The Church of St. Peter in Rome is considered the largest church in the world with sacred significance for Christianity. The luxurious decoration of the cathedral's decoration is a tribute to the Apostle Peter, whose ashes rest in the church. The cathedral consists of numerous chapels decorated with sculptures and religious relics.
In the 1st century AD Nero was the emperor of the Roman state. His reign was marked by a high growth of the economy and the well-being of citizens, as well as the manifestation of a cruel disposition. In Rome, new residential areas of the plebeians, luxurious palaces for aristocrats, baths and circuses were erected. There was only an untouched piece of land on a high hill on the other side of the Tiber. The place was used to carry out executions of people convicted according to the laws of ancient Rome.
In 64, Rome was engulfed in a devastating fire. Nero accused Christians of this, whom he subjected to terrible persecution. At this time, the capital of the great empire is visited by a certain wanderer from the Judean province, who bore the name of Simon. He was a disciple of Jesus, from whom he received the nickname "stone" (in Greek - petros). They began to call him Peter. The follower of Christ was accused of preaching a new faith, for which the Roman authorities sentenced the apostle to crucifixion upside down. The convict was executed at the top of the hill, where the body was buried. Subsequently, Christians erected a memorial wall at the burial site.
In the IV century, Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity. A small basilica was laid over the grave of Peter. In 1500, the Temple of Constantine was demolished due to the dilapidated walls. Pope Julius II undertook the construction of a new basilica. Donato Bramante was appointed as the architect. According to his project, it was supposed to erect a grandiose building topped with a massive dome. The premature death of the architect halted construction. Subsequent architects were unable to finally determine the appearance of the cathedral.
In 1546, the construction of the basilica was led by Michelangelo, who wanted to implement Bramante's idea. The temple should be represented as a Greek equilateral cross. The entire structure of the cathedral from the foot to the top of the dome must rest on a high drum, which is surrounded by slender columns. The coming Baroque era left its mark on the architecture of the temple. A wide space was required to accommodate a large crowd of believers. It was decided to lengthen the nave of the basilica and add several chapels. In 1626, Pope Urban VIII solemnly consecrated St. Peter's Cathedral.
Description and architecture
An elliptical square, bordered by graceful sixteen-meter columns, leads to St. Peter's Basilica. In its central part there is an obelisk with a height of 240 meters. The grandiose size of the temple is also impressive. Its length is 211 meters, and the height of the dome is 136 meters. The cathedral can accommodate 60 thousand people. The central element of the structure of the church is a dome with a cross at the top. This massive piece of architectural art is considered a symbol of the Vatican. The dome with sixteen ribs rests on a massive drum decorated with Corinthian columns. Sixteen windows are located in the hemisphere.
The facade of the cathedral, built in the 17th century by the architect Karl Moderna, is decorated with pilasters and consists of two tiers with an attic. In the lower part there are five bronze gates, the panels of which are decorated with images of Old Testament subjects. Each portal has its own name: the Gates of Good and Evil, Death, Mysteries, Filaret and the Holy Gates. Nine windows are visible above them, three of which have balconies. The attic is bordered by a balustrade and crowned with huge five-meter statues of Christ and the Apostles. On the sides of the facade there are sculptures of Saints Peter and Paul. Peter holds in his hands the keys to the Kingdom in Heaven, given to him by the Lord. The Apostle Paul holds a drawn sword in his hands.
Interior
The halls of the cathedral are striking in their rich decoration and enormous size. The walls and ceilings are decorated with bas-reliefs and sculptures. Twenty-meter arched vaults lead to numerous chapels and precious church relics. The cathedral is the burial place of the Popes, whose tombs are located along the naves. One of the masterpieces, located in St. Peter's Basilica, is Michelangelo's sculptural work - Pieta. The master depicted the Virgin Mary weeping over the body of Christ. The woman is holding Jesus on her knees. The artist emphasized the inextricable unity of mother and son. A sculptor carved figures from one block of marble. The sculpture is protected by bulletproof glass.
In the niches of the huge pilasters under the dome are statues reminiscent of the torment of Christ. There Saint Longinus can be seen holding the spear with which he pierced Jesus' chest. Nearby, St. Veronica shows a scarf with the image of the face of Christ. Saint Helena stands nearby with a massive cross. The inner surface of the dome is decorated with images of the apostles with their symbols: Mark with a lion, John with an eagle, Matthew with an angel, Luke with an ox.
On the frieze, a gilded Latin phrase says about Christ's parting words to his disciple Peter. The bronze statue of Saint Peter, seated on a throne, is a highly revered sculpture for the parishioners. The apostle holds a key in his left hand, and his right hand is raised in a gesture of blessing. Peter's foot is slightly pushed forward at the base of the pedestal so that believers passing by can kiss her.
The cathedral houses the magnificent mausoleums of the sculptor Bernini, which are framed by columns and relief ornaments. One of the tombstones is dedicated to Pope Urban VIII, whose sculpture is shown with his right hand raised up. The master created the second tomb for Pope Alexander VII. His sculptural image is praying, surrounded by allegorical statues of young maidens, symbolizing truth, justice, mercy and prudence. The colorful altar of the Transfiguration of Christ makes an indelible impression. It consists of a magnificent panel based on the famous work of Raphael Santi. The painting depicts Jesus ascending upward, surrounded by his disciples.
In the depths of the apse of the temple, there is a giant storage facility built for valuable relics. A complex sculptural composition can be seen here. It is a wooden lectern with an old chair literally hovering over it. According to legend, the apostle Peter sat on it during his sermon. The throne is surrounded by statues of theologians - teachers of the Latin and Greek churches. Above the pulpit is visible the dove of the Holy Spirit, surrounded by angels against the background of clouds and sunbeams.
The relics of Pope Leo I the Great rest in one of the cathedral's chapels. Above the shrine, there is a relief image of white marble. The panel describes the legendary scene, how Pope Leo, coming out to meet the army of the Huns, with only one cross in his hands, turned the barbarians into a stampede. The chapel of St. Sebastian deserves special attention. Here is a painting framed by marble pilasters. The panel was made according to the sketches of the famous painter Dominichino. The work describes the martyrdom of the Roman legionary Sebastian, who was accused of practicing Christianity.
Confessional (tomb) of St. Peter
The main value of the cathedral is the tomb of the great martyr Peter. In the center of the temple there is an altar with inextinguishable lamps. Below it is the tomb of the apostle, to which two semicircular marble staircases lead. They descend to the level of the ancient Constantine Basilica, which previously stood on this site. In 1939, archaeological excavations began here, initiated by Pope Pius XII. During the research, a necropolis was discovered, in which the remains of the body of the Apostle Peter were found. Now they are kept in a tomb called the "Confessional of St. Peter". The altar is decorated with a canopy made by the sculptor Bernini in 1624. It is installed on four twisted bronze columns, which are 29 meters high. At the top of the structure there are sculptures of angels.
Where is it and how to get there
St. Peter's Basilica is located on the eponymous square in the Vatican. It can be reached by metro (Ottaviano station). There is a bus and tram stop a few meters from the square.
St. Peter's Basilica in Rome on the map
It is called “the heart of the Vatican” and the “White Pearl”. Today the Cathedral is the main residence of the Pope, one of the main Catholic churches in the world. The dimensions of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome are simply amazing - a huge white dome under the blue sky of Rome ...
Construction history, architectural style, photo
At the place where the Basilica di San Pietro stands today, at the time of ancient Rome was the Circus of Nero- a place of cruel and bloody fun. The imperious emperor thirsted for spectacles. In the circus arena, fierce battles of gladiators took place, and during the persecution of Christians, sometimes the emperor put one of them against the gladiator.
Such battles did not last long, and Christians died a martyr's death, torn to pieces by a gladiator's sword or animal claws ... The Apostle Peter was once brought to one of these battles.... After the competition, Nero ordered to crucify him, but Peter asked about the only thing - not to compare him with the execution of Christ. Nero agreed, but fulfilled this request in a peculiar way - Peter was still crucified, but - upside down.
There was no information about the place of burial for a long time, until one day in the documents of one lawyer in 160 they found a mention of a monument over the grave of Peter. Peter was buried here, at the "circus" cemetery, where the nameless victims of gladiatorial battles were buried.
The persecution of Christians stopped only after almost a century and a half, under the Emperor Constantine. The emperor issued a decree to build a basilica on the site of Peter's burial in honor of the first Christians who suffered for the faith, and to name it after the apostle. The first altar of the basilica was erected in 313, right at the burial place of Peter. After the completion of construction (in 326), the Basilica di San Pietro became a place of pilgrimage for all Christians who came here to honor the memory of the martyrs.
Until 800, the coronation of all newly elected pontiffs to the papacy took place here. until in 846, after a Saracen raid, the basilica was plundered. Rumors reached the Saracens that in any of the temples of Rome you can profit from very valuable items, so almost all the temples were plundered.
Peter's Basilica has undergone several reconstructions since the sack, but still, by the 15th century, its appearance was already very deplorable. Therefore, Pope Nicholas ordered to significantly expand and strengthen the basilica, which was begun in 1452. However, due to the death of the pontiff, the work was suspended.
Pope Julius II approached the issue more globally: he ordered to demolish the basilica and build a large cathedral in its place, which would be the most magnificent of all known at that time.
Almost all famous architects of that time were involved in the design of the Basilica di San Pietro. The project of Donato Bramante was approved, and in 1506 the work began to boil... Since after the death of Bramante, Raphael Santi began to supervise the construction of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, the shape and plan of the building changed slightly: instead of a Greek cross with equal sides, he returned to the traditional forms of Latin - with a fourth elongated side.
The architects who worked on the project after Raphael strove for various forms of the temple - now a basilica, now a centric structure. The discrepancy between the forms continued until Michelangelo Buonarotti (1546) got down to business.
He strengthened the foundation of the building, making it very strong., and made the central dome idea the main theme. At the edges, Michelangelo erected a multi-column portico and the base of the central dome of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, but Giacomo de Porta was finishing its construction.
By the way, Michelangelo refused to work on the project of the patriarchal basilica for a very long time, and claimed that he was an artist, not an architect, but it was with the participation of Buonarotti that work on the construction of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome advanced much further than with all his predecessors. The walls and the roof were erected almost from scratch, and work began on the dome.
At the beginning of the 17th century, the central part was enlarged thus the idea of the Latin cross was preserved. The architect Karl Moderna added an extension to the basilica and the façade from the west. Unfortunately, after the last extensions, the dome is clearly visible only from one side - from Via Della Conchillacione.
For everyone to be able to attend festive events or services, a large area was required.
This idea was brilliantly implemented by Giovanni Bernini, who designed the main square in the Vatican in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, as well as the famous rounded colonnade that flanks the square. An obelisk was erected on the square in 1562, brought to Rome from Egypt by the Roman emperor Caligula in the 1st century.
The end of construction dates back to November 1626, when Pope Urban VIII officially opened the Cathedral and began the service.
On the pages of our site you will learn about one more sight of Rome -! What are the ancient baths famous for and why do they attract tourists so much?
Description of the attraction
As conceived by the architects, St. Peter's Basilica in Rome is a cross, which is crowned by a huge dome; its height is 138 meters, and it is considered the largest dome in the world. In Rome, it was not allowed to build temples higher than St. Peter's Basilica. Its height reached 136 meters, and it was 211.5 meters wide. Until 1990, the Cathedral held the title of the highest temple complex in the world, until the basilica was built in Yamoussoukro (Cote d'Ivoire).
Inside, the dome is decorated with figures of four evangelists with animals who surrounded the throne of God - Mark and the lion, John and the eagle, Luke and the ox. And only Matthew is depicted with an angel. Along the inner circle of the dome is an inscription in Latin: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church” (Gospel of Matthew; 16:18).
There are as many as five entrances to the Basilica di San Pietro: the Gates of Death, the Gates of Filaret, the Gates of the Mysteries, the Gates of Good and Evil and the Holy Gates. Through the Gate of Death, the Vatican sees off the deceased pontiffs on their last journey.
Holy gates open only in the jubilee (Holy) year that happens every 25 years. In the year of the jubilee, on Christmas Day, the Pope breaks the concrete masonry at the door, where the cross and the box with the key from the Cathedral door are embedded. These gates are also called the Gates of Indulgence: if you pass through them in the jubilee year, then sins are written off, and a person becomes sinless.
In front of the central entrance to the Cathedral in Rome, there are sculptural figures of the holy apostles Peter and Paul.
The interior decoration of the temple, on which Bernini also worked, is striking in its richness and elegance of decoration.
To the right of the main passage is a sculpture of Peter (13th century), which among the parishioners is considered miraculous, and everyone tries to touch her at least for a moment. Another legendary relic is kept in the Cathedral - the spearhead of the centurion Longinus.
To the right of the central nave is sculptural composition "Pieta" ("Lamentation of Christ") by Michelangelo... From the central nave, two more naves are located on the sides, separated from the main nave by semicircular arches.
Another Bernini masterpiece is the canopy (kevorium), a decorative canopy on the pillars- located directly under the dome of the Cathedral. The canopy is a very impressive construction of bronze, resting on four pillars with angels. The bronze for decoration was taken from the Pantheon, for which the bronze details of the portico were dismantled.
The altar stands in the place of the previous one, only reconstructed and fortified. A special "window" has been made in the floor through which parishioners can see the tomb of St. Peter.
On the lower level of the temple are the Vatican grottoes, tombs of some popes, ancient confessionals, mosaics preserved from the 15th century, as well as the place of confession of Peter - a chapel with marble decoration.
Opening hours, ticket prices
Opening hours of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome daily, from 9 to 19 hours(from October to March - from 9 am to 6 pm). The exception is Wednesday morning - every Wednesday morning the Cathedral is closed due to the papal receptions taking place there.
I got my first knowledge of the Vatican from the lessons of geography. I remember it as the smallest state, and also because it is located on the territory of the Italian capital. The symbol of Rome is rightfully considered, well, and the center of the Vatican, no doubt, is St. Peter's Basilica.
The dome of the most important Catholic church in the world rises above the city and is visible from many points of Rome. There are always many pilgrims and ordinary tourists here. But, due to its scale, neither on the square nor in the Cathedral itself there is a feeling of crowding.
A bit of history
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If you, like me, are a supporter of walking, which is highly desirable in Rome, then you can walk here from other historical sites. For example, from Fontana di Trevi road will take half an hour, and on the way you can once again admire the Castel Sant'Angelo.
It is also no more than 30 minutes on foot from Plaza de España.
However, due to the proximity, I would combine a tour of the Cathedral and a visit to the Vatican Museums. But it is better to allocate a whole day for this, since from an overabundance of beauty, the brain ceases to perceive new beauties. Tickets to museums should be booked online in advance, it will be a little more expensive, but you will avoid a long line and thereby save a couple of hours.
Architectural features of St. Peter's Basilica
The architectural style of the cathedral was determined by the Renaissance and the most eminent baroque masters. In 1506, work began by Donato Bramante, who based the project on his plan for the Temple of Tempietto in Rome. And only in 1626 the cathedral was consecrated by Pope Urban VIII.
Facade of the cathedral
As far as I know, the facade acquired its modern look in the 17th century, the work was carried out by the architect Carlo Maderno. Its width is 118 and its height is 48 meters. On the cornice of the facade there are statues of Christ, John the Baptist and 11 apostles.
Five doors lead to the cathedral: the Door of Death opens only for funeral processions, the Door of Good and Evil, the Door of Filarete, the Door of Sacraments and the Holy Door, which is unfurled every 25 years before Christmas.
Cathedral decoration
The cathedral is 211 meters long, inside it is delimited into three naves. The central one is separated from the lateral arches, and there is an altar with the burial of the Apostle Peter.
Above it, at a height of 29 meters, there is a bronze canopy by Bernini.
Nearby is a bronze figure of Peter. According to legend, if you hold on to his foot, then your plan will come true. By the weariness of the feet, one can understand how often believers kiss them.
Inside the cathedral, there are numerous columns and statues, altars and tombs of pontiffs, which, I believe, are in themselves objects of art performed by Giotto, Bernini, Michelangelo, Thorvaldsen.
In the right nave, attention is drawn to the Lamentation of Christ (Pieta ') sculpture - a masterpiece of young Michelangelo, carved from a single piece of marble. On the ribbon of the Madonna, the inscription reads "Michelangelo - Florentine". Now, after severe injuries at the hands of a maniac in 1972, the sculpture is housed in a bullet-proof glass case.
The cathedral contains the tip of the spear of Longinus, who pierced Christ already on the crucifixion.
Dome
The dome of the cathedral is one of the outstanding works of Michelangelo Buonarotti. It was he who conceived the crown of the cathedral as it is. After his death, Giacomo Della Porta made some changes by stretching slightly. But the main idea - the sixteen-sided base - belongs to Michelangelo.
Visitors are invited to go up to the observation deck to look at Rome and from a height. The outer height of the dome is 133 meters, the inner one is 117 meters, and the inner diameter is 42 meters. On the dome frieze are inscribed the words of Christ: "You are Peter, and on this stone I will build My Church ..."
Cathedral Square
Cathedral Square is another example of Bernini's genius, on which he worked from 1656 to 1667. It resembles an oval in shape, and it seems to me that it embraces everyone who comes here. One hundred and forty statues of saints are crowned with two semicircles, and four rows of columns have two geometric points - white circles next to the obelisk, from where the columns visually line up exactly one after another.
The obelisk, brought from Egypt in the 1st century, still serves as a sundial, thanks to the markings on the ground. There are two identical fountains in the square, one by Bernini.
Opening hours of St. Peter's Basilica
In winter, from October 1 to March 31, the Cathedral is open from 7.00 to 18.30.
In the summer period from April 1 to September 30 from 7.00 to 19.00.
Admission is free for everyone.
According to the information on the official website, the ascent to the dome in winter is open from 8.00 to 17.00, in summer from 8.00 to 18.00. However, in reality, opening hours may vary slightly. Part of the path can be taken by elevator for 8 €, the remaining 320 steps will have to be walked. A complete hike of 551 steps costs 6 €. There are no clothing restrictions for the observation deck, but after descending, you may be asked to leave immediately without visiting the cathedral if the clothes are too open.
Little is known about the resources for the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral and what connects it with St. Petersburg:
Nobody specially mined bronze and marble for the construction and decoration of the cathedral. The necessary material was simply extracted from ancient buildings, including from. The Romans have a saying “What the barbarians did not do, Bernini and Barberini did”.
At the behest of Emperor Paul I, it was the Saint's Cathedral that was the prototype for the creation of the plan for the construction of the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg. Of course, Voronikhin turned out his own project, but the external resemblance is obvious. And every time I pass by, I remember the Basilica di San Pietro.
And finally
In my opinion, the best time to travel to Rome is April and October. Already / still quite comfortable weather for walks and excursions in light clothes, not rainy, much less tourists. And in October, the sea that splashes 30 km from Rome is still quite warm. But no matter what time of year you choose, the vaults of the Cathedral grant coolness in hot summer, shelter from rain and wind in winter, and leave a feeling of peace and greatness in your soul at the same time.
A small state in the territory of Rome. This Catholic cathedral is the largest Christian church in the world.
The square of the cathedral can accommodate about 400,000 people, while inside it can simultaneously accommodate up to 60,000 people. Such masters of their craft as Michelangelo, Carlo Maderna, Vignola, Rafael Santi, Baldassare Peruzzi, Donato Bramante were involved in the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral, that is, there is simply no single author of St. Peter's Basilica. The cathedral turned out to be so incredible precisely because it contained all the thoughts and images of the most talented creators of that time.
The architecture of St. Peter's Cathedral is very beautiful and harmonious, the richness of decorations is amazing. Inside there are many artworks, altars, statues and headstones. There is a work in this cathedral by Michelangelo, made at the age of twenty. This sculpture is called the Lamentation of Christ and is carved from a solid piece of white marble. Michelangelo worked on the sculpture for two years; he depicted the Blessed Virgin Mary with her dead son Jesus on her lap. The sculpture is made in full size and is so realistic that it is hard to believe that it is a cold piece of marble.
Also in the cathedral there is a sculpture of St. Peter himself. It was made in bronze in the 4th century by an unknown sculptor from Syria. There is a very ancient custom associated with this sculpture. For the prayer to be heard, it is enough to touch the statue. Due to the great popularity of this custom, the sculpture of Peter is slightly worn out.
The highest in the world is dome of St. Peter's Basilica- its height is almost 137 meters. The dome is measured from the top of the crowning cross to the floor of the basilica. The dome is almost 42 meters in diameter. The dome offers a stunning view of the city square. But this is not the largest dome in Italy. For example, the diameter of the dome of the Florentine Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is 44 meters, and the diameter of the dome of the ancient Roman Pantheon is 43.3 meters.
In 1590, the construction of the dome was completed. This was the last year of the reign of Sixtus V. It was in his honor that an inscription was made inside the lantern on the dome. The dome was completed by Domenico Fontana and Giacomo Della Porta.
In the middle of the 18th century, the first cracks appeared on the dome of St. Peter's Cathedral. It was fastened with four metal chains. They crimp the structure and are bonded between the shells of the dome.
St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican is a true masterpiece of art and the most popular destination for tourists and pilgrims who come from the farthest corners of our planet.
St. Peter's Basilica is the main church for over a billion Catholics. Just imagine, more than 1,000,000,000 people around the world consider this place holy and want to get here. For comparison, Orthodoxy has about 225 million people.
Therefore, if you are going to Rome, then visiting the Vatican with this cathedral is almost a necessity, even if you are not a Catholic - this is a landmark of a world scale. And to make the visit more interesting, below I will tell you interesting facts about the temple and its history of creation.
History of the construction of the church
Before the cathedral was built, there were gardens on this site. Nearby was the circus of Emperor Nero. The circus was one of the favorite places of the townspeople, there they often rested and had fun. However, in parallel, the government persecuted the first Christians: tortured, beaten with whips and even thrown to lions in the arena of the Colosseum.
And then one day in 67 AD, the authorities seized one of Christ's disciples - the Apostle Peter. It is necessary to clarify that Saint Peter arrived in Rome in 43 AD in order to unite and support the Roman Christians, the Apostle Peter for 24 years led the Roman Church.
And so, in the ill-fated 67 year, the saint was arrested and brought to the judgment seat. Of course, the judges who worshiped many deities passed the death sentence to the apostle, considering his faith unfaithful and alien. After the verdict, Saint Peter was brought to the circus of Nero.
Over the course of a year, they managed to turn the place of entertainment into a place of execution, at this place several hundred Christians had already been tortured to death, now it was Peter's turn.
But the apostle was not embarrassed before death, and instead of the usual execution, he wished a martyr's death, like Christ's, on the cross. The saint was buried nearby, and Peter's close friends later erected a monument at his grave. The burial of Peter became the first cult place of Christians - people came here for confession or simply for advice.
Photo: Close-up of the main facade
Cathedral construction
After the recognition of Christianity, in 322, Emperor Constantine ordered to build a basilica on the site of the crucifixion of St. Peter, in fact, it served as the mausoleum of St. Peter.
In 1506, Pope Julius II decided to rebuild the small basilica into a more prestigious cathedral, which in reality would serve as the main shrine of Christians.
The development of the project was entrusted to Donato Bramante, who became the first architect of St. Peter's Cathedral in the Vatican. Later, more than one eminent master made an effort to create the church: Rafael Santi, Antonio da Sangallo, Michelangelo Buonarotti and Giacomo della Porta - were directly involved in the construction of this snow-white miracle.
Drawing by Antonio da Sangallo
By the way, Michelangelo refused to work on the cathedral for a long time, reinforcing his words by the fact that he was not an architect, although Buonarotti also did not undertake the painting of the well-known Sistine Chapel. Subsequently, it was under Michelangelo Buonarotti that work advanced more than during the time of all previous masters combined: walls and a roof were erected almost from scratch and work began on a huge dome.
But each of the previous great masters introduced their own ideas, which were reflected in the final version of Buanorotti's drawings, the most dramatic changes took place in the shape of the cathedral: the original idea was to build the cathedral in the form of a Greek cross (with equal sides), then Latin (with an elongated lower part). then again Greek, but still settled on the Latin version.
The interior of St. Peter's Cathedral was created by the greatest architect of Italy - Lorenzo Bernini.
The end of construction was marked by the consecration of the cathedral by Urban VIII on November 18, 1626. Then the cathedral was officially opened and services began.
Cathedral architecture
Temple dimensions
St. Peter's Cathedral is striking in its scale: the height is 136 meters, and the width is 211 meters. For a long time it had the status of the largest Christian cathedral in the world, however, the status was "selected" in 1990 by the basilica in the city of Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire, but in terms of capacity it still ranks first among all churches.
View of the Cathedral and the Bridge of Saint Angel
The pride of the cathedral is the altar to the tomb of the Apostle Peter (the altar has a hole so that everyone can look inside), but Peter is not the only one who is buried here: many people canonized are buried on the territory of the cathedral.
Altar with a hole to the tomb of the Apostle Peter In front of the entrance to the temple there are statues of Saints Paul and Peter. Peter holds in his hand the keys to the “kingdom of heaven,” which the Lord himself gave him.
Photo: Statue of the Apostle Peter with the key to heaven. The statue of Paul is to the right. Basilica dome
The dome is a masterpiece of architectural art. The height is 119 meters, and the diameter is 42 meters. The dome is supported by four huge pillars.
Inside the cathedral, under the dome, is Bernini's masterpiece - a canopy, 29 meters high, on four twisted columns. The canopy is a decorative canopy on pillars. Above each of the four columns are statues of angels. The bronze for the canopy was taken from the Pantheon by dismantling the bronze structures supporting the portico.
The canopy is a masterpiece by Bernini Cathedral entrances
The temple has 5 doors. One of the doors has a very interesting purpose. These gates are the last on the right side, and they are called - Saints. These gates open only in a special “Holy” year. The rest of the time the door is walled up. A walled door is broken before Christmas every 25 years. After threefold kneeling and 3 blows of the hammer, the gates open, and the Pope enters the church with the cross. After the end of the Holy Year, the gates are concreted for 25 years.
Useful information
Dress code
At the entrance to the temple, there is a certain dress code: legs and arms must be covered, women must have their heads covered, and a man must take off his headdress.
Climb the dome
- Firstly, the ascent is divided into 2 stages: first along comfortable and wide stairs, and then along narrow and uncomfortable (for people with wide shoulders or overweight) stairs.
- Secondly, the service is paid - 7 € for an elevator and 5 € on foot up the steps, and the elevator works only at stage 1 (the remaining 320 steps must be climbed on foot). In order not to stand in huge queues, it is better to come to the opening itself (the ticket offices start working at 8:00), and even better in 5-10 minutes.
- Thirdly, if you do decide, you will be rewarded with unforgettable views from the highest point in Rome.
Opening hours
Opening hours and hours of Peter's Cathedral: open from 9.00 to 19.00 from April to September and until 18.00 from October to March. Closed for papal receptions Wednesday morning.