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St Peter's Square Of Rome

 

Known for thousands of years by the name of the Eternal City, the historical city of Rome possesses numerous worth seeing places. Among them the leading ones are its squares and fountains. Not a single square in Rome is without a fountain. Though there are several spectacular squares in Rome, but the one ranking highest is St Peter’s Square, the core of Vatican City. 

Historical Background and Location

Piazza San Pietro or St Peter’s Square is originally the place where the renowned Neron Circus of the Roman Emperor Nero was situated. Ancient traditions say that was the site where the apostle St Peter was crucified upon Nero’s order in his circus. It is said that he was buried at the same place. Many other Christians were martyred here as well. The place has been visited by the faithful for centuries. Emperor Constantine, in 324 A.D., constructed here the St Peter’s Basilica in the honor of the holy saint.

The Basilica is structured exactly at the place where St Peter was martyred and buried. It was rebuilt, however, more than a thousand years later. Work upon its renovation started on the order of Pope Julius 2nd in 1505 and in 1615 the Basilica appeared in its present form under Pope Paul 5th owing to the labor of the architects of renown like Mademo, Bermante, Michelangelo who designed the dome in a unique way, and Bernini who undertook to design the grand St Peter’s Square.

                                                       An Enchanting Front View of the Cathedral                 

Architecture

The piazza is of elliptical shape and has two very beautiful fountains: one to the north by Bernini; the other to the south by Mademo.It was built over the period between 1656 and 1667. An immense Egyptian obelisk built in the thirteenth century B.C. during the reign of Ramsette 1st, stands in the midst of the square. This 25.5 m tall obelisk was brought to Rome by the emperor Caligola in 37 B.C. and was installed in Nero’s circus. Its total height reaches 40 m if the cross at its top and the size of its base are included.

There is an immense colonnade outlining the square designed by Bernini. The colonnade is made up of 284 columns and 88 pillars forming four rows. If one stands near the obelisk in the square and look at the colonnade, it will seem to him there is only one row of columns instead of four.

There stand gigantic statues of St Peter and St Paul near the stairs leading to the church and in front of the square. Both are believed to be the patron saints of Rome. Statues of 140 saints are mounted on top of the colonnade or — shaped by several sculptors between 1662 and 1703. At the right side of the southern gate stands St Macrina, grandmother of the Cappadocian fathers. Then there come some founders of religious orders: St Dominique, St Francis, St Bernard, St Benedict, and St Ignatius of Loyola. At the remote end of the colonnade as well as outside the square there can be seen the statues of the apostles. Those of Paul and John can be seen on the southern side or on the left as one walks to the square and down the street.



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