I Took This Picture of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome ,

St. Peter's Basilica

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St. Peter's Basilica Basilica Sancti Petri (Latin) Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano (Italian)
The interior of St. Peter's Basilica by Giovanni Paolo Pannini
Basic information
Location	Vatican City
Geographic coordinates	41°54′8″N 12°27′12″E / 41.90222°N 12.45333°E / 41.90222; 12.45333Coordinates: 41°54′8″N 12°27′12″E / 41.90222°N 12.45333°E / 41.90222; 12.45333
Religious affiliation	Roman Catholic
Year consecrated	1626
Ecclesiastical status	Major basilica
Architectural description
Architect(s)	Donato Bramante Antonio da Sangallo the Younger Michelangelo Vignola Giacomo della Porta Carlo Maderno Gianlorenzo Bernini
Architectural style	Renaissance and Baroque
Groundbreaking	1506
Year completed	1626
Specifications
Capacity	60,000 +
Length	730 feet (220 m)
Width	500 feet (150 m)
Width (nave)	151.5 feet (46.2 m)
Height (max)	452 feet (138 m)
Dome dia. (outer)	137.7 feet (42.0 m)

The Basilica of Saint Peter (Latin: Basilica Sancti Petri), officially known in Italian as the Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano and commonly known as St. Peter's Basilica, is located within the Vatican City. St. Peter's has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world, holding 60,000 people.^[1] It is regarded as one of the holiest Christian sites and has been described as "holding a unique position in the Christian world" and as "the greatest of all churches of Christendom".^[2][3][4] In Catholic tradition, it is the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and, according to tradition, first Bishop of Rome and therefore first in the line of the papal succession.

Tradition holds that Saint Peter's tomb is below the altar of the basilica. For this reason, many Popes have been interred at St Peter's since the Early Christian period. There has been a church on this site since the 4th century. Construction on the present basilica, over the old Constantinian basilica, began on April 18, 1506 and was completed on November 18, 1626.^[5]

St. Peter's is famous as a place of pilgrimage, for its liturgical functions and for its historical associations. It is associated with the papacy, with the Counter-reformation and with numerous artists, most significantly Michelangelo. As a work of architecture, it is regarded as the greatest building of its age.^[6] Contrary to popular misconception, Saint Peter's is not a cathedral, as it is not the seat of a bishop. It is properly termed a basilica. Like all of the earliest churches in Rome,^[7] it has the entrance to the east and the apse at the west end of the building.