www.smartymagazine.com Splendours of St. Peter's Basilica by smArty >>VATICAN CITY The Basilica of St. Peter (Sancti Petri in Latin and San Pietro in Italian) is the most important religious building in Catholicism. Located in the Vatican on the right bank of the Tiber, its façade opens onto St. Peter's Square. It was built where, under the will of Emperor Constantine I, the first pilgrims came to worship St. Peter on the site of the circus of Caligula and Nero. Inscribed on the World Heritage List, established by UNESCO, St. Peter's Basilica is considered the greatest architectural design of its time and remains one of the most visited monuments in the world. Its construction, on the site of the ancient Vatican Basilica built under Emperor Constantine I, began on 18 April 1506 and was completed in 1626. Its most important architects were Bramante, Michelangelo, Maderno and Bernini. SEE THE PRIVATE VISIT St. Peter's Basilica is an important place of pilgrimage, gathering in its square at least 150,000 Catholics every Sunday for the Papal Angelus. It is not the cathedral of the diocese of Rome, since the bishop of the city sits in St. John Lateran, but it is the church of the pope and the pontifical state. It is also one of the two parish churches of the Vatican City (the other being the Church of Sainte-Anne-des-Palefreniers). Although the New Testament does not mention the presence of the Apostle Peter, the first head of the Christian Church in Rome, or his martyrdom in this city, immemorial Catholic tradition indicates that the tomb of St. Peter is located under the high altar, in the centre of the church, under the baroque canopy. With an area of 2.3 ha and a capacity of more than 60,000 people, it is the largest Catholic church in the world. It is also one of the holiest places in Christianity, since it houses the tomb of St. Peter, who, according to Catholic tradition, was the first bishop of Antioch and Rome, and therefore the first pope. Saint Peter's Basilica Piazza San Pietro, 00120, Vatican City State 06 Oct 2020 #Art Religieux #Patrimoine copyright: ©smArty www.smartymagazine.com Contacts smArty Intern'l Ltd Ibex House Baker Street Weybridge KT13 8AH [email protected] www.smartymagazine.com.