Constantine the Great at the beginning of the 4th century ordered to build a church over the grave of the Apostle Peter. This desire of the first Roman Christian emperor was explained by the fact that the tomb of the crucified apostle Peter was always revered by the followers of Christ. Construction continued for several decades under the supervision of Pope Sylvester I, and was completed in 349. The temple was named the Constantine Basilica - in honor of the emperor who initiated the construction.
In 846, the temple was plundered by Arab pirates. This event prompted Pope Leo IV to erect a defensive wall surrounding the basilica and adjacent buildings. Later, this idea was adopted for the Vatican - the papal city-state.
By the beginning of the 16th century, the basilica was very dilapidated, and it was decided that its restoration was too costly and unjustified. Despite the discontent of the townspeople, Pope Julius II ordered the destruction of the basilica and a new church erected in its place. The author of the project is Donato Bramante. The new cathedral was built for more than a century, and many great masters supervised the construction, among which Raphael and Michelangelo can be distinguished.
At the beginning of the 17th century, construction was carried out under the supervision of the architect Carlo Maderno, who, with the consent of Paul V, made fundamental changes to the structure of the temple, replacing the shape of the building from a Greek cross to a Latin one. This move has increased the capacity of St. Peter's Basilica.
The main altar is located above the tomb of the apostle, located in the center of the temple. It is located under a dome that was designed by Michelangelo. Behind you can see a throne made of ivory and wood. It is believed that Saint Peter sat on this throne as Pope. The cathedral is made in the Baroque style, the author of most of the details is Lorenzo Bernini.
Popes are buried in the dungeon of the cathedral. The last burial took place in 2005, when John Paul II died. All in all, 148 popes found their last refuge in St. Peter's Basilica.
