ENGLISH

One of the aspects that make an architectural work interesting is its capacity to transmit history, to reveal social and cultural aspects of the time in which it was conceived. In the case of St. Peter's Basilica there is so much history behind its construction and its aftermath that hundreds of books could be written, but just understanding that we are talking about the largest Christian church in the world and that it is located in the smallest city in the world, undoubtedly marks a milestone of universal proportions. I was remarkably impressed that its formal construction lasted 120 years (1506-1626) and involved the greatest architects and artists of more than a century, among them, one of my favorites, the great Michelangelo Buonarroti and Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

_{As I told you in the previous post, ten years ago I visited Rome with my wife and seeing the Vatican City was one of our longings. I took the pictures above and below from the tourist bus as we walked along Via Della Conciliazione.
If you click on the image and enlarge it you will notice the crowd on the left side getting ready to visit the church.}

_{In this shot we can see how far away we were from the basilica. Due to the focus point in the foreground, the large dome behind the trees is barely visible in the background.}

RENAISSANCE & BAROQUE

In order to access the inside of the basilica, you must first go through St. Peter's Square and stand in line. Fortunately, the day we went there were not many people so we decided to walk around the square and take some pictures. Once the opening of the basilica began, we approached the respective line to enter and during those minutes I admired the facade of the church that represents the Catholic religion. I understand that the double-story columns, as well as the design of the great dome, were the idea of Michelangelo Buonarroti, painter, sculptor, and architect with a strong Renaissance influence, and although these ideas were accepted by the final construction, many others were discarded.

Monumental, majestic, and full of character.
If in the XXI century we are still surprised by this magnificent work, perhaps we can get to glimpse just a little of what it could mean for the parishioners and for the world in general during the XVI - XVII - XVIII, and XIX centuries.

If you click on the image above you will notice that the facade of the basilica is colossal. Each of the eight columns is almost 28 meters high. Three of the five doors reach a height of almost seven meters. The capitals, cornices, windows, doors, balconies are overloaded with engravings and designs typical of the baroque style. Even the letters of the Latin inscription are two meters high. At the top are the sculptures of eleven of the apostles except for St. Peter. Jesus Christ is in the center with the cross and on his right side is John the Baptist. If you look closely at the proportion of each sculpture to the size of the people you can easily notice that these statues are almost six meters tall.

As this work lasted so long and passed from hand to hand, there were many obstacles and events that were modifying its initial design and so it went from one artistic movement or style to another. Finally, it was Gian Lorenzo Bernini who was able to complete the construction of the church, and precisely because of his predominantly baroque style, the construction of the square and much of the interior decoration of the basilica follow this artistic and architectural trend. Bernini had great merit because he had to overcome innumerable problems, not only religious but also political, cultural, and economic, in order to complete the work.

Even from where we were standing in St. Peter's Square, we could not imagine the immense work that St. Peter's Basilica has meant. It looks like a building created by and for giants. I have not been anywhere else that has made me feel as I have in this place. It may seem obvious that the idea of this holy place was all of a grandiose and majestic aspect, as a work that worships God should be. Giant columns, giant sculptures, and, of course, the entrance should be for a giant. Passing through one of its five gates of more than seven meters high makes you feel very, very small. It is as if you were really entering the house of God. When you get inside you understand how majestic this work is. One thing that has become clear to me is that every inch of this magnificent building was thought out and rethought, nothing was left to chance. Many of its final details such as sculptures, paintings, and various works of art have been added since it was formally completed in 1626 even to this day. That is, for more than 400 years.

INSIDE THE BASILICA

As I walked in I couldn't stop looking up. I remember at some point I had to lower my head because it was already starting to hurt from the position. It's incredibly high! The vaulted ceilings with paintings, patterns, designs, and sculptures impressed me. The golden color stands out and imposes a deified and glorious connotation.

The walls and columns as well as the ceiling are completely covered with different materials, mainly marble, cement, and endless mosaics, but also boast countless sculptures and carvings of great artistic importance. Lintels, cornices, porticos, and bases adorn the entire stage in spectacular fashion. The statues or sculptures are impossible to count because in each small space you can see another one. I found the size of each pillar supporting the great dome to be of colossal proportions. Just imagine that at the base of each one of them there is a sculpture more than three meters high.

THE PAPAL ALTAR

Inside the building, there are three large areas called naves. The main or central nave extends through a barrel vault that ends in the great dome and under which is the papal altar. Before accessing this point we come across the Baldachin of St. Peter, a work by Bernini in a clearly baroque style. I think many of you will also remember it. Below this site is where the remains of St. Peter and the tombs of most of the popes are located.

_{The wrought columns carved in solid and gilded bronze of Bernini's baldachin complete an incredibly beautiful work. This 30 m high work was the result of at least nine years of work (1624-1633).}

_{Close up to the top of the canopy. Beautiful sculpting work is seen in the final texture and finish. Every fold, every little element was finely treated.}

_{We were unlucky that day because several sites were limited for public access due to restoration work in both the right and left aisles. So La Pietà, one of Michelangelo's famed sculptures was out of my reach to admire and photograph. However, I did manage to take these images of one of the two minor domes. In a spectacular artistic treatment, it looks like you are looking at a painting with a circular frame, but the merit lies in the ability to capture an image of almost 360 degrees and topped with a stained glass window in the center that lets in natural light.}

THE GREAT DOME

If the vaulted ceiling of the church is already extremely high, imagine being under the great dome. The internal diameter is 41.47 m and it is divided into 16 parts with an equal number of windows. In these divisions, Michelangelo created beautiful paintings. If I remember correctly the paintings are of Jesus Christ, the twelve apostles, John the Baptist, Mary Magdalene, and the Virgin Mary.

The circular opening seen in the center of the dome that allows light to enter is called a lantern. It is the highest area of the basilica that can be visited by tourists. It can be reached in two ways, by elevator or by stairs. Unfortunately, we could not go up there due to restrictions our government had imposed on the use of our credit cards.

_{Each of the letters that make up the Latin inscriptions, located along the entire length of the walls, like those shown in the image above and below, measure two meters in height.}

_{The presbytery is located at the back of the church. With a majestic design, much more sumptuous than that of the great dome with exquisite gold carvings both on the dome and in the scene that surrounds a circular stained glass window in the center with the image of a dove.}

CELESTIAL LIGHT

One would think that a site like this would require a very important source of artificial lighting and although there is indeed a whole range of lamps and lights, they are strategically placed to fill with light those places that require greater visibility and to maintain the visual harmony of the place. However, when we reached the great dome and the Papal altar, the light was present. Natural lighting takes over the space through the large windows and stained glass in an almost spiritual way. The ethereal sensation touches you and transports you to another realm for good. It is truly beautiful. I think everyone who has visited this place has been affected in some way. It is impossible to remain oblivious to such a display of glory and grandeur referring, of course, to the kingdom of heaven.

Undoubtedly this is one of the emblematic sites of humanity where the arts, science, and religion come together in a masterful way.

It is extraordinarily important because it shows us the possibilities that human beings have always had to achieve excellence in all senses.

_{All photos are of my authorship except for the ones where I appear. Those were taken by my wife.
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Edition: Adobe Photoshop
Banners: Canva
Source: about the basilica Wikipedia
Source: about the square: Wikipedia • Reliquiosamente
Translation: DeepL • Google Translate}