The Vatican Square Explained | inglés

Saint Peter's Square is the pinnacle of Baroque architecture. It's not only monumental, but every single element has a meaning. It's a space that, since Roman times, was chosen to be the center of Christianity and has fulfilled its purpose ever since. So how was this site chosen for such a grand piazza? In the 4th century, the Roman Empire saw one of its most powerful rulers, Constantine the Great. Constantine is best known for legalizing Christianity throughout the empire and eventually converting to the faith himself. The Roman Empire was ruled by multiple emperors. To consolidate his power as the only ruler, he needed to unify the empire under a single religion. Although Christianity was a persecuted community, it had thousands of followers. To solidify his control by having Christians on his side, Constantine gave them two great basilicas in important locations. The first was Saint John Lateran, built on the site of the barracks of his opponent, Maxentius, which Constantine destroyed after defeating him at the Battle of Milvian Bridge. The second was the Vatican Necropolis, the burial place of Saint Peter, traditionally regarded as the founder of the Roman Christian community, the first pope, and one of the pillars of the church. This site became the location of Saint Peter's Basilica. Thus, Constantine's conversion was likely more of a political strategy than a matter of faith. The old Basilica of Saint Peter, the one built by Constantine, had a courtyard with a fountain surrounded by a colonnade that was originally built alongside the basilica. It was not really a public square, but rather a space used for ritual purposes before entering the basilica. However, before entering this courtyard, there was a sort of small square which was actually a residual space resulting from the organic layout of medieval Rome, so it wasn't really a planned space with any specific purpose. The old basilica was one of the most important pilgrimage sites in medieval Europe, but after a thousand years of invasions, earthquakes, and sackings, the basilica was deteriorated, and when it could no longer be maintained, Pope Julius II decided to tear it down and build a new church on its place, one that would be larger, more majestic, and worthy of the entire Christendom. So, the construction of the basilica that we see today began in 1506. Several master architects, some of the greatest of the Renaissance, were involved in its construction. The process took over a hundred years, and the architects changed not because they were inadequate, but because they kept dying before the building was completed. The last master architect in charge of the basilica was Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who also designed the piazza in front of the building. Pope Alexander VII, who became pope after the basilica was completed, suggested the elliptical shape for the piazza, inspired by the recently finished Piazza Navona, where you have these infinite perspectives, very characteristic of Baroque architecture. Bernini designed two colonnades that enclose the elliptical space, symbolizing, according to him, the arms of the Mother Church embracing Christianity. Each colonnade has three aisles, a large central one for carriages, and two smaller ones on the sides for pedestrians. In total, there are 284 columns. Bernini used the simplest and least ornamented order for the columns, that is, the Tuscan order, deliberately avoiding the more elaborate Corinthian style used on the basilica's façade. This decision was made to ensure that the colonnades did not overshadow the façade, thus maintaining the visual hierarchy and emphasizing the importance of the basilica's entrance. Attached to the elliptical piazza, Bernini designed a trapezoidal space to soften the intrusive effect of the platform and staircase that led to the basilica's entrance. This design redirects the viewer's gaze to the façade of the basilica. The platform was designed for the Pope to stand during ceremonies, allowing the people to see him no matter where they stood in the piazza. Every single architectural decision, from the shape of the piazza to the placement of the fountains, reflects a deeper meaning aimed at heightening the religious experience of the visitor. In short, everything means something. The central obelisk, for example, symbolized the church's power to reclaim and repurpose pagan symbols from the Egyptian and Roman religions into Christian symbols. Bernini used the 40-meter-tall obelisk, which had been placed in front of the basilica 70 years earlier, as the central element that dominates and organizes the space. He also incorporated the fountain north of the obelisk, built by his predecessor, Carlo Maderno, by placing an identical fountain on the opposite side. The most important aspect of St. Peter's Square, and indeed of most Baroque squares in 16th-century Rome, is that as you enter, you realize that the focus isn't on the buildings that enclose the space, in this case the colonnades, but on the space shaped by these buildings. When you step into the square, your primary response isn't to concentrate on the details of each column or the craftsmanship, but rather to be overwhelmed by the spatial experience, the contrast between the openness of the square and the tight, narrow urban fabric that surrounds it. Bernini's original project included a third colonnade that would have fully enclosed the space, with access through two small openings. St. Peter's Basilica is located in a neighborhood known as Borgo, where medieval buildings created a very dense, organic urban fabric of narrow streets. The intention of the two entrances to the piazza was to create a dramatic moment of openness and clarity after walking through the dark, compact streets of the neighborhood. Although this third colonnade was never constructed, the effect of entering the open space of the piazza remained until the mid-20th century, when Mussolini tore down an entire section of the neighborhood to make way for the Via della Conciliazione, the street that now connects the Basilica with the Castel Sant'Angelo, thus ruining the effect of surprise forever. Despite the original effect being lost, the new wide-open street offers a view that did not exist before. From this vantage point, you can read the façade of the Basilica as it was originally intended by Michelangelo, with a dome visible and integrated into the design of the façade, allowing you to understand both the dome and the front of the building as one thing. There's also a section in the new street, just before arriving at the piazza, where you can see the entire façade framed in view by the buildings. This is one of the best spots to contemplate the Basilica. It's interesting how the original design concept for the Basilica was a very Renaissance concept. The first architect in charge, Donato Bramante, designed a centralized planned church based on proportion, symmetry and symbolism, and Michelangelo's design more or less followed the same concepts. A very static church, surrounded by a very static courtyard. But when the Basilica was finished 100 years after it was started, Bernini had transformed the concept to a far more dynamic and dramatic space. Bernini's design for the square, with its sweeping curves and theatrical sense of movement, embodies the Baroque focus on engaging the viewer and evoking an emotional response, in contrast to the more restrained and ordered Renaissance style of the Basilica's early design. The shape of St. Peter's Square is not a true ellipse, but an oval. These two terms are often used interchangeably, but mathematically, an ellipse is a pure form where the sum of the distances from any point to two fixed points is constant. And an oval refers to a shape made up of arcs from multiple circles with different radii. In his design for the square, Bernini uses an oval geometry for two reasons. One, the oval preserves the spatial tension of the ellipse, but utilizes circular arcs that architecturally are easier to implement in a large construction. And two, the oval creates a dynamic perceptual experience where the visual order of the columns is revealed only from specific spots within the square. So as you approach the square from the Borgo district, the colonnade initially appears dense and impenetrable. Upon crossing the colonnade, it resembles a disordered forest of shafts, and once inside the square, the columns seem to transform depending on your position. There are two specific observation points that are marked on the pavement with small inscriptions that read Centro del Colonnato, Italian for Center of the Colonnade. These two observation points are the centers of the two circles of which the oval is traced. And from these specific points, every single column is aligned, creating an orderly and unified visual effect. When standing at these points, the multiple rows of columns merge into a single row, allowing you to experience the full geometric consistency of the design. This precise spatial arrangement would not be possible with an elliptical shape, as ellipses lack a single focal point where all perpendicular lines converge. St. Peter's Square is not just about the grand space itself, but also about small details. For example, the obelisk is surrounded by marble images embedded in the pavement. These represent the winds that come from each direction, with inscriptions of the name of each wind. You'll see several straight lines in the pavement, connecting the obelisk to seven marble discs. These discs are part of a sundial. Every month, on the day when the astrological sign changes, generally between the 19th and 23rd, the shadow of the obelisk's tip is projected at noon onto one of these discs, each inscribed with the date and corresponding astrological sign in Italian. Latin inscriptions are spread throughout the piazza. Most of these inscriptions bear the name of the popes who completed specific parts of the complex, but some go beyond just names and convey much deeper messages. On the facade of the basilica, you can see two clocks. The one on the left displays the current time, while the one on the right, known as the Italian clock, shows solar Italian time, which begins counting at sunset and completes the 24th hour at the following sunset. The 140 statues that you see on top of each column were part of Bernini's architectural design for the piazza, and he supervised their carving, with most of them being sculpted by Lattaro Morelli, one of the artists from his workshop. Each of them is about three meters tall, and they depict saints and martyrs from the Catholic Church, symbolically watching over and protecting the pilgrims gathered in the square. In front of the basilica's facade stand two colossal statues of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, the two great pillars of the Catholic Church. Saint Peter represents the foundation of the church, while Saint Paul represents the spread of Christianity across the Roman Empire. While the Vatican has always been a place of pilgrimage, Saint Peter's Square now serves multiple functions, hosting papal audiences and large-scale religious events. Its design not only accommodates large gatherings, but also creates a powerful spiritual experience for visitors. From the symbolic embrace of the church, to the dramatic spatial transitions, the square reflects the Catholic Church's desire to convey power, unity, and transcendence. Despite modifications over the centuries, the square continues to fulfill its role as a center for worship, pilgrimage, and tourism. Its influence on the design of public and religious spaces can still be seen in cities around the world today. I have on my channel a full video where I explain the architecture of Saint Peter's Basilica, as well as another video where I translate all of its Latin inscriptions, so make sure you go check them out. 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