An introduction to the St Peter's Basilica and it's ornaments

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.