The beautiful and grandiose St. Peter's Basilica

The grandiose St. Peter's Square in front of the Vatican Cathedral of the same name is named after the apostle, the first Pope. Now this square is a place of weekly communion and joint prayer of Catholics. There are always many tourists here, but the huge size of the area allows you to avoid inconvenience.

History of creation

During the time of the infamous Roman emperor Nero, the area near what is now St. Peter's Square was home to gardens and a circus where the apostles Peter and Paul were executed and many other Christians were martyred. In the circus area there was also a 40-meter obelisk of pink granite, also made before Christ. And. It was brought from Egypt by a no less hateful historical figure - Caligula. By the 16th century n. And. on the site of the gardens and the circus a dirt lot was formed, but the obelisk was preserved.

In 1586 the Egyptian obelisk was consecrated "to get rid of pagan filth." The golden sphere on top, which supposedly contained Julius Caesar's ashes, was replaced by a cross with a Christian relic. Subsequently, the 300-ton structure was moved with great difficulty to the center of the future square.

At the beginning of the 16th century. in the place of the death of St. Peter, the construction of a majestic temple dedicated to him began, which should replace the one that had existed since the 4th century. and a dilapidated basilica. As part of the improvement of the adjacent territory according to the architect's project. Giovanni Bernini built a square that formed a single architectural ensemble with the main Catholic cathedral. In developing the project, Bernini managed to overcome the difference in height and brilliantly unite the square with the existing cathedral, fountains and obelisk. The square as a whole has become one of the architectural masterpieces of the world.

Architectural features

The square in front of St. Peter's Basilica is 340 meters long and 240 meters wide. It is made up of two parts: trapezoidal, facing the cathedral, and oval, facing the city. The dominants of the oval square are two semicircular colonnades with 284 columns, on which there are 140 statues of Christian saints and martyrs. The sculptures of Christ, John the Baptist and 11 (except Saint Peter) apostles, which are located on the facade of the Cathedral, complete the sculptures. The colonnades are connected to the cathedral by closed corridors diverging at the facade.

On the square you can clearly feel the effect of being dragged into the depths of space, characteristic of the Baroque style. The colonnades, like two enormous hands, seem to capture the person who is here and attract him towards the cathedral.

The ascent to the cathedral from the trapezoidal square is via stairs, on the sides of which there are colossal statues of St. Peter and St. Paul, founded in the 19th century. In the center of the square is the Egyptian obelisk itself, from which travertine "rays" extend along the stone slabs. For this reason, the obelisk serves as a gnomon (sundial).

When viewed from a bird's eye perspective, the outlines of the cathedral, square and colonnades resemble a key with a keyhole. I am reminded of Jesus' words to Peter: "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven." A little beyond the colonnades, a little-noticed white line is drawn. This is the border of the Vatican state. On the sides of the obelisk there are two twin fountains. It's hard to believe, but they were created according to the projects of different architects, and their construction is separated in time from the middle of the 17th century.

Not all tourists are aware of the optical effect that operates on the square. If you stand in a white circle between the obelisk and the fountain, it seems like there is only one transparent colonnade.

How to get there?

If you travel with the red line metro you need to get off at the - Ottaviano - San Pietro station. By car, the square is easily accessible along the road. Via della Conciliazione (Via della Conciliazione, built under Mussolini). The same road can be reached by buses 32, 49, 81, 271, 590. Bus 64 should get off at the Largo Di Porta stop. From here you climb slightly north, after which the obelisk will become a landmark. Another option is with trolleybus number 19 to the Piazza Risorgimento stop.