Sights of the Vatican
Vatican City: Basilica of Sts. Peter | Vatican City: Basilica of Sts. Peter |
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| Written by Administrator | |
| Sunday, 13 December 2009 | |
The square is so impressive that visiting the Basilica of St. Peter (Basilica di San Pietro) is not a way to avoid disappointment. Facade (which in no circumstances be regarded as the most successful part of the church) to send the dome, visible from almost any point in the city.Building designed in the early sixteenth century Bramante, but finished more than a century later, making substantial changes, Carlo Maderno. As a result, the basilica contains the elements of Renaissance and Baroque style. Upon entry, the right side, you can see the work of Michelangelo's Pieta, from the initial phase of his work, when the artist was 24 years old. After a few years ago made an act of vandalism, the sculpture was placed behind glass, which makes it feel strangely isolated from the rest of the church. Looking at the Pieta, easy to understand her fame - elaborately carved limp dead body of Christ, rests on Mary's lap with extraordinary grace and lightness. Passing along the main nave, a passes placed in the floor plate of bronze, giving the length of other churches. Rising high above the tomb of St.. Peter's dome is an architectural masterpiece. With the diameter of 44 m is only 1.5 m lower than the Pantheon (the letters the inscription of its orbit to a lower level of nearly 2 m high) rests on four massive pillars decorated with reliefs depicting the main relics of the basilica: St. scarf. Veronica, which face of Christ, and on which he was the miraculous image, spear St. Theodoros (pierced Christ's side) and a fragment of the Holy Cross in St. pillar. Helena (formerly kept here as head of St.. Andrew, which in 1966 Pope Paul VI called the Eastern Church). Place the right side of the nave, next to the pillar St. Longin, is one of the most venerated objects in the shrine - a bronze statue of St.. Peter, with his right foot touches a soft pious pilgrims. Carved it in the thirteenth century, Arnolfo di Cambio. During festivals the statue is dressed in papal robes and turban. Bronze (raked moreover from the roof of the Pantheon) was also a material used by Bernini in 1633 to create the 26-meter canopy above the altar (the same height is Palazzo Farnese), die-cast from 927 tons of ore. This is the largest temple of the Catholic Church, which replaced a structure built to sleep by Constantine in the early fourth century, in a place where there was a tomb of St. Peter, so it's no wonder that consistently attracts crowds of visitors and pilgrims. Employed in the construction of the basilica were the best Italian architects sixteenth and seventeenth centuries In terms of size of church leader among the majority of churches. According to the concept of Bramante, was to be built on a Greek cross plan, with a high dome over the crossing aisles, but after the death of the master abandoned his plans. Returned to them until the venerable already Michelangelo, when he became the chief architect. Even managed to erect the dome base, but died shortly afterwards, in 1564, before the works were completed. His successor was Vignola, a dome completed in 1590 by Giacomo della Porta. Carlo Maderno took over the management of work in 1605, and has, by order of Pope Paul V, a radical change in assumptions, abandoning the idea of a Greek cross. It was considered that the church in Latin cross plan is more practical because it can accommodate a number of congregations easier. As a result, however, change the plan of the basilica has adversely affected the view from the square of the dome. The interior is maintained in the mature Baroque style, and the creator is the most important works of Bernini. To enter the basilica, you must be properly dressed - knees and shoulders must be covered - this rule is adhered to. |
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| Last Updated ( Sunday, 10 January 2010 ) |
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