Make HowStuffWorks your homepage
St. Peter's Basilica
In 1546, Michelangelo was appointed chief architect for the
reconstruction of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy. Though aging and
in poor health, he accepted the appointment with the grace and
gratitude of a man chosen by God.
 St. Peter's Basilica is characterized by its dome that seems to tower above the building and the entire papal city. Michelangelo was the chief architect on this great work from 1546 to 1564, but the artist never saw it. See more pictures of works by Michelangelo. |
During the seventeen years that Michelangelo held the position of chief architect of St. Peter's Basilica, he restored and improved upon Bramante's original elegant design -- which had been severely altered by Antonio da Sangallo. After ridding the site of thieves and parasites, Michelangelo ensured the timely and cost-effective completion of the project. But Michelangelo's greatest achievement for St. Peter's Basilica was the majestic and exquisitely crafted dome that now dominates Rome's skyline.
Despite his repeated protests to the contrary, Michelangelo proved himself to be a pioneer of outstanding ability in architecture. He far surpassed previous masters of architecture with his innovative designs for buildings both civic and religious.
The dome of St. Peter's, the crown jewel of Rome's skyline, is also Michelangelo's crowning architectural achievement. The artist took on the ambitious commission late in his life, in 1546. He worked diligently and without pay to complete the basilica to serve his Creator and to secure the salvation of his soul.
The following pages of this article show some of the features of this great architectural work in detail.
- St. Peter's Basilica Façade by Michelangelo: Read more about the structure and project that Michelangelo took over when he was appointed chief architect of St. Peter's Basilica.
- St. Peter's Basilica Exterior by Michelangelo: See how the exterior of St. Peter's Basilica resembles that of another great architectural work by Michelangelo.
- St. Peter's Basilica Interior Nave by Michelangelo: Michelangelo took great care that the inside of the basilica matched the outside in greatness. See how on this page.
- St. Peter's Basilica Model of Dome by Michelangelo: To ensure accuracy of execution, Michelangelo built a wooden model of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. Read more about it on this page.
- St. Peter's Basilica Dome by Michelangelo: Michelangelo never saw the dome completed -- see and read more about it here.
To learn more about Michelangelo, art history, and other famous artists, see:
St. Peter's Basilica Facade by Michelangelo
The largest church in the world and a grand symbol of papal authority, St. Peter's Basilica (completed 1626) is the crowning achievement of Michelangelo's career. Michelangelo was named its chief architect at Antonio da Sangallo's death in 1546. Before then, a number of lesser architects had been involved with the project. However, the underlying plan for the structure had been conceived by Donato Bramante, who won the commission from Pope Julius II in 1506. Bramante was an inspired architect but a poor engineer, and subsequent architects had created more problems than they had solved. Michelangelo's first step was to remove some of the later construction in order to recapture Bramante's original vision. That vision was for a mighty dome to rise from the basilica, which was in the form of a Greek cross.
 St. Peter's Basilica façade (1546-64) by Michelangelo. |
Go to the next page to get a detailed view of the exterior of St. Peter's Basilica.
To learn more about Michelangelo, art history, and other famous artists, see:
St. Peter's Basilica Exterior by Michelangelo
Returning to St. Peter's Basilica's "clear, luminous" design by Bramante, Michelangelo made sure that its outer appearance was compact and well articulated. On the façade, he employed the "giant Corinthian order" already seen in his restoration of the Palazzo dei Conservatori.
 The exterior of St. Peter's Basilica (1546-64) by Michelangelo, located in the Vatican. |
Get a glimpse of St. Peter's Basilica's interior nave on the next page.
To learn more about Michelangelo, art history, and other famous artists, see:
St. Peter's Basilica Interior Nave by Michelangelo
For St. Peter's Basilica interior nave, Michelangelo ensured that the basilica's interior, the largest in the world, would be a soaring, well-lit space in spite of its gigantic, overwhelming proportions.
 The interior nave of St. Peter's Basilica (1546-64) by Michelangelo in the Vatican. |
The focal point of the cathedral is its enormous dome, for which Michelangelo created a wooden model to work from. See this model on the next page.
To learn more about Michelangelo, art history, and other famous artists, see:
St. Peter's Basilica Model of Dome by Michelangelo
For the dome's exterior, Michelangelo used a Florentine ribbed design. The original wooden model, created by the artist's own hand (1560), is on display in the Vatican.
 St. Peter's Basilica model of the Dome by Michelangelo is made from wood (17 feet 8 inches high x 12 feet 8 inches in diameter). and is located in St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican. |
Go to the last page of this article to see a photo of this imposing structure: St. Peter's Basilica Dome realized by Michelangelo.
To learn more about Michelangelo, art history, and other famous artists, see:
St. Peter's Basilica Dome by Michelangelo
St. Peter's Basilica dome was completed in 1626. Michelangelo was so impressed by Bramante's original plan for the dome that he based his design on it. By reinforcing the central piers, the artist made it possible for them to bear such a large dome.
 Michelangelo worked on St. Peter's Basilica from 1546 until his death in 1564. Thanks to him, the great dome (dome 265 feet high x 190 feet in diameter) became reality. The basilica can be visited in the Vatican. |
Though he did not live to see the completion of his artistic idea, in the years that followed his death the present dome, an inspiring tour de force, was built according to his exact designs.
To learn more about Michelangelo, art history, and other famous artists, see:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Lauren Mitchell Ruehring is a freelance writer who has contributed promotional commentary for the works of many artists, including Erté and Thomas McKnight. She has also contributed to publications such as Kerry Hallam: Artistic Visions and Liudmila Kondakova: World of Enchantment. In addition, she has received recognition from the National Society of Arts and Letters.