St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome and the large area adjacent to him surrounded by columns, is considered a religious center of the Vatican. The same building of the openwork cathedral was built in the seventeenth century under the leadership and with the participation of such Grande era of the high revival and styles of Baroque, like - Bernini, Michelangelo, Bramte and Raphael. Starting from that time and up to this day, this cathedral is actually the most, perhaps, a significant Catholic temple on the entire planet. Every year, millions of parishioners come here to services, which personally holds Pope itself.
If you believe in Christian chronicles, then in the period from 64 to 67 of our era in Rome, one of the Apostles of Christ, namely Peter accepted martyrdom, but only in 313 the very first altar of the very first basilica was erected over his grave. Basilica, built as early as the Emperor Konstantine, launched strongly, although he experienced several reconstructions. And already in the sixteenth century at the pontiff of Yulia II, it was decided to restore this ancient Christian temple. By the idea of the very first architect of the Cathedral, the updated basilist would represented a big cross with the crowded dome.
The construction of the cathedral was overshadowed very amazing and unusual facts - during work on his project for six years, three great masters died at once. Stopped the construction of Donato Bramante, then Rafael Santi continued him. Michelangelo was engaged in the construction of the cathedral, and all the works ended with the architect Bernini.
When only you go to the cathedral, then immediately amazed by his impressive inner space, divided between three nefs. In the very last arch of the Central Nafa, there is a miraculous statue of St. Peter, cast from bronze, and it is precisely the first pilgrims to be rushed to her.
The many elements of the interior decoration and the decoration of the cathedral were created with the participation of the famous Jan Lorenzo Bernini, who a total of fifty years of his fruitful creative life on the decoration of the cathedral. It was them that they were created such masterpieces as - the statue of the Roman Centurion Longgin, an extensive canopy over the Altar of the Temple, based on the four figured pillars, the department dedicated to the apostle Peter, as well as the statues of many saints.
The central space in the Cathedral is limited to four pillars, which are actually supported by the dome. This entire part of the cathedral was implemented in accordance with the ideas of Michelangelo. Well, the Dome of St. Peter's Cathedral in general is a major work of art, and the image of this dome actually for many centuries in general is not only the emblem of the cathedral, but also one of the very common varicine characters.
The high drum of the dome was created in order to ensure the sustainability of all this massive construction. At the top of the dome you can see sixteen windows that are separated by columns and sixteen respectively rigidity. From the inside the dome decorate the mosaic paintings of Giovanni de eyeles. In general, the arch was implemented according to the sketches of Michelangelo - as it was intended, he is a leaving sphere, decorated with a ceson decor.
In 1939, by order of the ruling dictator Benito Mussolini, extensive archaeological excavations under the sexes of the cathedral were carried out. And it was then that an ancient necropolis was discovered there, with one of the burials in it clearly had a special status. Then raised historical chronicles and found out that this grave is presumably apostle Peter. About Dad Paul VI solemnly announced in 1968.
After the cathedral was finally built in the sixteenth century, there was a need to create a beautiful square in front of him, because at that moment she was a poorly planned rectangle. Above the creation of St. Peter's Square, the architect Jan Lorenzo Bernini worked as much as eleven years.
If you look at the area from a bird's-eye view, then you can see that it looks like a key with the avenues and the cathedral, so they were actually called the "key of St. Peter." Oval Square framed a bowl of two galleries with columns. During the celebration of large Catholic holidays on the square, about four hundred thousand pilgrims is going.