Buy tickets & tours:GetYourGuide St Peter’s Basilica (Basilica di San Pietro) is the largest of the four papal basilicas of Rome and one of the most important religious buildings in Christianity. Officially known as the Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican, it stands in Vatican City, at the western end of Piazza San Pietro. Although the basilica is located in Vatican City, an independent state, it is usually visited during a trip to Rome. Its position, close to Castel Sant’Angelo, the Tiber River and the historic center of Rome, makes it one of the most accessible and significant landmarks for visitors to the Eternal City. The basilica is often described as one of the largest churches in the world, both for its physical dimensions and for its role in Catholicism. It is the site of major papal liturgies and one of the most important pilgrimage destinations connected to the Apostle Peter. However, St Peter’s Basilica is not the cathedral of Rome. That title belongs to the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, the official seat of the Bishop of Rome. Saint Peter’s Basilica is instead a papal basilica closely connected with the Vatican, the papacy and the tomb traditionally Read more [...]
Tag: Bernardo Rossellino in Rome
Church of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
The Church of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (Chiesa di Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore), also known as the Church of San Giacomo degli Spagnoli, is a church in Rome, located between Corso del Rinascimento and Piazza Navona. SHORT HISTORY A first church was erected on this site in the 13th century, and dedicated to Saint James the Great, the patron saint of Spain. In 1440, the church was completely rebuilt at the expense of Alfonso de Paradinas. The facade was the work of the architect Bernardo Rossellino. Pope Alexander VI Borgia ordered new expansion works on the church, widened the square in front of the entrance on Via della Sapienza, and moved to the annexed buildings the hospices for Spanish pilgrims. In 1506, the Church of San Giacomo became the national church of the Spanish community in Rome. In 1518, the church was again remodeled by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, who would later become the architect of all the papal buildings. In 1818, after a period of neglect, the church was abandoned by the Spanish community in favor of the Church of Santa Maria di Monserrato, where the furnishings and tombs were also transferred. In 1878, Read more [...]