St. Peter's Basilica in Italy, Rome resort
Rating: 9,6/10 (1385 votes)  St. Peter's Basilica – It is the most important Catholic cathedral and one of the largest buildings in the Vatican, until recently considered the world's largest Christian church. It is also the ceremonial center of the Roman Catholic Church and one of the four patriarchal basilicas of Rome. Such famous people as Michelangelo, Raphael, Bramante and Bernini worked on the creation of the cathedral. Previously, on the site where the cathedral stands today, there were the gardens of Nero's circus. In 324, during the reign of Emperor Constantine, the first basilica was built. The altar of the church was located above the grave, which from the second century was considered the burial place of St. Peter, who was martyred in Nero's circus in 66. In 800, in the second cathedral, Charles was crowned – Emperor of the West. The coronation was carried out by Pope Leo III. In the 15th century, the church, which existed for about 11 centuries, was in disrepair, in connection with which Nicholas the Fifth was ordered to expand and rebuild the building. The issue was fundamentally resolved by Julius II, who ordered to build a new large-scale cathedral on the site of the old basilica, which was supposed to outshine all existing Christian and pagan temples. Almost everyone took part in the design and construction of the cathedral. major Italian architects. In 1506 Donato Bramante proposed a project that immediately began construction. After the death of the first architect, Raphael took up construction work, then Baldassare Peruzzi, followed by Antonio da Sanallo. In 1546, Michelangelo was commissioned to build the cathedral. The architect returned to the version of the central dome structure. The supporting structures of the building were made the most massive; the architect also allocated the main space. Michelangelo managed to erect the drum of the central dome, but the dome itself was completed after his death by the architect Giacomo della Porta, who slightly changed the project, giving the dome a more elongated shape. According to Michelangelo's project, the cathedral was supposed to have four small domes, but only two of them were erected. In the 17th century, by the order of Paul the Fifth, the eastern branch of the cross was lengthened – a three-aisled basilica was added to the central building, which gave the base of the building the shape of a Latin cross. In 1656-1667, a square was created in front of the cathedral. The construction work was supervised by Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini. The interior of the litter is striking in its harmony of proportions, richness of design and its huge dimensions. There are many statues, tombstones, altars and significant works of art.    We also recommend reading Castel Sant'Angelo in Italy, Rome resort Topic: St. Peter's Basilica in Italy, Rome resort. |
