The Vatican (St. Peter’s Basilica)

 23 May 2024 - The Vatican (St. Peter’s Basilica)

We spent several hours in the Basilica - there is so much to see.  The size of the church is mind boggling, it is the largest Catholic Church in the world, by a bunch.  It is not the first Basilica at this site though, that one was built around 300 AD.  The current one dates from 1600 AD and it is full of Renaissance, Baroque art and sculptures.  My eyes just couldn’t soak in all the grandeur.  A lot of the marble was recycled from the Roman Forum and Colosseum. And before the Basilicas were built, the land held Caligula’s Circus, a long oval area where races and public events were held.  This is where St Peter was crucified and buried. Russ got to take a tour, which is very limited in numbers of people, to see St. Peter’s tomb under the Basilica.  He wasn’t allowed to take pictures though. In the 1900s, scientific investigation determined that there was a 60-70 year old man buried there who was tall and big and died around the time of St Peter’s crucifixion. There isn’t conclusive evidence that this was St Peter but there is a lot of circumstantial evidence.  At any rate, it was an emotional tour.

Russ, amongst the eight foot tall cherubs.

A look back at the entrance doors.  The floor contains markers showing where other notable churches would fit, just to show how small they are compared to St. Peter’s. We don’t have pictures of the Papal Altar and Bernini’s Baldacchino.  They were covered in scaffolding, getting ready for next year’s jubilee celebration.

Until you see people in the place, it is hard to grasp the incredible size of the place.  Gold everywhere!

Most large churches have, maybe, one side aisle.  This place has five.

Mostly popes are buried in the Basilica.  Some have very ornate monuments with lots of symbolism.

Pope Gregory XIII, who issued the Gregorian Calendar, which we use to this day.

Originally from the old Basilica, this Pope was considered kind, yet he issued an edict against witchcraft, which was much abused, and he resorted to nepotism to restore the papal finances. The spear he is holding represents the spear that was used to pierce Jesus’ side - given to the Pope by a sultan when he agreed to keep the sultan’s brother prisoner in Rome. Real good guy.

Almost all the monuments commemorate Popes, but this one is a monument of Maria Clementine Sobieski (Queen of Poland.)  She was married to the pretender to the throne of England, James III Stuart. It is opposite to the. Monument to the Stuart kings, friends of the Church.

The chapel of the first pope to be interred in the Basilica, St. Leo the Grand.

St. Andrew, brother of Peter, is one of several sculptures surrounding the Papel Altar.

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Raphel’s Transfiguration.  All the paintings in the Basilica are now mosaics.  The originals are in the Vatican Museums.  This was done to protect the original paintings.

A huge chapel with a gilded tabernacle designed by Bernini.  Bernini’s works are everywhere in the Basilica.

The altar is covered with alabaster and semi-precious stones.  The painting is quite old (1500s) and is painted on wood.

A double staircase, in front of the Papal Altar, that leads to the front of St. Peter’s tomb. At the time the Basilica was built, it was thought that this was where St. Peter was buried (many feet below).  So the center of the Basilica was placed here.  Now it is thought that the real tomb is several feet to the side, but nobody is moving the Basilica.

Beautiful oil lamps surround the staircase that played an important role in Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons.

Beautifully decorated ceilings and coppolas.

The majority of the 200+ popes are interred in the crypts below the Basilica.  Some are placed in altars for display.  

Russ had to pass through Swiss Guard stations before going to his tour of St. Peter’s Tomb.

This is a column from the first Basilica.  It is far below the floor of the current Basilica.

Russ exited his tour of St. Peter’s Tomb into the crypts where Popes are interred.

The altar of the chair of St. Peter, by Bernini. Look closely and you can see the large wooden chair. This is at the end of the Basilica.  Services are regularly held here.

You can see this dove in the previous picture also.  The window is made of alabaster stone and the dove is six feet tall!

Doves are found throughout the Basilica, representing the Holy Spirit.

Michelangelo’s Pieta.  Thanks to a madman, this repaired sculpture is now behind a glass barrier and people are kept far away.  The carving is amazing, you can just feel the weight of Jesus’ body as Mary holds it.  Michaelangelo chose to depict a young Mary, although she was in her 40s when Jesus was killed.  He felt that the effects of time should have no impact on the nature of Mary.

The Holy Door, sealed on the inside until the next Jubilee.  On the first day of 2025, the pope will take a silver hammer and strike the door. The sealed material (I think it is concrete,) is removed and the door opened.  Throughout the year, pilgrims can enter the door and be especially blessed.

A view of the Holy Door from outside the Basilica.