Rome St Peter’s Basilica High Altar | Vatican City Exclusive Private Official Tours. Customized guided tours of Rome and The Vatican Museum
Rome St Peter’s Basilica | Privileged High Altar, Rome St Peter’s Basilica, where only a pope or Cardinal who has received permission from the pope can officiate. The present altar dates from the period of Pope Clement VIII, who consecrated it in June 1594; inside is preserved, as a holy relic, the altar at which St. Silvester (The Pope who consecrated the church in 323) officiated in the time of Emperor Constantine. Like all the altars of the early Christian churches, it faces the Orient.
After enjoying the general view of the basilica, we visit the aisles, where all around, as a court of honor to the great prince of the Apostles, are the most important monuments of the successors of St. Peter. For those who have time, examining these monuments offers a fascinating study, as they represent the history of sculpture for about four centuries. Still, in our modest work, we can only call the attention of our readers to the most important ones, remarkable for beauty or historical interest.
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Entering the North branch of the transept, we turn to the left and find on our right:
Rome St Peter’s Basilica | The tomb of Clement XIII in St. Peter’s Basilica – Rome The tomb of Clement XIII. The most important papal monument in the church and the masterpiece of Canova established the fame of the great artist and placed him above all the greatest sculptors of Europe. The work was completed in eight years and inaugurated in 1795. The pope, an outstanding and expressive figure represented in devout prayer, is a miracle of the art of portraiture and intense expression. On each side is the figure of Religion, holding the cross and the genius extinguishing the torch of the pope’s life of the two lions; the one sleeping is considered the best lion ever produced by sculpture.
A little further on is a mosaic of the famous picture. St. Michael the Archangel (in St. Peter’s Basilica – Rome), crushing the head of the Devil, by Guido Reni.
Rome St Peter’s Basilica | Nearby is another mosaic representing:
The burial of St. Petronilla (in St. Peter’s Basilica – Rome) was done by Guercino, the original of which is in the Capitol. Proceeding towards the tribune, we see the monument of Clement X, by Rossi and Ercole Ferrara, who made the statue of the pope. (1670-1676). Opposite the mosaic of Peter resuscitating Tabitha from an original by Costanzi. Vatican Guided Tours
The Tribune (in St. Peter’s Basilica – Rome) is the work of the versatile genius Bernini, who placed in it the famous bronze chair supported by the four colossal statues representing the four fathers of the Church: St. Ambrose and Augustine of the Latin Church and St. Athanasius and St. John Chrysostom of the Greek. The chair contains the famous “Cathedra Petri,” mentioned by Prudentius. He calls it the Apostolic chair and is said to be the Episcopal Chair of St. Peter and his immediate successor.
According to another tradition, the Senatorial Chair of Pudens was the Roman senator, a friend of St. Peter. It is said to have been used as an Episcopal chair by St. Peter and all the apostle’s early successors.
On the right, there is the Monument of Urban VIII.
Monuments in Rome highlight the Vatican City and Vatican Museums. Special offers to organize official private guided tours for individuals, large or small groups. A selection of the best tours of Rome and the Vatican includes skip-the-line tickets and exclusive entrances to Rome’s most important museums and art galleries. Please do not hesitate to contact us to book your tour or holiday in Rome.
