Seven Architects Behind the 120-Year Construction of St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica, located in Vatican City and constructed atop St. Peter's burial site, spanned 120 years and required the expertise of seven architects under the direction of 21 popes. The project was initiated by Pope Julius II in 1506 to replace an earlier basilica from the 4th century. Donato Bramante began with a Greek cross design but passed away in 1514. Raphael, who took over in the same year, modified the design to a Latin cross before his death in 1520. In 1536, Antonio da Sangallo the Younger succeeded him but faced backlash, dying in 1546. Michelangelo, appointed in 1546, redesigned the dome and died in 1564. Giacomo della Porta finalized the dome, and Carlo Maderno extended the nave, completing the basilica, which was consecrated by Pope Urban VIII. Gian Lorenzo Bernini was responsible for the design of Piazza San Pietro.
Key facts
- St. Peter's Basilica took 120 years to build and involved 21 popes and seven principal architects.
- Pope Julius II (1503–1513) commissioned the replacement of the 4th-century Constantinian basilica over St. Peter's tomb.
- Donato Bramante began work in 1506 with a Greek cross plan and died in 1514.
- Raphael changed Bramante's Greek cross into a Latin cross with a long nave and died at 36 in 1520.
- Antonio da Sangallo the Younger held full control from 1536 to 1546 and died with his design unrealized.
- Michelangelo led the project from 1546 to 1564, adopting Brunelleschi's double-shell dome and tension-ring chains.
- Giacomo della Porta completed the dome after Michelangelo's death, assisted by Domenico Fontana.
- Carlo Maderno elongated the nave, widened the façade with Corinthian columns, added the Loggia of the Blessings, and saw the basilica consecrated under Pope Urban VIII.
- Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed Piazza San Pietro's oval colonnade and the bronze baldachin over the high altar.
Entities
Artists
- Donato Bramante
- Raphael
- Raffaello Sanzio
- Antonio da Sangallo the Younger
- Michelangelo Buonarroti
- Giacomo della Porta
- Domenico Fontana
- Carlo Maderno
- Gian Lorenzo Bernini
- Pietro Bernini
- Filippo Brunelleschi
- Giovanni Paolo Panini
- Lorenzo de' Medici
- Antonio da Labacco
Institutions
- St. Peter's Basilica
- Catholic Church
- Vatican City
- The Collector
- Wikimedia Commons
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Florence Cathedral
- Ca' Rezzonico
Locations
- Vatican City
- Rome
- Italy
- Urbino
- Milan
- Florence
- Piazza San Pietro
- Venice
- New York