Tags: rome (22 pics), italy (132 pics) St. Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica (often mistaken for a cathedral) of Saint Peter (Latin: Basilica Sancti Petri), officially known in Italian as the Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano and commonly known as St. Peter's Basilica, is located within the Vatican City. St. Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world, holding 60,000 people. It is the symbolic "Mother church" of the Catholic Church and is regarded as one of the holiest Christian sites. It has been described as "holding a unique position in the Christian world" and as "the greatest of all churches of Christendom". In Catholic tradition, it is the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and, according to tradition, first Bishop of Rome and therefore first in the line of the papal succession. Tradition and some historical evidence hold that Saint Peter's tomb is directly below the altar of the basilica. For this reason, many Popes have been interred at St Peter's since the Early Christian period. There has been a church on this site since the 4th century. Construction of the present basilica, over the old Constantinian basilica, began on Apr. 18, 1506 (506 years ago) and was completed on Nov. 18, 1626 (386 years ago). St. Peter's is famous as a place of pilgrimage, for its liturgical functions and for its historical associations. It is associated with the papacy, with the Counter-reformation and with numerous artists, most significantly Michelangelo. As a work of architecture, it is regarded as the greatest building of its age. Contrary to popular misconception, Saint Peter's is not a cathedral, as it is not the seat of a bishop. It is properly termed a papal basilica. Like all of the earliest churches in Rome, it has the entrance to the east and the apse at the west end of the building.

Navigation Previous picture Back to gallery Next picture View in fullscreen Rate this picture Click on the star to vote Download 1024x768 1152x864 - widescreen 1280x960 1440x1080 - 1080i HD 1600x1200 Use this wallpaper Set this wallpaper as homepage Comments

Users who have seen this wallpaper have also seen:

Pyramid at Louvre Museum, Paris, France

Castel Sant Angelo Bridge Rome Italy

Church in Rila Monastery

Rialto Bridge, Grand Canal, Venice, Italy

Colosseum in Rome, Italy

Random Known places pictures

Manarola, Italy

Rialto Bridge, Grand Canal, Venice, Italy

Schloss Elmau

Chong Yang Bridge

Chateau De Villandry, France

Request deletion of this wallpaper

Claim ownership of this picture