Pope John Paul II

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 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, Bernini's baldachin, a statue of St. Longinus, the tomb of Urban VIII, and a bronze throne of St. Peter.

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Pope John Paul II

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St. Peter's Basilica

Millions converge on St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City today as Pope John Paul II is brought to rest. The first non-Italian pope in 450 years was a globe-trotting bridge-builder between nations and religions. A conservative on birth control, abortion and homosexuality, he was known as a human rights, anti-poverty, pro-peace crusader. An athlete in his youth, he survived two assassination attempts but the end of his reign was marked by ill-health, notably Parkinson's disease. A conclave of cardinals is to convene April 18 to select a successor.

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Dictionary of Cultural Literacy: Fine Arts:

Saint Peter's Basilica

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The largest Christian church building in the world, located in the Vatican. The residence of the pope adjoins it, and many ceremonies and speeches connected with the pope's administration take place there. Raphael and Michelangelo contributed to its design and decoration.

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		Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 1994-2012 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
		Answer of the Day. © 1999-present by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved. Read more
		Dictionary of Cultural Literacy: Fine Arts. The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Edited by E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, and James Trefil. Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved. Read more

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