New St Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, Rome underwent major reconstruction in the 16th century after the old basilica fell into disrepair. Led by architects like Bramante, Michelangelo, Maderno, and Bernini over more than 100 years, the new basilica was built in Renaissance and Baroque styles. Its massive dome, supported by thick piers and vaults, towers over the nave, transepts, and apse. The basilica's lavish interior houses artwork like Michelangelo's Pietà and Bernini's papal altar. Its large square and colonnades make it a focal point in Rome.

1. EPC Project 2
ORAL PRESENTATION
Tay Jit Ying
Ryan Kerry

2. RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS
around the world
ROME

3. ST PETER’S BASILICABasilica di San Pietro in Vaticano

4. BRIEF INTRODUCTION
• Vatican City, Rome
• Basilica Papale di San Pietro / Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano
• marvel of the Renaissance Architecture
• Largest churches in Christendom
• Bramante, Michelangelo, Maderno & Bernini

5. HISTORY & BACKGROUND
ST PETER’S BASILICA

6. OLD ST PETER’S BASILICA
• burial site of Saint Peter
• built over St Peter’s shrine
• name of cathedral set to honor his
name
• built around 320 AD by Emperor
Constantine
• stood the Circus of Nero
• 30 years to completion

7. • in a bad shape by the end of the 15th century
• underwent major reconstruction & refurbishment
but soon turned into demolition and rebuilding
• main structure preserved even till now in the
new structure

8. NEW ST PETER’S BASILICA
• the result after the plan of rebuilding a new
structure
• construction underwent for more than a century
• implementation of Renaissance & Baroque
architecture
• dome is completed in the first 50 years of
construction
• the remains are constructed and completed in
the next century

9. STRUCTURE & LAYOUT
NEW ST PETER’S BASILICA

10. PLAN
• comprises of 3 main structure
• basilica, frontal terrace & the square
• symmetrical balanced alignment

11. • symbolizes a Latin Cross
• one of the arm slightly longer than the other
three
• comprises of the apse, transept and the nave
• aisles are ended by a portico at the east end and
an apse across the west end
• Papal Altar ( Baldachin ) forms the form of
intersection
BASILICA

12. DOME, PIERS & VAULTS
interconnected and act as support to each
other, basking the art of its era

13. DOME
• dome topped with a lantern
• surrounded by windows flanked with
Corinthian columns
• highly elaborated with Roman ordered
ornaments
• heavy concrete masonry laid with
herringbone pattern

14. PIERS
• 4 solid thick piers to support the dome
• stretches 25 feet down into the
foundation of each single pier
• 45 meters height of Corinthian pillars
• supports each side of vaults from the
apse, nave and transepts

15. VAULTS
• series of adjoining arches which form a
tunnel - barrel vault
• act as the support of the roof
• Supported by thick buttress walls and
abutment
• spread across four arms of the Latin
Cross

16. FACADE
New St Peter’s Basilica

17. • highly elaborated with Corinthian pillars
• thick wall to hold the entire structure back
• 13 statues at heights of 6 meters

18. THE SQUARE
St Peter’s Square

19. • axis with Baroque monumental approach
• surrounded by to semi oval colonnades
which is 4 columns deep
• Egyptian obelisk marks the center of the
piazza

20. INTERIOR
New St Peter’s Basilica

21. • wealth of Catholic Church in the 16th
century
• 45 altars, 11 chapels
• huge mosaics

22. The Pietà by
Michelangelo
NORTH AISLE
Papal altar
by Bernini

23. TOMBS IN VATICAN GROTTO
• beneath basilica
• 100 tombs, 91 popes

24. operated since 1931
oldest bell dates from 1288
ARTWORK

25. • central external door.
• Called the "Navicella
• the northernmost door i
the "Holy Door”
• now in bronze

26. ST PETER’S TREASURY
• contains church ornaments,
statues, papal mitres and
various objects, usually gifts
of kings or princes.

27. THE FAÇADE
New St Peter’s Basilica

28. • Corinthian columns
• pilasters
• thirteen statues (6m)
• “Was built during the
pontificate of Pope Paul V
Borghese (1605-1621).”

29. • one side of the obelisk
• parallel with the facade
ST PETER’S OLD SQUARE

30. REFERENCES
• Al Pellegrino Cattolico. Via di Porta Angelica, 2009. Web. 15 Sep 2013.
<http://www.pellegrinocattolico.com>.
• Bosman, Lex. The Power of Tradition. Hilversum: L. Bosman & Uitgeverij Verloren, 2004.
Print.
• "Famous Wonders." Pantheon. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sep 2013.
<http://famouswonders.com/pantheon-in-rome/>.
• Hauser, E.O. "The World's Most Famous Church." Saturday Evening Post. (1949): 16-66.
Print.
• Howard, Maurice, and Eloise Howard. N.p.. Web. 05 Sep 2013.
<http://saintpetersbasilica.org>.
• Macchi, G. "Diagnosis of the facade of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome." Historical
Constructions. (2001): n. page. Web. 15 Sep. 2013. <http://www.civil.uminho.pt>.
Marconi, Nicoletta. Rome, Italy. University of Rome Tor Vergata. Technicians and Master
Builders for the Dome of St. Peter’s in Vatican in the Eighteenth Century: The
Contribution of Nicola Zabaglia (1664-1750). Cottbus: , 2009. Web.