the old St. Peter's in 1445 by Filarete from Florence. (If you go to Florence you may compare this with Ghiberti's, made at about the same time.) At the extreme right is the Holy Door which is only opened every 25 years for the Jubilee Year. When you are finally inside St. Peter's, you cannot at first sight appreciate its magnitude, for your sense of proportion is deceived by the scale of the various parts; you are more and more over whelmed as you proceed and compare with life size. A few figures are in any case eloquent; the length including the portico is 690 feet; the vault is 144 ft.; at the far end of the central nave, the dove of the Holy Spirit has a wingspan of five feet. The Church has a standing capacity of 60,000 people. Another idea of its size is given by the brass tablets, on the floor of the central nave, with the comparative length of the greatest cathedrals in the world; second largest is St. Paul's in London. We begin our tour of the Church with the Chapel of the Pieta, where the finest sculpture of the whole church is kept. The Pieta (the Pity) by Michelangelo, which he made when he was only 24, represents the sorrow of the Madonna holding Her dead Son and Her acceptance of the will of God. It is the masterpiece of Michelangelo's youth, still under the influence of Florentine sculpture, and is the only statue he ever signed. His name is to be found on the sash across the Madonna's breast (as Michelangelo heard some admirers attributing his work to another artist). The chapel of the Pieta was originally dedicated to the Crucifixion; on the empty cross we read the four letters (INRI), standing for lesus Nazarenus Rex ludeorum (Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews), the inscription put on the Cross to deride Christ. On the ceiling above the Pieta is the only fresco painting in the church, the Triumph of the Cross by Lanfranco, XVII century. All that appears to be painting in St. Peter's is in fact mosaic work, made in the mosaic studio of the Vatican. This is the only place in the world where a painting can be reproduced in mosaic with perfect exactness. They use mainly composition stone. Continuing along the right aisle and immediately on the right is the Chapel of the Crucifix, containing a XII century crucifix, ascribed to Cavallini, and the lift, used by the Pope to enter the church during special ceremonies, or for the weekly public audience on Wednesdays. Opposite the chapel of the Crucifix is the memorial to Christina of Sweden by C. Fontana, one of the few women buried in St. Peter's. She abdicated and converted to Catholicism, which her father, Gustavus Adolphus, had fought against during the Thirty Years War and she came to Rome in 1655. Her grave is in the crypt underneath the church. In the next chapel is a large mosaic reproduction of the Martyrdom of St. Sebastian; the original painting is by Domenichino, XVII century. In an open glass casket in the altar lies the body of Blessed Innocent XI, who lived in the seventeenth century, his face and his hands are covered with silver. (The title of "Beatus", or "Blessed" is given prior to the declaration of Sainthood). On the left of it is the fine bronze statue of Pope Pius XII by Messina, 1964. In the same aisle is the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, a splendid one; above the altar is the gilded bronze pyx by Bernini, who was inspired by the Tempietto di Bramante in the Church of St. Peter's in Montorio. Behind the altar is the only oil painting in the church, the Trinity by Pietro da Cortona. Beyond the chapel, on the right, is the monument to Pope Gregory XIII, by Rusconi, XVII century, the pope who reformed the old Roman Julian Calendar. There is a relief recalling this event whilich took place in 1582. As we have now reached the end of the aisle, we return to the central nave and we find ourselves in the part of the Basilica built by Michelangelo. He had planned the church in the form of a Greek Cross, the embodiment of the symbol of the Cross, while the immense dome suggests the idea of the sky being inseparable from the Cross. Almost fifty years after Michelangelo had carved the Pieta, for the old St. Peter's, he most reluctantly took in hand his greatest architectural work, which was to be the culmination of his extraordinary life. However, he didn't live to see his dome completed; at the time of his death he had raised it to the height of the drum. Although the alterations and changes by Della Porta and Maderno obscured Michelangelo's original plan, we can still say that this is his greatest work as an architect. Proceeding to the High Altar, on the right and against one of the four immense piers supporting the dome, is the noble statue in bronze of St. Peter enthroned. This is the work of the 13th century Florentine sculptor, Arnolfo di Cambio. (The feet of the statue have been kissed smooth by the faithful). When you stand beneath the vastness of the dome, you see how everything else is dwarfed in sight, even the bronze canopy by Bernini which has the height of a five storey building. We'll note, for instance, that St. Mark's pen, in one of the roundels of the pendentives, is five feet. Beneath the roundels with the mosaic pictures of the four Evangelists are the balconies, decorated with the spiral columns from the canopy of the old St. Peter's, which gave Bernini his idea for the bronze canopy. At Easter the chief relics are exposed from these balconies. They are: the fragment of the Sacred Lance, with which St. Longinus pierced the side of Christ while He was hanging on the Cross, the statue of this Saint, by Bernini, at the base of the pier behind St. Peter's bronze statue; the skull of St. Andrew and his statue in the pier which St. Peter faces; in the other two are the relics of the Cross and Veronica's veil with the statues of St. Helena and St. Veronica. Underneath the dome and Bernini's canopy, is the main altar, at which only the Pope has the privilege of celebrating Mass, facing the congregation and the rising sun, for the church is orientated facing East like the other major Basilicas, except St. Paul's Outside the Walls. In front of the altar is the lowered part known as The Confession, where there is the Kneeling statue of Pope Pius VI by Canova. Directly beneath the main altar, closed by a gilded grill, is the Niche of the Pallia, built in the sixth century, where the Pallium, a long strip like vestment worn by archbishops during special ceremonies, was placed before being bestowed on the newlyappointed archbishop.
Crossing the basilica, we traverse the left transept, noting on the right the monument of Alexander VII by Bernini, which was made when he was almost eighty years old, the last work of this indefatigable genius. Then we come to the Clementina Chapel where there is the monument of Pius VIT by the Danish sculptor Thorvaldsen, the only monument in the church by a non catholic artist. by Raphael, his last work which he left unfinished, and which was completed by Giulio Romano, his disciple. The original is in the Pinacoteca, the Vatican picture gallery. Entering the left aisle on the right is the monument to the pope who only reigned .24 days, Leo XI Medici, by Algardi, XVII century. A reference to his very short reign are the roses on the plinth and the words Sic Floruit. In correspondence to the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament in the right aisle, closed by the heavy padded leather curtain, is the Chapel of the Choir, where the choir of the Julian Chapel sings on Sundays during High Mass. Built into one of the piers on the left is the only papal monument transferred here from the Old St. Peter's, the fine tomb of Pope Innocent VIII by Pollaiolo, dating from the end of the XV century. On a dark plaque of marble at the base of the monument, we read that this Pope witnessed the discovery of the New World. That is incorrect because Pope Innocent VIII died on July 25th, 1492 and Columbus did not sail from Spain until August 3rd. This is, in any case, the first reference to America in St. Peter's. Facing the monument of Innocent VIII is the statue of St. Pius X, the last pope declared a saint, who is buried in the altar of the next chapel in an open glass casket. Built into the next pier on the left is the monument to the last members of the Royal House of Stuart, by Canova: James III (the Old Pretender), Bonnie Prince Charlie, and Henry, Dean of the Cardinals. The reversed torches of the two winged genii allude to the tragedy of this family. Opposite the Stuart monument is the entrance to the dome. Above the door is a mosaic portrait of Clementina Sobieska, the Old Pretender's wife. The Baptistry is the last chapel, which has, a porphyry font, believed to be the cover of Hadrian's sarcophagus in Castel SantAngelo. Next we look at the back of the modern bronze door by Giacomo Manzu. This door is mainly dedicated to the Death of Christ and the Death of the Virgin, but on its back is a relief commemorating the Vatican Second Ecumenical Council and Pope John XXIII conversing with Cardinal Rugambwa of Tangartyka. Having completed the tour of the basilica we go out overwhelmed by its stupendous size, and it must be admitted that St. Peter's appears to be overwhelming. We can also understand that Gothic minded people will find the splendour of gold, mosaics and marble a bit oppressive. Maybe others will be disappointed to find that this church lacks a sense of Christian humility and simplicity but it must be borne in mind that St. Peter's is the greatest monument to St. Peter and to Christianity. It also is the greatest ceremonial church, and if you are ever fortunate enough to be present in the basilica on one of the great occasions when the Pope is there, you'll see that it really comes into its own. St. Peter's represents the Church Triumphant.
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Beyond the canopy is the part of the church used for the most important ceremonies, such as canonizations, beatifications, coronations of the new popes etc. At the end of the nave are two rather conspicuous works by Bernini: the bronze container of the Cattedra, the Bishop's chair, held by four Church Fathers: St. Ambrose and St. Augustine in front representing the Latin Church, St. Athanasius and St. John Chrysostom, representing the Greek Church; above the Cattedra is the Glory of the Holy Spirit. The other, on the right of the Cattedra, is the monument to Pope Urban VIII.
Before entering the left aisle, immediately on the left, is a mosaic reproduction of the Transfiguration The monument on the left of the Cattedra, of Paul III, is by Guglielmo della Porta. These are two of the finest papal monuments in the church. Encased in Bernini's bronze throne is a wooden chair with ivory ornamentation which according to tradition was the one used by St. Peter. A recent examination of the chair proved this to be the one donated to Pope John VII in 875, by the Carolingian King Charles 11 the Bald, when he was crowned in St. Peter's on Dec. 25th of that year. It dates from the ninth century.
