April 18, 1506: St. Peter’s Basilica groundbreaking

Traditionally, Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City is built upon the resting place of the apostle who served as the first Pope*. Ground was broken on the current building on this day in 1506; it would take 120 years to complete.

What still stands today replaced the old basilica, which was built just after the Emperor Constantine embraced Christianity in 313. Before that, a red rock was alleged to have marked the grave of Saint Peter (whose name comes from the Greek petra, “rock”).

Although it is, by most measures, the largest church in the world, and perhaps the most revered church in Catholicism, it is not a cathedral, as it is not the seat of a bishop; the Pope, also known as the Bishop of Rome, is based at the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran.

Because of its central location and the capacity of Saint Peter’s Square below, however, it is perfect for large papal addresses. The square’s obelisk once marked the center of the Circus of Nero, where Saint Peter was crucified upside-down.

For more on Saint Peter’s Basilica, visit the website of the Vatican State.

*see how I managed to bring it back to Papal Pandemonium?

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