Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
History
The original St Peter's - which lies beneath the current basilica - was commissioned by
the emperor Constantine and built around 349 on the site where St Peter is said to have
been buried. But like many medieval churches, it eventually fell into disrepair and it
wasn't until the mid-15th century that efforts were made to restore it, first by Pope Nich-
olas V and then, rather more successfully, by Julius II. In 1506 Bramante came up with a
design for a basilica based on a Greek-cross plan, with four equal arms and a huge central
dome. It was an audacious plan and when building eventually began, Bramante attracted
fierce criticism for destroying the old basilica and many of its Byzantine mosaics and fres-
coes.
