Vatican City, Borgo & Prati - Rome - page 331

Just beyond the chapel, the grandiose monument to Gregory XIII sits near the Cappella Gregori-
ana , built by Gregory XIII from designs by Michelangelo. The outstanding work here is
the 12th-century fresco of the Madonna del Soccorso (Madonna of Succour), which was
moved from the original basilica in 1578.
Much of the right-hand transept is roped off but from outside you can still see the monu-
ment to Clement XIII , one of Antonio Canova's most famous works.
Interior - Central Nave
Dominating the centre of the basilica is Bernini's 29m-high baldachin . Supported by four
spiral columns and made with bronze taken from the Pantheon, it stands over the papal al-
tar, also known as the Altar of the Confession, which itself sits on the site of St Peter's
grave. The pope is the only priest permitted to serve at the high altar. In front, the elabor-
ate Confessione , built by Carlo Maderno, is where St Peter was originally buried.
Above the baldachin, Michelangelo's dome rises to a height of 119m. Based on
Brunelleschi's cupola in Florence, this towering masterpiece is supported by four stone
piers that rise around the papal altar. They are named after the saints whose statues adorn
their Bernini-designed niches - Longinus, Helena, Veronica and Andrew - and decorated
with reliefs depicting the Reliquie Maggiori (Major Relics): the lance of St Longinus,
which he used to pierce Christ's side; the cloth of St Veronica, which bears a miraculous
image of Christ; and a piece of the True Cross, collected by St Helena.
At the base of the Pier of St Longinus , to the right as you face the papal altar, is a much-
loved bronze statue of St Peter , whose right foot has been worn down by centuries of
caresses. It is believed to be a 13th-century work by Arnolfo di Cambio. On the Feast Day
of St Peter and St Paul (29 June), the statue is dressed in papal robes.
Behind the altar in the tribune at the end of the basilica, the throne of St Peter (1665) is the
centrepiece of Bernini's extraordinary Cattedra di San Pietro . In the middle of the elaborate
gilded-bronze throne, supported by statues of Sts Augustine, Ambrose, Athanasius and
John Chrysostom, is a wooden seat, which was once thought to have been St Peter's but in
fact dates to the 9th century. Above, rays of yellow light shine through a gaudy window,
framed by a gilded mass of golden angels and in whose central pane flies a dove (repres-
enting the Holy Spirit).
To the right of the throne, Bernini's monument to Urban VIII depicts the pope flanked by the
figures of Charity and Justice.
Interior - Left Nave