Architect of St. Peter's Cathedral. Chief Architect of St. Peter's Cathedral

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

St. Peter's Cathedral is one of the greatest Christian temples in the World. This place is rightfully considered sacred, because the Vatican houses many sacred relics and memorial buildings.

About the Cathedral

Rome is one of the most ancient cities in the world with a rich history and amazing architecture. Every year, tourists from all over the world come to the capital of Italy to see the sights of the city. One of the most famous places is St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

The architecture of this structure is striking at first sight: a huge spacious dome, columns and a high obelisk in the middle of the square… All this looks majestic and impressive. A closed, sacred place for all Christians - the Vatican - lifts the veil of secrecy, allowing you to find yourself in one of the many parts of the temple.

Who is the architect of St. Peter's Basilica? He was not alone, they often changed, but this did not stop him from creating a beautifula building that is considered a world cultural heritage site. The place where the Pope lives - the main face of the world Christian religion - will always remain one of the greatest and most popular among travelers. The sanctity and significance of this temple for humanity cannot be overestimated.

St. Peter's Basilica outside

The building that can be seen today was fully thought out by the architect of the Cathedral of St. Peter - Michelangelo.

Sculptural groups on the facade of the temple - the greatest creation of the best masters of Italy. Looking more closely, you can see that these tall statues depict Jesus Christ, John the Baptist and the apostles. The obelisk near the temple also has its own meaning. In another way, it is called the "needle", and it is believed that the ashes of Julius Caesar rest at its base.

The colonnade closing on both sides of the cathedral is also an important part of the architectural complex. It was erected according to the project of one of the architects of St. Peter's Cathedral - Bernini. At the top of the colonnade is a series of statues of one hundred and forty saints. Among them are a significant number of women. They all look at St. Peter's Square from the height of the colonnades.

In front of the entrance stands the statue of the Apostle Paul - a symbolic move by sculptors, drawing a parallel between the entrance to Paradise and the entrance to the Cathedral.

St. Peter's Cathedral: history, description

The history of the building is full of mysteries and mysteries. Unfortunately, St. Peter's Cathedral is a relatively new temple compared to other shrines in Europe. That, whichexists today, is very different from the cathedral that great architects and sculptors worked on.

Many historical events took place in the temple. The foundation of the temple and the first basilica were built under the emperor Constantine, and in 800 the coronation of the king of the Franks and the Lombards Charlemagne took place, who first united the French lands.

During its existence, the structure of the building burned down several times and was restored again by architects. Much effort has been made to restore St. Peter's Basilica. The holy places of Rome, to which believers make pilgrimages every year - almost all of them are located here.

This place is especially important for the entire Christian world: here you can visit the room where the relics of the Apostle Peter are kept.

Michelangelo

The history of the temple is so great that it is difficult to answer the question: "Which great architects were the main builders of St. Peter's Basilica?" This building has seen various artists, sculptors and architects, but only a few have done truly important things.

Many people have put in the effort to create a project like St. Peter's in Rome. Michelangelo Buonarroti is the chief architect of the temple, whose contribution to its construction was very significant. He was hired by one of the most influential families in Florence - the Medici. The architect of St. Peter's, who was earlier, planned to make a dome in the shape of an elongated cross. But thanks toAccording to Michelangelo, the dome of the cathedral has a spherical shape. As the chief architect of St. Peter's Cathedral, the artist created paintings and sculptures for the temple. Soon one of the representatives of the Medici family was elected Pope. The newly elected Leo X appointed Michelangelo, now officially, as the chief architect of the Cathedral.

An interesting fact is that the great sculptor and artist Buonarroti for a long time refused to work on the architecture of such a project as St. Peter's Cathedral. Michelangelo, however, later agreed and radically changed the idea of \u200b\u200bbuilding.

Sculpture and remains of the Apostle Peter

The statue of the Apostle Peter is the main attraction of the Cathedral. The sculpture seems both harsh and welcoming. In addition, she is considered a saint. There is a tradition: visiting the cathedral, you must definitely touch the foot of this figure. It is believed that after this the spirit of the Apostle Peter forgives the person all his sins. The heart of the one who touches the foot must be pure, even if the person has done a lot of bad things. Every day there are so many people who want to touch the marble foot of the saint that the museum curators have to polish its surface from time to time.

However, another place is considered the most sacred. It is underground. This is a crypt where the relics of saints are kept. The column with the remains of the Apostle Peter, after whom the Cathedral is named, is the most important part of the entire temple-museum. The chief architect of St. Peter's created the descent into the crypt. It resembles a ladder to the underworld, however, having gone down,everyone pays attention to the remains - the skeletons of saints. The crypt is rather dark, giving the impression of an otherworldly world.

Cathedral Dome

The dome of St. Peter's Cathedral is one of the largest in Europe. It rests on four massive pillars decorated with stucco and sculptures.

There are loggias above the pillars, where relics used to be kept. Under each of the relics, a corresponding statue of the saint was erected.

Sculpture of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called - a man who holds a bar of wood and calls to Heaven. On his face is an expression of anguish and suffering.

Another statue - Holy Queen Elena Equal to the Apostles. She holds a huge cross - a symbol of Faith. Her second hand is directed towards the viewer, her face is calm and peaceful.

The sculpture of St. Veronica conveys a completely different mood. In her posture - dynamics, movement. Saint Veronica is holding a cloth in her hands, which she gave to Jesus so that he would wipe his face. She seems to be handing it over, and in the expression of her face there is determination and confidence. The fourth column is decorated with a statue of Saint Longinus. The saint looks menacingly stern, in one of his hands is a spear. The other hand extends to the side. You can read anger and a thirst for justice in his pose.

Tombstone floor. Sculpture "Moses"

St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and its tombstones are the most breathtaking in the whole temple. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that in one of the halls of the Cathedral the floor is a series of tombstones.

When you step on it, you feel incredible excitement,feeling of holiness and connection with the Almighty.

Inside the temple - a lot of frescoes, mosaic paintings on the floors, ceilings, walls … Everywhere is surrounded by high art - images of biblical scenes.

The sculpture of Moses is one of the favorite places for tourists. This statue depicts an Old Testament hero who led his people out of the wilderness and became a great savior for Christians. In the folds of his mantle, in his facial expression, in the tense muscles of his arms, one feels excitement, responsibility for all of humanity. In his pose - readiness for the blows of fate, the desire to resist fate. The thick beard is sculpted so realistically that it looks like it is real hair. She gives Moses a stern look that momentarily makes him even scared.

Sculptures of the Right Nave

The famous marble Pieta, created by Michelangelo's hands, is a world masterpiece of art. The sculpture, as if alive, makes one feel a sense of sorrow, quiet grief for the dying Christ. The folds of fabric, the smooth face of the Virgin Mary - all this looks so realistic that it seems as if, having overcome many centuries, they suddenly found themselves in the hall, and we have just become involuntary spectators of the tragedy that has occurred. The eyelids of the Virgin Mary are lowered, she closed her eyes from grief. In the pose of Christ - striking helplessness. This sculpture - very strong psychologically and emotionally - was created over the years, and the slightest mistake could lead to the loss of form and the whole idea. However, the master Michelangelo created her so tender and sad that she looks truly alive.

Not far from Pieta is the Tomb of Matilda of Tuscany, decorated with a sculpture of a warrior woman and several cupids at her feet. This piece of art was created by the sculptor Bernini.

Sistine Chapel

One of the most famous frescoes in world art is the Sistine Chapel created by Michelangelo. The largest painting at that time in terms of scale adorned the largest cathedral in the world - St. Peter's Cathedral. At that time, Julius II was the Pope. He invited the young Michelangelo to do this work. He did not yet have sufficient skills in painting, but agreed and set to work. Today, in order to study this fresco in detail, it will take more than five hours. The variety of lines, folds of fabric on the figures and plots of the Bible captures and does not let you look away. You can see both Christ crucified on the cross and scenes from the Old Testament… For example, the creation of the World, the creation of Adam and Eve, the separation of water from land, the expulsion of people from Paradise, Noah sacrificing, the frightened Delphic Sibyl, the prophets…

In the corners of the chapel are the oldest passages from the Bible: David and Goliath, the Bronze Serpent, Judith and Holofernes, Haman's Punishment.

The chapel has been restored several times, but has not lost its beauty and integrity of the composition.