The Vatican: St Peter's Basilica

The Swiss Guard at the Vatican

        We gathered in St. Peter's square waiting for all our members to leave the Sistine Chapel.  Renata went down the line checking off her roster as we admired the surroundings.  Normally, the square would be vacant but today chairs were set out for a presentation in the evening.  We all spoke about how claustrophobic the Chapel had been and how wonderful it felt to be outside.  I am sure that when the cardinals meet, there is enough air conditioning to make everyone feel comfortable.  It was amazing to see such an ongoing crowd in this small space.  The last time I felt this claustrophobic was at the end of the football game between the Florida Gators and the Alabama Crimson Tide leaving Swamp stadium.

     We walked down towards the obelisk until we saw the entrance of the cathedral.

Everyone who left the Sistine Chapel was now getting their cameras out to take pictures of the square and the greatest church in Christendom.  It was built on the site of St Peter's tomb and commemorates Peter as the first pope.  Rebuilt in the Renaissance, St Peter's Basilica endures as the center of the Roman Catholicism.

We walk forward to see the central door.

St. Paul  with his sword and St Peter giving the keys of the church.

St. Peter crucified upside down.

         The central door known as the "Filarete Door" was completed in 1455.  Pope Eugene IV commissioned the Florentine, Antonio Averulino, to make the two bronze plates.  The six panels show the process by which the church became the center of Christian life.  The two panels on this door show St. Paul with his sword and St. Peter giving the keys of the church to Pope Eugene IV. It is like a comic book using every part of the the door to tell the story.  It requires someone to stand for at least an hour to see it all come to life, but as usual we were hustled along.  At least we got to take a picture of this magnificent portal.
          The original St. Peter's church was built by Constantine the Great three hundred years after the death of St. Peter.  A huge red rock had been placed over his grave symbolizing his name.  Later a shrine replaced the rock, then basilica replaced the shrine.   It was built in the shape of a Latin cross consisting of a long nave and two wide isles on either side.  The entrance had a large colonnaded atrium. During the time that the pope lived in Avignon, France in the 14th century, the church was neglected and was in great need of repair.  Pope Julius II made the decision to demolish the old basilica and replace it with a much more elaborate structure. He hoped to house his own tomb there.  A competition was held for the design of the basilica. The selected design called of a shape of a Greek Cross like the Pantheon Temple.  It would be supported by four large piers in the center that would hold a large dome.  Michelangelo at the age of 80 began working on the plans for this dome.  He wanted to build a similar dome like the Brunelleschi dome in Florence but make it higher.  He lived long enough to build the drum base of the dome before he died in 1564.  Giacomo della Porta took over using Michelangelo's plans and finished this extraordinary dome.  As time went by the architects returned to the idea of adopting the format of the Latin Cross so the lengthened the nave.  For the next 120 years the combined efforts of 21 popes resulted in the magnificent structure we have today covering six acres!
        Materials for this enormous amount of building were gathered from the Colosseum and other old Roman buildings that were in disrepair throughout the city.  Also funding for the builders was obtained through a clever fund raising scheme of allowing rich patrons to buy indulgences to lessen their time in purgatory. This enraged an Augustinian priest by the name of Martin Luther who wrote a paper arguing against "the selling of indulgences" which sparked the Reformation.  Non-the-less, the Vatican got its funding and continued to build the state of the art largest Catholic Basilica in the world!

The Nave

           Angela told us as we got to the entrance that the basilica is shaped like a cross with the long nave extending from the back to the front altar. It was at least the length of a football field!  The nave  led us to the central dome above supported by four  piers. The barrel-vault, the highest of any church. Below the space opened up to house the central altar.  The nave is framed by wide aisles which have a number of chapels off to the sides. There are also chapels surrounding the dome. The church has the capacity to hold 60 thousand standing worshipers! It is huge but the chapels offer intimate space for those who want to celebrate mas or find a place to pray and meditate.
          We walked forward down the nave with our jaws gaping at the beauty within.  We moved toward the light of the central dome designed by Michelangelo that was above the central altar.  A we walked we looked up at the beautiful gold design of the ceiling.

The supporting arches and pillars were also exquisite and they are seven feet high!  Along the arches and in niches there were sculptured figures of angels and saints.

        We were drawn to the center altar which looked very interesting in the center of the large opening below the dome.  Angela said that it was a canopy called a bladacchino, and it was designed by a famous artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini.  This structure is 98 feet tall claimed to be the largest piece of bronze in the world.  It surrounds the altar where the Eucharist is kept. The canopy was made to resemble the cover above the pope when he is in procession.  The four columns in their twisted shape are modeled like those of the Temple of Jerusalem. Bernini decorated these with laurel leaves and bees which were the emblem of Pope Urban.  Directly below this altar is the tomb of St. Peter.
 

Central Altar area

Central Altar

        Right above the altar was Michelangelo's magnificent dome.

       The great dome soars above the altar and the baldacchino, embellished with mosaic and stucco ornaments. It is supported by four structural piers with a perimeter of 71 m. and rises to a height of 120 m. from the ground to the roof of the lantern.  The giant letters on a gold background, from St. Veronica to St. Helen, say: "From here a single faith shines throughout the world;" and from St. Longinus to St. Andrew: "From here is born the unity of the priesthood."   In the four spandrels which link the square piers and the circular drum, the four Evangelists are portrayed in medallions with a diameter of 8.5m.: Matthew with the ox, Mark with the lion, Luke with the angel and John with the eagle.
       Around the base of the drum we can read the solemn words from Matthew's Gospel with which Jesus invests Peter with supreme authority. The text reads: "You are 'Rock' and on this rock I will build my Church, to you I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven." Mt 16:18).   The gigantic black letters (2 m. high) of this text on a gold background are lit by the light from 16 large windows, typical of Michelangelo's style, which punctuate the drum. Above the windows, the dome is divided into sixteen ribs and as many segments, decorated by majestic figures on six ascending concentric levels.  Michelangelo died before the dome was complete.  His plans were followed by Giacomo de Porta in 1590.  

We continue to walk all the way to the apse of the church where we see the altar with the tribune chair of St. Peter.

As we walk a bit closer we see the magnificent work of Benini again as he has wrapped the original wood of the chair in bronze to keep for all time.

The sunburst at the top with the sculptures are breathtaking!

       The apse is at the end of the central nave. In the center we saw the Altar  and the Chair of Peter, a masterpiece which is unmistakably the work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1659).   Every year on February 22, the Church celebrates the feast of the Chair of St. Peter, to commemorate St. Peter's teaching in Rome. In fact, it is a throne in which fragments of acacia wood are visible, which could be part of the chair of St. Peter, encased in oak and reinforced with iron bands. Several rings facilitated its transportation during processions. Pope Alexander VII commissioned Bernini to build a monument which would give prominence to this ancient wooden chair. Bernini built a throne in gilded bronze, richly ornamented with bas-reliefs in which the chair was enclosed: two pieces of furniture, one within the other. On January 17, 1666 it was solemnly set above the altar.
         The base of the altar is made of black and white marble from Aquitaine and red jasper from Sicily. Four gigantic statues (about 5 m. tall) in gilded bronze surround the Chair which looks almost as if it were suspended amidst the clouds. The two outer statues are figures of two Doctors of the Latin Church: St. Ambrose and St. Augustine; the two inner statues, with bare heads, are of two Doctors of the Greek Church: St. Athanasius and St. John Chrysostom. These saints represent the catholicity of the Church and at the same time, the consistency of the theologians' teaching with the doctrine of the Apostles.    Above the Chair are two angels bearing the tiara and keys, symbols of the Roman pontiff's authority. On the Chair, are three bas-reliefs picked out in gold, which refer to the same number of Gospel episodes: the Consignment of the keys, Feed my sheep, and the Washing of the feet.
         The whole composition is crowned by the fantastic gilt and stucco Gloria peopled by a host of angels among rays of light and gigantic billowing clouds. In their midst is the precious window of Bohemian glass, divided into twelve sections as a tribute to the Twelve Apostles; a brilliant dove stands out against it, the symbol of the Holy Spirit.
        Angela now let us go on our own and told us that we would meet at the Piata near the front entrance in thirty minutes.  There was so much to see so we dashed here and there taking pictures of everything in sight.
     I looked above and took a picture of a side portico with the huge sculpture figures on each side.

The last niche was given to S.t Lucy Fippini who founded religious studies seen above on right. This is one of 38 saints that are shown as sculptures in niches around the basilica.

The Pope Pius VIII is show kneeling, accompanied by a statue of Christ enthroned, with statues of Sts. Peter and Paul. The allegories are Prudence and Justice.
He was imprisoned in 1808 during the French domination of Italy for refusing to take the oath of allegiance to Napoleon. Later when Napoleon was sent to Elba, the pope visited him and assisted him in his spiritual needs.

In one corner of a chapel stood Pope Pius XII who said,  "Nothing is lost in peace, all can be lost with war." in an effort to end World War II.  The altar is that of St. Sebastian.

Chapel of St. Sebastian

    
          The Chapel of St. Sebastian, named after the subject of the mosaic above the altar.  St. Sebastian was and early Christian Saint and martyr who was killed under the Roman emperor Diocletian.  He was shot with arrows, but was rescued and healed by Irene of Rome.  He criticized Diocletian in person and as a result was clubbed to death.  He is popular with soldiers and athletes who often wear his medal.  He is the "Patron of Sports." The mosaic was completed by Pier Paolo Cristofari after a drawing by Domenico Zampieri, better known as Domenichino (1581-1641). Below the altar the body of Bl. Innocent XI (1676-1689) is preserved in a crystal casket.

        Altar of Jerome who is known for translating the bible from Greek to Latin. The painting by Domenichino is of the Last Communion of St. Jerome. Next to the 93-year old saint, St. Paul can be seen bending to kiss his hand, and a lion, its paws tucked under it. Under the Altar of St. Jerome is the resting site for the body of Pope John XXIII.

The Altar of Falsehood

The Altar of Falshood:  After lying to St Peter, Saphira fell to the ground before the Apostle; in the background two young men carry the dead body of her husband, Ananias.  The story goes that the fist followers of Jesus did not consider their possessions to be their own, but held that all things in common in order to use what they had on behalf of those in want. Kind of like communism with a small "C."  Ananias and Sapphira sold their land, but withheld a portion of the profit.  Ananias presented this donation to Peter as the complete amount for the sale.  Peter replied that he had lied to the Holy Spirit!  Peter said that he, Ananias, was in charge of the money and could give what he could but that he lied about the sale.  Ananias died on the spot and was carried out.  The same happened to his wife Sapphira who withheld the actual price of the land, and she also died on the spot.  Peter pointed out that when you lie, you also lie to God and he will strike you dead.  That would certainly be convincing to anyone not to lie!

The Altar of Trnsfiguration

       The Altar of Transfiguration was a mosaic of a painting by Rafael.  One of the most beautiful mosaics in St. Peter's, this altarpiece is a reproduction of Raphael's 'deathbed' painting, now in the Vatican Museum.    Giulio de' Medici commissioned the painting for the the French Cathedral of Narbonne, but it remained in Rome in San Pietro in Montorio after 1523. A team of six artists took nine years to execute the mosaic, finishing in 1767.  Napoleon had it taken to Paris, and it was brought back to the Vatican in 1815. 

       The composition of the Transfiguration is divided into two distinct parts: the Miracle of the Possessed Boy on a lower level; and the Transfiguration of Christ on Mount Tabor, in the background. The transfigured Christ floats in an aura of light and clouds above the hill, accompanied by Moses and Elijah. Below, on the ground, are his disciples. Some are dazzled by the light of glory, others are in prayer. The gestures of the crowd beholding at the miracle link the two parts together: the raised hands of the crowd converge toward the figure of Christ. In this very grand composition Raphael has summed up all the elements present in the best of contemporary painting.

The Presentation Altar

         This is the Presentation Altar.  The mosaic is a picture of Mary's parents presenting their daughter in the Temple.

     Below the altar, is a crystal coffin containing the body of St. Pius X (1904-1914).   The body is dressed in pontifical robes, while the face and hands are covered with silver. The world greatly admired his wisdom and firm government. He helped restore Christian life by issuing wise laws on the religious education of children, youths and adults. His catechism gives clear answers to many religious questions. He allowed young children to take Communion, promoted the practice of daily communion as a source of virtue and holiness, he reformed the liturgy in the Missal and Breviary as well as sacred music and Gregorian chant. He fought against and condemned modernism which is still the cause of many evils according to him. He was, however, unable to convince the reigning monarch and heads of state of his era to avoid the conflict that would shed blood throughout Europe for four long years as World War I.

         This, one of the most famous papal monuments in St. Peter's, is the masterpiece of the 80-year old Bernini.   The door under the monument leads to an exit of the basilica that is why you see people going under it.
         Pope Alexander VII  commissioned Bernini to create his monument.  It depicts the Pontiff, kneeling and absorbed in prayer. He is not disturbed by the sudden appearance of Death, who, raising a heavy pall, brandishing an hour-glass to indicate that time has passed. Bernini was assisted by other artist as well.  The four statues represent the virtues practiced by the Pontiff: in the foreground is Charity, by G. Mazzuoli, with a child in her arms, and Truth, by Morelli and Cartari, who sets a foot on a map of the world, and precisely on England where the Pope sought in vain to quell the growth of Anglicanism; on the second level is Prudence, by G. Cartari, and Justice, by L. Balestri.

By now we are going back to the door from which we entered and we wanted to see the chapel of the Baptistry before meeting in front of the Piata.

The Baptistry Chapel

        
        This chapel was designed by Carlo Fontana. The main altarpiece (1722) is from an original painting by Maratta (1698).    The superb gilded cover rests on a porphyry sarcophagus cover used by the Emperor Otto II, and believed to derive from the tomb of Emperor Hadrian.  The original 5th century font, which dates back to Pope Damasus.  It was replaced by a sarcophagus used as a font.  Then in the 17th century by it was replaced again to this the present day by the  font whose red porphyry basin was made from an ornament on an ancient pagan sepulcher.  Later it was used to cover the sarcophagus of Otto II who died in 983. Which all goes to show covers have many uses!

Michelangelo's Pieta

           We looked across from the nave to see the Chapel of the Pieta. Several of our tour group was gathered there and I could see Angela's lollipop #19 high in the air.  We took our time to get to the front to see the beautiful work of art sculpted by Michelangelo when he was only 24 years of age. We couldn't get any closer because it was in cased behind glass.  A while back someone with a deranged mind attacked the sculpture damaging parts of it before he was wrested to the ground.  It was restored and now it is behind plexiglass.
           With this magnificent statue Michelangelo has given us a highly spiritual and Christian view of human suffering. Artists before and after Michelangelo always depicted the Virgin with the dead Christ in her arms as grief stricken, almost on the verge of desperation. Michelangelo, on the other hand, created a highly supernatural feeling.    As she holds Jesus' lifeless body on her lap, the Virgin's face emanates sweetness, serenity and a majestic acceptance of this immense sorrow.  It seems almost as if Jesus is about to reawaken from a tranquil sleep and after so much suffering.  As we contemplate the Pieta which conveys peace and tranquility, we can feel that the great sufferings of life and its pain can be mitigated.
           Michelangelo had been criticized for having portrayed the Virgin Mary as too young since she actually must have been around 45-50 years old when Jesus died. He answered that he did so deliberately because he felt that the effects of time could not mar the virginal features of this, the most blessed of women. He also said that he was thinking of his own mother's face, he was only five when she died: the mother's face is a symbol of eternal youth.
           Having just celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary this youthful Mary sent John and me out  with a rejuvenated skip and a hop as we left the beautiful Basilica!

The Swiss Guard

         As we were leaving the Vatican City, we spotted the Swiss Guards that stand in command to protect the city.  The Vatican City is the smallest independent state in the world.  It has an area of 110 acres and a population of about 840 people.    It is ruled by the Bishop of Rome who is also the Pope.  It became an independent state in 1929 by the Lateran Treaty signed by Cardinal Gasparri on behalf of Pope Pius XI and Benito Mussolini on behalf of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy.  According to the treaty certain properties of the "Holy See" are located in Italian territory such as the Papal Palace of Castle Gandorfo and major basilicas.  These enjoy a status like embassies.  These are controlled by the police agents of the Vatican City State not Italian police. St. Peter's Square, however, is policed by both.
        The Pontifical Swiss Guard was founded by Pope Julius II in 1506 as personal bodyguards to the Pope.  In 2005 The Guard had 134 members.   Recruitment is arranged by a special agreement between the "Holy See" and Switzerland.   All guards must be Catholic, unmarried males with Swiss citizenship who have completed their basic training with the Swiss Army between the ages of 19  to 30 years of age.  They must be at least 5ft. 9 in. They are trained in bodyguard tactics and small fire  arms.  There is another group that acts as a police force called the Gendamerie Corps.  They keep public order and enforce traffic rules.
         So we leave the Vatican by way of the gift shop.  Like Disneyland everything ends in the gift shop!  We look around at all the lovely rosaries, medallions and figurines.  I decide I would buy a figurine of the Virgin Mary for my Mother who just turn 100 years of age and would love to have  it to put on her bed side table.

A gift

They pack it up for me with bubble wrap so that it would last through the rest of our trip.  Happily we boarded the bus for the long ride after a very long day. We thanked Angela for her knowledge and direction and settled into our seats.  We all seemed to glow just a bit having taken a great deal of knowledge and blessings from these wonders of our modern world.