Many of the decorations in the Basilica are the work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini. [42] Sangallo's main practical contribution was to strengthen Bramante's piers which had begun to crack. The dome, modified from Michelangelo’s design, was finally completed at the insistence of Sixtus V (1585–90), and Gregory XIV (1590–91) ordered the erection of the lantern above it. On 23 December 1950, in his pre-Christmas radio broadcast to the world, Pope Pius XII announced the discovery of Saint Peter's tomb. Saint Peter's Basilica is built upon what some historians believe to be Saint Peter's ancient remains. His reign was frustrated by political problems and when he died, little had been achieved. The name Peter is "Petrus" in Latin and "Petros" in Greek, deriving from "petra" which means "stone" or "rock" in Greek, and is the literal translation of the Aramaic "Kepa", the name given to Simon by Jesus. Only Saint Longinus is the work of Bernini. [34] In 1505 Julius made a decision to demolish the ancient basilica and replace it with a monumental structure to house his enormous tomb and "aggrandize himself in the popular imagination". Construction of the current basilica, over the old Constantinian basilica, began on 18 April 1506 and finished in 1615. [22] The dome's soaring height placed it among the tallest buildings of the Old World, and it continues to hold the title of tallest dome in the world. The European mean time clock only shows an hour hand and it is about half an hour behind the rome time. It was decided to be built on the place of St Peter's burial site which was inside of a cemetery. To this end an order was issued which stated that "all work should take a second seat to that of the campanile." Post-Modernism has seen free adaptations of St Peter's in the Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń, and the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro. The reasons for this, according to James Lees-Milne, are that it was not given enough consideration by the Pope and committee because of the desire to get the building completed quickly, coupled with the fact that Maderno was hesitant to deviate from the pattern set by Michelangelo at the other end of the building. [44] The obelisk and Maderno's fountain mark the widest axis of the ellipse. From the left: St. Thadeus, St. Matthew, St. Philip, St. Thomas, St. James the Greater, St. John the Baptist, The Redeemer, St. Andrew, St. John the Evangelist, St. James the Lesser, St. Bartholomew, St. Simeon, and St. Matthias. [25], The other object in the old square with which Bernini had to contend was a large fountain designed by Maderno in 1613 and set to one side of the obelisk, making a line parallel with the facade. [2][5], Catholic tradition holds that the basilica is the burial site of Saint Peter, chief among Jesus's apostles and also the first Bishop of Rome (Pope). One of the matters that influenced their thinking was the Counter-Reformation which increasingly associated a Greek Cross plan with paganism and saw the Latin Cross as truly symbolic of Christianity. "[citation needed]. Because of its location within the Vatican State and because the projection of the nave screens the dome from sight when the building is approached from the square in front of it, the work of Michelangelo is best appreciated from a distance. The author speaks frankly about the role of building such an edifice to solidify the authority and grandeur of the One true church. Bramante's plan for the dome of St. Peter's (1506) follows that of the Pantheon very closely, and like that of the Pantheon, was designed to be constructed in Tufa Concrete for which he had rediscovered a formula. Michelangelo contributed to most of the design for the St. Peters basilica, although the old St. Peters basilica was created during Constantine's power. 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