 |
The Basilica of
Saint Peter, officially known in
Italian as the Basilica di San Pietro
in Vaticano and commonly called Saint Peter's Basilica, is one
of four major basilicas of Rome (St. John
Lateran, St. Peter's, Santa Maria Maggiore and
St. Paul outside the Walls). It is the most
prominent building inside the Vatican City and
built on the ruins of Old Saint Peter's
Basilica. Its dome is also a dominant feature
of the Roman skyline. Saint Peter's is also
incidentally the patriarchal basilica of
Constantinople, whereas the Lateran Basilica is
the patriarchal basilica of Rome. Possibly the
largest church building in Christianity, it
covers an area of 5.7 acres (2.3 ha)
and has a capacity of over 60,000 people. One
of the holiest sites of Christendom in the
Catholic tradition, it is traditionally the
burial site of its namesake Saint Peter, who
was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus.
According to Catholic tradition, also the first
Bishop of Antioch, and later first Bishop of
Rome. Although the New Testament does not
mention Peter's presence or martyrdom in Rome,
Catholic tradition holds that his tomb is below
the baldachin and altar; for this reason, many
Popes, starting with the first ones, have been
buried there. Construction on the current
basilica, over the old Constantinian basilica,
began on 1506 and was completed in
1626 |