ELUNT PETER'S CHURCH, at Rome, is the largest cathedral in Christendom. It stands on the site of a much older basilica, founded by Constantine; A.D. 306, over the reputed grave of St. Peter, and near the spot where he is said to have suffered martyr dom. This basilica was of great size and magnificence; but had fallen into decay, when pope Nicholas V., in 1450, resolved to erect a new cathedral, worthy of the dignity and Importance of the Roman pontificate, then in the zenith of its power. A design was accordingly prepared by Rosselini on a very grand scale, and the tribune was begun, when the pope died. The new building remained neglected for about half a century, when Julius II. resolved to carry out the building, and employed Bramante, then cele brated as an architect, to make a new design. This design still exists. The foundation stone was laid in 1506; and the Works carried on with great activity till the death of the pope in 1513. Bramante, who died the following year. was succeeded by Baldassare Peruzzi. Almost every architect who was employed during the long course of time required for the erection of this great edifice, proposed a new design. That of San Gallo, who succeeded Pernzzi, is one of the best, and is still preserved. It was not till his death in 1546, when the superintendence devolved on Michael Angelo, then 72 years of age, that much progress was made. He designed the dome; and had the satisfaction, before his death in his 90th year (1564), of seeing the most ardirous part of the task com pleted; and he left such complete models of the remainder that it was carried out exactly in conformity with his design by his successors, Vignola and Giacomo della Porta, and successfully terminated by the latter in 1590 in the pontificate of Sixtus V. The design of Michael Angelo was in the form of a Greek cross, but the building was actually completed as originally designed by Bramante as a Latin cross, .under Paul V., by the architect Carlo Madcrno. The portico and facade were also by him. He is much blamed for altering Michael Angelo's plan, because the result is that the project ing nave prevents the dome (the great part of the work) from being well seen. The facade is considered paltry. and too much cut up into small pieces. It is observable that this entrance facade is at the east end of the church, not the west, as it would cer tainly have been n. of the Alps. But in Italy the principle of orientation was little regarded.
Maderno's nave was finished in 1612, and the facade in 1614, and the church dedica ted by Urban VIII. in 1626. In the front of the portico is a magnificent atrium in the form of a piazza, inclosed on two sides by grand semicircular colonnades. This was erected under Alexander VII., by the architect Bernini.
The facado of the cathedral is 368 ft. long and 145 ft. high. As already mentioned, the design is not generally approved, but some allowance must be made for the neces shies of the case. The balconies in the front were required, as the pope, at easter, always bestows his blessing on the people from them. Five open arches lead into a
m ignificeot vestibule, 439 ft. long, 47 ft. wide. and 65 ft. high, and adorned with statues and mosaics. Here is preserved a celebrated mosaic of St. Peter walking on the sea, called the Navicella, designed by Giotto in 1298, and preserved from the old basil ica. Toe central bronze doors are also relics saved from the old church. On entering the interior of the cathedral, its enormous size does opt produce the impression its ,grandeur of proportions should do on the spectator. This arises from the details being all Of an excessive size. The pilasters of the nave, the niches, statues, moldings, etc., are 'all such as they might have been in a much smaller church, magnified. There is nothin scale, and give expression to the magnitude of the building. The siipportims the holy water fountain, for example, appear to be those of cherubs of a natural size, but when ,snore closely approached, turn out to be 6 ft. in height, and the figures in the niches are on a still more colossal scale. The cathedral is 613 ft. long, and 450 ft. across the trauscpts. The arch of the nave is 90 ft. wide, and 152 ft. high. The diameter of the dome is 1951 feet, From the pavement to the base of the lantern is 405 ft., and to the top of the cross 434-f ft. The dome is thus 50 ft. wider, and 64 ft. higher than that of St. Paul's (q.v.) in London.
The walls of the interior are adorned with plates of the richest marbles, and copies of the most celebrated paintings executed in mosaic. The arch piers have two stories of niches with statues Of saints, but these, unfortunately, are in a debased style of art. The pavement is all, in marbles of different colors, arranged in beautiful patterns designed by Giacomo della Porta. The dome is, however, the finest part of the cathe dral; it is supported on four great arches. Immediately under the dome stands the high altar over the grave of St. Peter. It is surrounded by a magnificent baldacchino or canopy, in bronze, which was designed by Bernini in 1633, and executed with strippe I from the pantheon by pope Urban VIII. Beneath the high tiller is the shrine, in which 112 lamps burn day and night The building is adorned with many rema•k able monuments and statues, some of themby Michael Angelo, Canova. and Thorwahl sem The most of the monuments are erected in memory of the popes, but there is one to "James III., Charles III., and Henry IX., kings of England," the remains of triad exiled Stuarts being baried in the vaults beneath. The " grotto Vaticaue," or crypt, has been most carefully and religiously preserved during all tire changes and works of the eat hedral ; so much so, that the ancient pavement remains undisturbed.
As a work of architectural art. St. Peter's is the greatest opportunity which has occurred in mod.•rn times; hut, notwithstanding the great names of the men who were engaged upon the work, it is universally admitted to be a grand and lamentable . failure.