The St. Peter's Catholic Cathedral in the Vatican (Basilica di San Pietro) is the largest building both in the territory of a tiny state and throughout Italy, as well as a treasury of the best Italian masters, because such great masters as Rafael and Bramante worked on the construction and painting of the cathedral , Michelangelo, Bernini. The cathedral was built on the Vatican Hill, where in ancient times vineyards were grown and clay was mined.
Why Peter?
St. Peter's Basilica is so named for a reason: it is believed that the very first altar was erected over the grave of the Apostle Peter. The altar has its own peculiarity - it is not facing the east, as is customary in the construction of Christian churches, but to the west. Now under the altar, in the crypt, is the grave of Pope John Paul II.
Century-long history of construction
The modern look of the basilica was not designed immediately. Initially, only one small cathedral was built, and several centuries later another was added to it. But then it was decided to build a cathedral on this site that would overshadow both pagan temples and Christian churches, developing and strengthening the papal state, as well as spreading the influence of Catholicism. But the architects, replacing each other, made their changes to the concept of the cathedral, giving preference to Greek symbols, then Latin. As a result, St. Peter's Cathedral was being completed, modified and now its total length is 211.6 meters, it covers an area of approximately 22,100 square meters and more than 50,000 people are accommodated in it. It houses eleven chapels and forty-five altars. This is a huge cathedral, inside which the largest cathedrals and basilicas of Europe could fit, for such a comparison there are special markers on the floor of the cathedral showing the size of a particular cathedral. More than this basilica, there is only the cathedral in Côte d'Ivoire, which was already built according to the final design of St. Peter Cathedral.
Treasure chest of art
St. Peter's Basilica is rich in works of art: numerous mosaics and stained-glass windows, paintings and murals, sculptures, and precious relics of Christianity. In front of the entrance to the cathedral are the figures of the apostles Peter and Paul, and in the upper part of the doors are large figures of Christ and the Virgin Mary sitting on the throne.
Upon entering the cathedral, a glance immediately falls on its huge dome, whose diameter is 42 meters and its height is 120 meters. In Italy, it is customary to call it “cupollone” - “cupola”. Inside, it is decorated with mosaics with inscriptions in Latin and Ancient Greek, and in its niches are statues of Saints Matthew with an angel, Mark with a lion, Luke with an ox and John with an eagle, created for biblical motifs that are honored by the entire Vatican. St. Peter's Basilica impresses with its numerous sculptures. The most important statue is the statue of St. Peter, dating from the 13th century. Miraculous properties are attributed to her, so all visitors put their lips to the feet of the apostle, who have already turned white from frequent touches. The cathedral houses numerous chapels with the graves of kings, emperors and popes. Here is the famous marble "Pieta" by Michelangelo.
St. Peter's Basilica has preserved the most ancient rediquids: the spear of the centurion Longinus, with whom Christ was pierced on the cross, and the wooden crucifix attributed to the painter Pietro Cavallini from about the XIII - XIV centuries.
Also in the cathedral you can climb to the observation deck, located on the top of the dome, on foot or by elevator. A sightseeing tour will take about an hour.
Square near the cathedral
On the square di San Pietro, which is considered a great work of urban planning because of the convenience of its location, there is an obelisk from Heliopolis, established in honor of the fact that the gardens of the circus of Nero once grew up on this place, where the first Christians died with martyrdom, and then the apostle was crucified Peter. Around the obelisk, a circle is "outlined" - a kind of Colosseum, where many people always walk.