什么是圣彼得大教堂

罗马现存的圣彼得大教堂，由教宗尤里乌斯二世於1506年始建，1615年完工。它是教宗的教堂，也是世界上最大的教堂之一，为代替原君士坦丁修建的保留有圣彼得传统安葬地的旧圣彼得大教堂而兴建。根据原布拉曼特的计画，它应被修建成中央带圆顶的希腊十字架形。布拉曼特去世後，後来的设计师包括拉斐尔在内，改变原来的设计，将希腊十字架形状改为了拉丁十字架形。小达.桑迦洛恢复了布拉曼特的对称设计。米开朗基罗在去世前已经将中央巨大的圆顶基本完成。但教宗保禄五世（约1605～1621）坚持为了礼拜而将其修建成纵剖面图，并接受了马代尔诺（1556～1629）的设计，将中央广场扩展到东面。贝尼尼後来为之增加了带柱廊的椭圆形广场作为通往会堂的通道。教堂内部充满了文艺复兴和巴洛克时期的大师作品，包括米开朗基罗的《圣殇》、贝尼尼修建的华盖、圣朗吉努斯像、乌尔班八世墓和圣保罗的青铜制主教座。

Saint Peter's Basilica

Present church of St. Peter's in Rome, begun by Pope Julius II in 1506 and completed in 1615. It is the church of the popes and one of the world's largest churches. It was built to replace Old St. Peter's, erected by Constantine over Peter's traditional burial place. According to the original plan of Donato Bramante, it was to take the form of a Greek cross around a central dome. Successive architects, including Raphael, drew fresh plans after Bramante's death, modifying the original Greek-cross plan to a Latin cross. Antonio da Sangallo the Younger returned to Bramante's symmetrical plan. Michelangelo, who followed da Sangallo, nearly completed the drum for the massive dome before his death. Pope Paul V (r. 1605-21) then insisted on a longitudinal plan for liturgical reasons, and adopted the plan of Carlo Maderno (1556-1629), which extended the nave to the east. Gian Lorenzo Bernini added the elliptical piazza, lined by colonnades, that serves as the approach to the basilica. The interior is filled with Renaissance and baroque masterpieces, including Michelangelo's Pietà and Bernini's baldachin, statue of St. Longinus, tomb of Urban VIII, and bronze Throne of St. Peter.