The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1872-04-19
ST. Peters at Rome,

The NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. o. Dulld-
ing from the Catbolio Family almanac:
The basilica q regal haIlfor public bust
ness) of st. Peters, is surpassed by no
cathedral in antiquity. in splendor. and
equalled by none In magnitude. In the
wear 30. st. Anacletus, Bishop of Rome.
who was ordained by st. Peter, erected
an oratory on the Site of the apostles bu-
rial. after his erucifixion. In 3O6. Con
stantine built a basiliea on the spot. In
145O. Nicholas ". commenced a building
on plans Of Bernardino and others. Paul
Ill. continued it. and Julius ii. secured
the services of Bramante, whose plan was
a Latin cross I'd and an immense dome
on arches springing from four large pill
lars, The latter died IN 1914, and Leo 4,
appointed Giulian6 Sahgallo. Giovanni da
Verona and Rafael, who strengthened the
pillars for the dome ;rbut 'SangallO dying
in I5l5. and. Rafael in 1870, Leo emplOyed
Baldassari Perlzzi, who. changed the
plan to a Greek cross, with equal limbs
crossing at right angles at the center.
Paul Ill. employed Antonio sSangallo,
who returned to Bramante's plan, but
Sangallo died very shortly and the Pope
appointed &iuiio Romano. who also died.
The work was then given to Michael
Paul I'D. died b 5549, vbut Jntds IN, con-
tinued AIe3e h.his place. giving him full
authority 70 change whatever he wished
in the building it then stood. Michael
Angelo returned to the Greek cross,
again strqngthenedFt}p piepe fer support
ing the vdeWei and farniedf the blan,fori il
as it now exists. The drum of the dome
was completed before he died, IN 1863.
Pope Plus V. appointed Vignola and Pr
ro. with orders that they should adhere
to Angeles PLANS. The dome was not
finished shtip1 100. byGiacomo della POr-
Ia. .Sixtus V. gave 00.000 gold crowns
annually toward its completion. In 1905
Paul V. employed Carlo MadernO. who
changed the ground plan back to the Latin
sross. Jhs.ssve was finished ed in lSl,
was deGfeatkd6y|ape- Lban NH ON
November Is, 1929. Under Alexander
VII. in 1867. Bernini finished the colon
made. Tke Nlildt1g ofHk Peters from
foundation ! 30 upHl its dedication. Deeu-
pied one Mlhdred and seyentzA five yenTF
and if ekisclude the wOrktlOne mfk4'
Plus vi. sthreenda half centnries pessed
away sbefnre it{ was completed. during
died. dhfffmefsions Of the church are
IL III l<tISth W tlt AZ WI. 90
feet; lsngthsf transeph 800 feet; hightso of
S9feets efsldes aisles,i2 feet. The pill
lars that support the dome are 10 feet in
thickness. The cupDla is .l31 feet in in
terror diameter. and51G feetlin exterior
diameter. A stairway leads TO the roof.
bread and asyenoagh to allow a loaded
horsestO aseendA@G -LGs L-E
The vestibule of ST. Peters is 233 feet
lOugayEhe hight amder theyarch of the
great nave is l53 feet: that of the summit
of the cup6la is, 43l feet. The surface
covered by st. Peters Is ssfd to be 74.7W
square feet. exclusively of the area GOV.
cred by the sacristies and the galleries IN
front of the building. The annual cOsl
Of k~eerSng7the church in repair is S3O,OW
in gold.
The decoration of the interior is of thu
greatest richness. The whole pavemen
is of colored marble, and the, vault is o
stuecoF md mosaics. ronQa gold ground
All around are tOmbs, statues, caryei
works in bronze. while especially famOul
isSthe canopy of the great altar By Bern
mi. The large pilasters which slipper
the four large arches on each side of TIN
nave are covered with arabesques ant
inches. From each arcade opens up tn,
dTCdut VI Al SudlW1- ultH Is OiteIi vi vi
dimensions of a regular church. Allow
these arches, resting upon four enormou!
pillars. runs a great frieze. on which i
carved the inscription /" M Is Petrus c
srper Aane pstram edifeabo eeetesian
mean /: ct tibi dabo elares regni colorrans
CTbou art Peter, and upon this Rock
win build my church: and I will give 4
thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
The letters of the inscription are abOu
the size of aemane Above the frieEe rise
a great range of composite pilasters
which inclose high windows. and thes,
are surrounded by an attic, from which
springs the superb dome. Finally, a gil
ball and a cross crown the lantern. whicl
contains sixteen windows, from which
one looks down into the area Of tn
church as.into a great abyss. Its work
were suceessively idfreeted' by thirfeel
architects. from Bramante to Bernini; ]
cost a snm which, in 1895, amounted Il
nearly 252. OOO, 600 francs. and the cost o
the building may be set down at 100000.
900 francs. or 500, 000. 900 in gold.
The cathedrals of Milan, of Mans, 9
Rheims, the largest thatexist, are dwarfet
bv fhe fside of ST. Peters, and as TO
Notre Dame at Paris. and the cathedral
of Bourges and Charities, they could
stand very well in the transept of thu