December 6, 2013: St. Peter's Square and Basilica

I previously posted about St. Peter's Basilica located in the Vatican City. Before, we had the chance to visit the crypt under the church, the mosaic studio, as well as the "hidden" room located above the actual church. Today, we again found ourselves at St. Peters; however, this time, we got to experience the church in all of its glory. We began our lecture in front of obelisk which is a tall, pointed needle type structure. This obelisk is located in the large space that spans the front of the church. What is so unique about this obelisk is that it came form the circus where Peter was martyred. This particular circus would have been located just to the left of where St. Peter's Basilica stands today. It is now thought that this obelisk is a "silent witness" to the martyrdom of Peter.

Sorry Dr. Colombo... It was just such a good shot! 

When we were able to go into the hidden room in St. Peter's, there was the model above of St. Peters. In the middle of the court yard you can see this obelisk. Being able to enter the basilica was also amazing. The size of the building, as well as the art is beyond words. It is clear why it took over 100 years, and several architects to complete construction. 

Reflection #1:

I would like to go into more detail about two particular items we learned about today. The first is the design of the basilica, and the second is the pieta statue. 

The design of the basilica is very specific. The building was originally supposed to be in the shape of a greek cross. A greek cross is one that all lengths of the cross are equal. This was the design under Donato Bramante, Baldassarre Peruzzi, and Michelangelo.  Michelangelo also had the idea to create the dome we see on top. He was inspired by the dome found in the Pantheon; however, Michelangelo made one critical change. He increased the height and added windows to the design. This simple, yet revolutionary design represented the fact that God takes on humanity, and that his light and grace reigns down on the body of Christ rather than humans transcending humanity.

Dome at St. Peter

After Michelangelo’s death, the greek cross structure was pushed aside, and instead Carlo Maderno lengthened the building to create a Latin cross. The shape of the building is not the only aspect that was carefully though out. The courtyard directly in front of the church has significance of its own. I already mentioned the fact that the obelisk represents this silent witness in the death of Peter; however, there are also columns that wrap around the court yard. These columns are made of several pillars, and on top are saints. The way in which these pillars cup the court yard represents the arms of God welcoming and greeting members of the Christian community. This embrace is basically a symbol of invitation to live a life with Jesus. 

The second item I would like to discuss is the pieta statue inside of the church. Pieta simply means mercy, and while there are several of these statues, the one found in St. Peter’s is probably the most famous. This statue was made by Michelangelo when he was only twenty-two/twenty-three. This statue shows Mary with Jesus on her lap after he was crucified; however the statue does not convey distress. Instead, it is more a representation of a mother with her child. Jesus is laying on Mary’s lap just like a baby would lay on his mothers lap, and Mary does not seem to be upset. This statue is also unique in the way that Mary’s body is completely out of proportion. Her legs are massive in order to accommodate her dead son; however one would never notice this detail because they would be so absorbed by the maternal connection between Jesus and his mother. I found this pieta particularly fascinating because the carving is able to convey so much emotion, and for Michelangelo to have completed this work at such a young age is extraordinary in itself.