1. Jeanne Rose C. Regala
BSED – 2F

2. ST. PETER’S
BASILICA

3. TABLES OF CONTENTS
Slides
Number
Meaning of St. Peter 03
History of St. Peter Basilica 04
Parts of St. Peter Basilica 06
Exterior Part 11
Right Aisle and Right Transept 13
Left Transept and Left Aisle 16
Four Piers 19
Pictures in St. Peter 20
Bibliography 26

4. *Italian: San Pietro in Vaticano
*It remains one of the holiest sites
* The largest church ever built
* It is the major basilica in Vatican City
* an enclave of Rome

5. 1st Century AD
- hosted the Circus of Nero
- St. Peter was martyred in the Circus
- Emperor Constantine began construction on a
Great basilica
- shrine of St. Peter is still the central focus

6. Mid 15th Century
- the old basilica should be rebuilt
- Pope Nicholas V asked architect Bernardo
Rossellino to start adding to the old church
- late 15th century Pope Sixtus IV had the Sistine Chapel
- Construction on the current building began under
Pope Julius II in 1506
- was completed in 1615 under Pope Paul V
Donato Bramante was to be the first chief architect.
- Michelangelo, who served as main architect for a
while,
designed the dome.
- Bernini designed the great St. Peter's Square

7. St. Peter's Square (Piazza San Pietro)
- designed by Bernini and built between 1656 and 1667.
- Two beautiful FOUNTAIN in the square.
* the south/left one by Carlo Maderno (1613)
* northern/right one by Bernini (1675)
- center of the square is a 25.5-meter-tall OBELISK.
- The square is outlined by a monumental colonnade by Bernini.

9. Two of the Beautiful Fountain

12. EXTERIOR
- The Dome of St. Peter's was designed by Michelangelo
- Dome was vaulted between 1585 and 1590
* by the architect Giacomo della Porta
* assistance of Domenico Fontana
- Fontana built the lantern the following year, and the
ball was placed in 1593.
Great Double Dome
- made of brick
- 42.3 metres in interior diameter - rising to 120 metres above the
(almost as large as the Pantheon) floor

13. Globe
Lantern
Lantern
Oculi Bowl
Bowl
Attic
Attic
Tambour
Tambour
Dome

14. Right Aisle and Right Transept
- first major sight is Michelangelo's beautiful Pietà
* Located in the right entrance
- Up the aisle is the monument of Queen Christina of Sweden
-Halfway to the transept is the large Chapel of the Blessed
Sacrament
Right Transept - contains three Right Aisle
altars.
- St Wenceslas - It runs Pier of St. Longinus is
- St. Processo the body of Pope John XXIII,
- St. Martiniano displayed in a glass case
beneath the Altar of St. Jerome.

15. Queen Christina of
Sweden

16. CHAPEL OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

17. LEFT TRANSEPT AND LEFT AISLE
LEFT AISLE
- west of the transept, is the Chapel of the Column
- On its south side is the Altar of Our Lady of the
Column
LEFT TRANSEPT
- is the monument to Pope Alexander (Chigi) VII
-It contains the altars of St. Peter's Crucifixion, St. Joseph (pictured at right)
and St. Thomas.

18. Altar of Our Lady of the Column

19. - St Helena, Constantine's mother
-St Longinus, spear in the side of Christ at the crucifixion
-St Andrew, diagonal cross upon which he was martyred
-St Veronica, veil Christ used to wipe his face on the way to Calvary

20. PICTURES IN ST. PETER’S BASILICA
St. Peter's in 1630. St. Peter’s in 2012 night view
Note: The bell towers, which no longer exist.

21. Michelangelo's dome
high above the
baldacchino.

22. CATHEDRA (THRONE)
OF ST. PETER BY
BERNINI AT THE WEST
END OF THE BASILICA.

23. TOMB OF POPE JOHN PAUL II IN THE CRYPT.

24. STATUE OF ST. VERONICA
WITH HER VEIL ONE ONE
OF THE FOUR PIERS

25. STATUE OF ST. PETER IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH

26. BIBLIOGRAPHY