Wonders of St. Peter’s Basilica: Jan Term in Italy
By Andrew Doughty, ‘26, and Austin Wolfe, ‘26
As we stepped into the city of Rome for the first time, we were greeted by a very different sort of architecture than we are used to: tall, monochrome buildings painted in warm colors, street signs with mysterious meanings, and rainbow-colored stairs. Above the clutter of the city, the dome of the Basilica rose. It caught our attention from the start, a proud and majestic figure. From this distance its size was indiscernible, only the dome being visible. We stopped off at the convent we were staying at, and our group marched up the stairs in a tired train. Lunch was on the fifth floor, which included a balcony overlooking the city. As we gazed out on the cityscape the dome loomed larger than before, closer. A waypoint.
As we saw the sights around the city, the Dome remained a marker. We could always tell approximately how far away we were by its presence. Though it remained a constant, it was not until we attended Sunday mass that we got our first glimpse inside. The ceiling extended into the heavens, both physically and decoratively. Frescoes of the apostles adorned the ceiling, accompanied by more marble and gold than we thought possible. The layout of the building is built in replication of a Latin cross. Somehow the great size of the church managed to feel intimate. That being said, it was an enormous basilica. At the shortest width it was still over a hundred steps across. It is, in fact, the largest church in the world.
It does not inspire wonder solely from its size, by any means. Grand marble pillars line the sides. Cleverly carved statues of differing size are placed at varying heights. Mosaics line the walls, crafted with such small squares they appear as paintings from the center of the church. At the front altar, a breathtaking window of stained glass depicting a dove with amber rays of light extending from behind beckons the viewer closer. It is surrounded by carved golden angles, clouds, and former popes. The decoration of the church has a more cohesive feeling than many of the others in Rome because it is artistically designed by the famous Italian sculptor Bernini, rather than a number of competing visions. It does feature works by other artists. Notably Michelangelo’s Pieta is displayed by the entrance to the right. The design lends itself to a majestic and beautiful but welcoming atmosphere. The mass we attended was a mix of Italian and Latin, but a worthwhile experience nonetheless. People wore varying formalities of dress; however the rules stipulate that arms, legs and shoulders must be fully clothed, so consider yourself forewarned.
Bernini was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII to do work on Saint Peters. Over the years he contributed greatly to both the architecture and decoration of the basilica. His greatest contribution being the Piazza San Pietro: a curved colonnade encircling the piazza before the Basilica. It was adorned with statues of biblical figures designed in his workshop. The colonnade is not perfectly circular; it is narrowed to make the Basilica appear even larger from outside. Bernini did further work to increase the grandeur of the interior. He designed and constructed the Baldacchino, a 60-foot-high bronze canopy positioned directly over the tomb of Saint Peter. Behind this masterpiece lies Bernini’s final contributions to the interior: The Throne of Saint Peter and The Monument to Alexander VII. The first is the relic throne of Saint Peter adorned with a magnificent bronze and stained-glass sculpture. The second is Bernini’s final masterpiece, constructed when he was 80 years old. It depicts Pope Alexander VII kneeling in prayer atop four figures depicting justice, truth, prudence, and charity. There is also a figure of death, represented by a bronze skeleton shrouded by a rippling cloth of precious stone. Bernini’s numerous contributions to the Basilica create a compelling style that enriches the viewer’s experience and ties together the incredible size and detail of the structure.
St. Peters derives its name from being the resting place of the apostle Peter, one of the original twelve followers of Jesus. Our guide, a Jesuit priest named Father Maher, outlined the evidence for Saint Peter being buried beneath the center of the dome for us. A stocky Jewish male body was discovered beneath the place where the church was built. What’s interesting is that the body had no feet. This is significant because the location of the Church occupies the same position where Emperor Nero’s circus used to be. Saint Peter was martyred at this circus for amusement, and hung upside down from a cross. The body would have been cut down from the feet. While we will never have proof if this is truly the final resting site of Peter’s body, this is substantial evidence. The idea of it being over Peter’s tomb, along with the magnificent architecture and art, is enough to draw tens of thousands of visitors daily. This is most definitely not a church you want to miss.
