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| Saint Peter's Basilica, is located
within the walls of the Vatican, in Saint Peter's square, or Piazza San
Pietro, It is a principle tourist attraction for visitors to Rome.
Surprisingly, it is not the Pope's official ecclesiastical seat, this is
Saint John Lateran, but Saint Peter's Basilica is his principal church,
where most Papal ceremonies take place, this is due to its size, proximity
to the Papal residence, and its location within the City walls of the
Vatican. |
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| It is claimed that St Peter's Basilica
was built at the site of Peter's crucifixion. Beneath the main altar there
is another altar dedicated to St Peter. Recent excavations have discovered
a burial chamber beneath this altar containing a skeleton, with its feet
missing. Some archaeologists, amongst others, have suggested that these
are the actual remains of Saint Peter. It is also claimed that a piece of
plaster which had come off the marble lined repository in which the bones
were supposed to have been buried in, bore the Greek inscription, PETROS
ENI, "Peter is within". |
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| The interior, which includes 45 altars,
has been decorated by many famous artists. Some of the most important
works in the church are the Pietà by Michelangelo, the papal altar and the
Throne of St. Peter, both by Bernini, and the Monument to the Stuarts by
CanovaIt. |
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| The dome or cupola was designed by
Michelangelo, when he became chief architect in 1546. When he died in1564,
the dome had only been finished as far as the base on which domes itself
sits. Between 1585 and 1590, the architect Giacomo della Porta, with the
help of the predominant engineer of the time, Domenico Fontana,
constructed the dome. The following year Fontana built the lantern, and in
1593 the ball was placed in position. Michelangelo did not design the dome
as a hemisphere, but as a parabola. On top of the paired Corinthian
columns ribbing has been built that appears to be part of the drum, but in
fact they stand proud of it more like buttresses. These help to contain
the outward thrust of the dome's weight. The vaulted dome rises to
Fontana's two stage lantern, which is capped with a spire. |
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