st. peter's basilica

At First Sight

It is the most important church in the Christian world, a monument that manages to unite in a single place the religious faithful and lovers of art. It is dedicated to Peter, one of the apostles, first pope and head of the Church, who was executed in Rome under Emperor Nero.

In 326 the Emperor Constantine the Great built a church above the place where Saint Peter was buried, and in 1506 Pope Julius II decided to destroy the ancient basilica and to build a new one engaging the best Italian artists, such as Bramante and Michelangelo.

In 1626 the new basilica was consacrated and decorated with masterprieces including St. Peter’s Canopy, the Pietà and the incredible dome by Michelangelo.

St Peter’s Square is one of the most beautiful squares in the world. It is an architectural masterpiece designed by the genius Gian Lorenzo Bernini: an ellipse that, with its colonnade, simbolically embrace the faithful.