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:

• Michelangelo
  
• Vincent van Gogh
• Claude Monet
• Impressionism
• How Art Works