ST. PETER’S BASILICA WORKS: UNMISSABLE MASTERPIECES

St. Peter’s Basilica works and masterpieces of the largest Catholic church in the world.
Visiting St. Peter’s Basilica means entering the heart of Christendom, but also a building rich of art, built and decorated by many great artists of the past.

In this post I made a list of the works you must see.

St. Peter’s Basilica works: unmissable works

ST. PETER’S BASILICA WORKS TO SEE

Before entering St. Peter’s Basilica you need to know that the entrance is free of charge.
There are no entrance tickets and all you have to do is wait patiently in queue to undergo security checks.
However, you need to book your admittance ticket if you want to enter some areas of St. Peter’s Basilica, and especially to go up to the Dome and to visit the Vatican Necropolis under the Basilica, where the tombs of St. Peter and other Popes of the Catholic Church are located.

In the post  St. Peter’s Basilica tickets: skip the line and what to see you’ll find the link to book your entrance ticket to the Dome and the Necropolis, but also a link to book a guided tour, which will allow you to enter through reserved entrances.

As regards the works to see, here are the unmissable ones.

Michelangelo’s Pietà
This amazing sculpture group was carved by Michelangelo when he was just over 20 years ago.
The work was commissioned by Cardinal Jean de Bilhères to place it in the church of Santa Petronilla, but it was so beautiful that in 1571 was placed in St. Peter’s Basilica.

To find out the story and curious facts about this masterpiece, read the post Michelangelo’s Pietà: 5 things to know about the Vatican Pietà .

St. Peter’s Baldachin
In 1624 Bernini was commissioned by Urban VIII the papal Baldachin which overlooks the central nave of St. Peter’s Basilica and serves as a covering for the High Altar where only the Pope can celebrate the Mass.
To make the helical columns surrounding the altar, the bronze covering of the Pantheon’s roof was taken and completely melt to shape them.

The Chair of St. Peter
Right in the place where is the window depicting a bright dove stands the Chair of St. Peter.
The gilt bronze throne houses within it the real Chair of St. Peter and is a real masterpiece of Baroque art, because it merges architecture, figurative arts and sculpture to represent in a theatrical way a vision that has to inspire a desire for infinity in all those who enter St. Peter’s Basilica.

The Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica
Designed by Michelangelo Buonarroti, the Dome is the symbol of the Basilica but also of the city of Rome. So, going up to the Dome of St. Peter is one of the most beautiful experiences of the visit to the Basilica, because it offers a unique viewpoint over the city of Rome.
The construction of the Dome was completed in 1590; the decoration of the inner part, instead, was made between 1603 and 1613.

READ ALSO – 5 things to know about Sistine Chapel and how to book tickets