CATHEDRAL OF SAINT PETER

Designed in 1506 by Donato Bramante, the construction of the cathedral took more than 150 years to complete, involving the contributions of Bramante, Raphael, Antonio da Sangallo, Michelangelo, Giacomo della Porta and Carlo Moderno. Michelangelo was responsible for the design of the dome, whereas the facade and the portico were designed by Carlo Moderno, who took over the project after Michelangelo's death. The cavernous interior, decorated by Bernini and Giacomo della Porta, can hold up to 60.000 people. It contains treasures including Michelangelo's superb Pietà, sculpted when he was only 25 years old. Bernini's Baroque "baldacchino" (canopy) stands 29m high in the centre of the church and is an extraordinary work of art. The bronze used to make it was taken from the Pantheon. The high altar, which only the pope can use, stands over the site of St. Peter's grave. Michelangelo's dome soars 119m above the high altar. Its balconies are decorated with reliefs depicting the so-called Reliquie Maggiori (major relics). Entry to the dome is to the right as you climb the stairs to the atrium of the Basilica. Access to the roof of the church is by elevator or stairs. From there, a narrow staircase leads eventually to the top of the dome and San Pietro's lantern, from where you have an unequalled view of Roma. The entrance to Sacred Grottoes is next to the pier of St. Longinus (one of four piers supporting the arches at the base of Michelangelo's cupola) to the right as you approach the papal altar. In the area where the church now stands, there once was the Circo Vaticano, built by Nero. It was probably in the stadium that St. Peter and other Christians were martyred between 64 and 67 AD. The body of the Saint was buried in an anonymous grave next to the wall of the circus, and his fellow Christians built a humble "red wall" to mark the site. In 160 AD the stadium was abandoned and a small monument erected on the grave. In 315, Emperor Constantine ordered the construction of a basilica on the site of the apostle's tomb. The first "Basilica di San Pietro" was consacrated in 326.