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[Rome Vatican Tour] Top 3 Recommended Artworks in St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica, a late Renaissance church with the participation of architects including Michelangelo!
I'll explain the top 3 recommended works of St. Peter's Basilica~
St. Peter's Basilica was built on the site of Peter's tomb.
It is the largest cathedral in the world.
The greatest artists of the time, Bramante, Raphael, Michelangelo, Bernini, etc.
As this is a sacred cathedral completed by the hands of many artists, there is much to see.
Among them, I will tell you about the must-see things.

🌹 Michelangelo Buonarroti's

The first must-see piece in St. Peter's Basilica is
A young artist from Florence who was still relatively unknown in Rome,
This is
the Pieta that catapulted 24-year-old Michelangelo to stardom .
Pieta is a painting depicting the Virgin Mary holding the body of her dead son Jesus and grieving.
The expressions of Mary and Jesus, transcending extreme pain and sorrow into serenity and peace, are truly something you must see in person.
Originally, this work was not for St. Peter's Cathedral.
It should have gone to the French cardinal who commissioned the work, but
The piece had nowhere to go as the owner died early.
Michelangelo, a young man who had to return to his hometown of Florence,
I thought it would be well kept here in St. Peter's Cathedral, so I left it there secretly.
After that, a rumor began to spread in Rome that 'an angel had left a piece of sculpture in St. Peter's Basilica.'
It's a beautiful piece, and people might say that, but
The details of the carving are so delicate that it is hard to believe it is made of marble.
It's hard to believe that people carved this out of stone.
In fact, Michelangelo even attempted to dissect corpses to achieve these elaborate expressions.
People were amazed at the sight of the Pieta, but soon became curious.
"Who created this great statue?"
But instead of Michelangelo, the name of a completely different sculptor from Milan named 'Gopbo' begins to be mentioned.
Upon hearing this, Michelangelo took a chisel and a hammer and hid in the cathedral to show off that it was his work.
And Michelangelo is in a position that no one can object to,
He begins to carve his name into the crevice of the string that runs across the Virgin Mary's chest.
MICHEL ANGELUS BONAROTUS FLORENT FACIBAT (made by Michelangelo Buonarroti from Florence)
And before Michelangelo, who was stepping forward in high spirits, the beautiful Roman sky spread out before him.
I thought, 'God created all these beautiful things and didn't put his signature anywhere.'
Afterwards, he said, 'Even God, who created this world, did not leave his name behind, so what can I leave behind?'
It is said that Michelangelo never signed again.
So this Pieta is the work that officially made Michelangelo's name famous.
It is also the only work of Michelangelo that bears his signature.

🌹 Cupola

The second major work is .
This cupola, which is 132.5 meters high and has an internal diameter of approximately 42.56 meters, was designed by Michelangelo.
If you climb up this cupola, you can see the Vatican City and the city of Rome at a glance.
Sparkling with mosaics depicting angels and saints of heaven,
There are mosaics and portraits of the four major gospel authors: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
You might be thinking, 'Isn't Michelangelo a sculptor?' and you are right.
Michelangelo, who was multi-talented, introduced himself as a sculptor until his death,
He also showed his genius as an 'architect' by designing the Capitoline Square in Rome and the cupola right here.
However, when he was entrusted with the design of the cupola, Michelangelo was already 70 years old.
Pope Paul III will pay you any amount of compensation, so I ask you to take charge of this project.
Michelangelo was already seventy years old, the age for retirement.
You can serve God until you die, regardless of the pay.
He said he was happy to do this work and readily accepted it.
​16 windows were installed to distribute the weight of the cupola while also allowing for natural lighting.
Every corner of the huge cathedral is illuminated by the ever-changing direction of sunlight.
This is a place with a spectacular view of the interior of the cathedral.

🌹 Gian Lorenzo Bernini

The third major work is Bernini's Baldacchino .
Baldacchino means 'Canopy' in English.
That is, we are talking about an architectural structure with a cover.
In cathedrals, it is often installed on the main altar.
The baldacchino of St. Peter's Basilica is a whopping 29 meters high and weighs 37 tons.
It is a huge baldacchino, the largest in the world.
If the cupola is a symbol of the Renaissance era,
This baldacchino is a symbol of the Baroque.
It was built over 120 years, so it was built during the Renaissance period.
It ended in the Baroque period.
📌
Baldacchino​​
The four pillars represent a human figure ascending to heaven, facing the sky like a whirlwind. Inside, there is a dove representing the Holy Spirit, above it is a symbol of Peter, and angels support the keys and the triple crown symbolizing the authority of the Pope.
It is so grand and splendid that it makes me feel awe without me knowing it,
At the time, I received a lot of criticism from people.
Pope Urban VIII, who commissioned the baldacchino, insisted that the altar be made of bronze.
At that time, bronze was a very difficult material to obtain, so its price was very high.
All the missing materials were collected from ruins all over Rome.
Even the bronze that had decorated the ceiling of the corridor in front of the Pantheon was all removed.
Thanks to this, at that time in Rome, Pope Urban VIII's family name was the Barberini family, making fun of it.
He lamented, saying, "Bernini did something that even Barbarians, meaning barbarians, did not do."
​But at the same time, it is understandable that he wanted to create such a wonderful altar.
This is because the purpose of this baldacchino is not just to be a magnificent altar.
Below this altar, go down the stairs decorated with 99 candles.
There is actually a tomb of Saint Peter.
This very altar is also the place that protects the remains of Saint Peter.

Wondering how to do a self-guided Vatican tour?

If you're wondering how to do the Vatican tour, which is a must-do when traveling to Rome?
Not only will local Italian guides tell you directly,
From key attractions recommended for your trip to Rome to hidden spots that travelers often miss!
An in-depth introduction to the true charm of Rome!
Top 3 Tours in Rome
Tour the Colosseum and understand ancient Rome!
          
 
Vatican + Sistine Chapel + St. Peter's Basilica Tour with an Italian certified guide!
          
 
Pantheon, Architecture of Legend
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