𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟖 • 𝐃𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐬. 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 & 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥

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𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲: 𝐀 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟖 • 𝐃𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐬. 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 & 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥

𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐒

St. Peter’s is probably the most famous church in Christendom. Massive in scale and a veritable museum of art and architecture, it began on a much humbler scale. Vatican Hill was a simple cemetery where believers gathered at Saint Peter’s tomb to pray. In 319, Constantine built a basilica on the site that stood for more than a thousand years until, despite numerous restorations, it threatened to collapse. In 1506, Pope Julius II ordered it razed and reconstructed, but the new basilica was not completed and dedicated for more than two centuries.

St. Paul’s Outside-the-Walls stands near the Abaazia delle Tre Fontane, where Saint Paul is believed to have been beheaded. The largest church in Rome until St. Peter’s was rebuilt, the basilica also rises over the traditional site of its namesake’s grave. The most recent edifice was constructed after a fire in 1823. The first basilica was also Constantine’s doing.

Constantine’s building projects enticed the first of a centuries-long parade of pilgrims to Rome. From the time the basilicas were first built until the empire crumbled under “barbarian” invasions, the two churches, although miles apart, were linked by a roofed colonnade of marble columns.