Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Surmounted by fifteen 7m-high statues - Christ with St John the Baptist, John the Evan-
gelist and the 12 Apostles - Alessandro Galilei's monumental white facade is a mid- 18th-
century work of late-baroque classicism, designed to convey the infinite authority of the
Church. Behind the colossal columns, there are five sets of doors into the basilica from the
portico. The central
bronze doors
were moved here from the Curia in the Roman Forum
while, on the far right, the carved
Holy Door
is only opened in Jubilee years.
The Interior
The interior has been revamped on numerous occasions , although it owes much of its
present look to Francesco Borromini, who was called in by Pope Innocent X to decorate it
for the 1650 Jubilee. Divided into a central nave and four minor aisles, it's a breathtaking
sight, measuring 130m (length) by 55.6m (width) by 30m (height). Up above, the spectac-
ular gilt
ceiling
was created at different times, but the central section, which is set around
Pope Pius IV's carved coat of arms, dates to the 1560s. Beneath your feet, the beautiful in-
laid mosaic
floor
was laid down by Pope Martin V in 1425.
The central nave is lined with 18th-century sculptures of the apostles, each 4.6m high
and each set in a heroic pose in its own dramatic niche. At the head of the nave, the poin-
ted Gothic
baldachin
that rises over the papal altar is one of the few features that survived
Borromini's 17th-century facelift. It's a dramatic work, set atop four columns and decor-
ated with pictures of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and the saints. Up top, behind a grille are the
remaining relics of the heads of St Peter and St Paul. In front of the altar, a double stair-
case leads down to the
confessio
,
which houses the Renaissance tomb of Pope Martin V.
Behind the altar, the massive apse is decorated with sparkling mosaics, parts of which
date to the 4th century, but most of which were added in the 19th century.
The Cloister
To the left of the altar, the beautiful
cloister
MAP
(admission €3, with audioguide €5; 9am-6pm)
was built by the Vassalletto family in the 13th century. It's a lovely, peaceful place with
graceful Cosmatesque twisted columns set around a central garden. These columns were
once completely covered with inlaid marble mosaics, remnants of which can still be seen.
Lining the ambulatories are marble fragments of the original basilica, including the re-
mains of a 5th-century papal throne and inscriptions of two papal bulls.
