St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica is by far the largest, and most extravagant, place of worship built during the Renaissance. I am referring to St. Peter's in the Vatican, because as I quickly learned in Rome, there are a plethora of churches called St Peter's. Initially meant to be a restoration of an early Christian church, Pope Nicholas V began it's restoration in the 15th Century. However, in the 16th Century, Pope Julius II decided to stop restoration and instead build a new church entirely. Famous Renaissance artists such as Raphael and Michelangelo worked on the building. The building is in the shape of a Latin cross to maintain the shape of the original building. After 120 years and many popes later, the new Basilica of St. Peter was consecrated in 1626 by Pope Urban VIII. Highlights of this building include the papal altar, which stands above the tomb of St. Peter, consistent with the original building. The old basilica was used as the official cemetery for popes. This function is still maintained today, as there are 144 popes buried in St. Peter's. Being the largest church in the world, trying to capture the entirety church of St. Peter's in a single photo would be an impossible feat, but pictured below is an altar inside the basilica.




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