2016.7.8.

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HongSeoTaek
WhatistheFUNCTIONofthebuilding?
DuringtheancienteraofKingNero(around64A.D.)whenhepersecutedtheChristianity,SaintPeterknowntobethefirstPope
wasmartyred,infactcrucifiedandburiedinCaligula'sCircuswithasmallshrine(LiberPontificalisI,118).In324A.D.,emperor
ConstantinethefirstchristianemperorofRomedecidedtobuildamemorialtombforSt.PeterinaformofVaticanchurchto
cherishhisdeath.In15thcentury,PopeNicholasVhavesethismindtoreconstructtheoldbasilica.Newlyconstructedbasilica
wasamemorialtombforSt.PeterandfewotherPopes,consideredastheoneoftheholiestVaticanchurchbythelocal
worshipersandchristianvisitors.

SaintPeter

(http://parish.rcdow.org.uk/hatfieldsouth/wpcontent/uploads/sites/209/2013/10/hatfieldsouthstpeter.jpg)
(https://bronicuscatholicus.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/z1025.jpg)
visualofSt.Peterandhissymboliccrossforchristianity

St.Peter'sBasilica

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showinghowbasilicasymbolizesandcommemorateSt.Peter'sdeath

DiagramofSaintPeter'stomb

(http://www.culturaltravelguide.com/wpcontent/uploads/2012/02/sideviewredwalltrophypetergrave.jpg)
thesectionofpapalaltarofst.peter'sbasilicashowingthestructureofst.peter'stomb

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HowtheFUNCTIONorPURPOSEofthebuildingmakesthebuildingHISTORICALLYSIGNIFICANTand
MEANINGFUL?
St.Peter'sbasilicaisbuiltonVaticanhill,surroundingSt.Peter'sshrineactingcommemoratingSt.Peter'smartyrdom.Fewotherpopes
areknowntobeburiedunderSt.Peter'sbasilica,eventuallyturningintosacredplaceforChristians.Asmentioned,in15thcentury
whenPopeNicholasVdecidedtorebuildthebasilica,wasforwardedtonextgenerationin16thcenturywiththeleadofPopeJuliusII
andfinishingofPopePaulVprovidingmorespaceasfuturegraveyardsformorePopes(whowereeventuallyburiedtherenow)
andenhancing&reenforcingthememorialstructuresofbasilicaasameaningofcommemoration.Eversincethenewlybuilt
basilicawascompleted,ithasbeenactingasastrongerfocalpointandthecenterofChristianity(pilgrims)alsoagreat
christiantouristattraction.

Basilica'sPlan

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(http://www.planetware.com/i/map/SCV/vaticancitystpeterschurchmap.jpg)
showsthelistandlocationsofmainelementofbasilica

PapalAlter(SaintPeter'sBaldachin)

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(https://photos.travelblog.org/Photos/79112/294957/f/2588294thepapalaltarbyBernini0.jpg)

(http://stpeterswaldorf.org/wpcontent/uploads/2013/10/ordination.jpg)
papalalterofst.peter'sbasilicabuiltontopofst.peter'sgraveyard
VideoofMassbyPopeFrancis(

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Holy Mass on Ash Wednesday, with ...

PapalaltarisalsoknownasSt.Peter'sBaldachin.Builtontopofmanyotheroldaltarsasshowninthesectionaldiagramabove,right
ontopofSt.Peter'sshrine.Thealtaris'only'usedbythePopestocelebrateMass.ThefactthatonlyPopesusesthealtartocelebrate
mass,isadescendantsystempasseddownfromthetimethebasilicawasbuilt,withthemeaningofholycelebrationofmasswiththe
spiritofSt.Peter(everysundaymorning,parishmentofSt.Peterisheldasafirstpartofdailymassforcommemoration)

St.Peter'sSquare

(https://encryptedtbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSucSRpmfUA9xbz4wbVPBmBPRYSt_lEtJKUEbzUgAILDspGCtUrVA)

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peopleopenlyvisitingst.peter'ssquareonordinarydays
St.Peter'ssquareissimplyopentoallChristiansallday,everyday.ItfollowsthephilosophyofSt.Peterofopenlyinteractingwith
people.Everyonewhoarewillingandwantingtovisitthesquarearefreetoenterandviewthehistoricalmonumentssuchasobelisk
andSt.Peter'sdome.Onlyexceptioniswhenthereisapapalaudiencewhichisheldeveryseasonbythepope,whereworshipers
andpilgrimsconfirmstheirreligiousfaithwiththeblessingofPopes.

References
1.SacredDestinations.(2005).RetrievedApril18,2016,fromhttp://www.sacreddestinations.com/italy/romestpetersbasilica
2.St.Peter'sBasilica,Rome.(2016).RetrievedApril18,2016,fromhttp://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/sanpietro.htm
3.TheBasilica.(2014).RetrievedApril18,2016,fromhttp://www.vaticanstate.va/content/vaticanstate/en/monumenti/basilicadis
pietro/basilica.html
4.History.(2014).RetrievedApril18,2016,fromhttp://www.vaticanstate.va/content/vaticanstate/en/monumenti/basilicadis
pietro/storia.paginate.1.html
5..(2016).RetrievedApril18,2016,fromhttp://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=964443
6.Rogers,B.R.(2016).12TopRatedTouristAttractionsintheVatican|PlanetWare.RetrievedApril18,2016,from
http://www.planetware.com/touristattractions/vaticancityscvscvrvc.htm
7.St.Peter'sBasilica.(2002).RetrievedApril18,2016,fromhttp://buffaloah.com/a/virtual/italy/rome/stpeter/ext/
8.StPeter.(2016).RetrievedApril29,2016,fromhttp://parish.rcdow.org.uk/hatfieldsouth/patronsaint/
9.Bronicus.(2015,August20).SaintPetersCrossAChristianSymbol.RetrievedApril19,2016,from
https://bronicuscatholicus.wordpress.com/2015/08/20/saintpeterscrossachristiansymbol/
10.Ayerbe,C.(2012,February13).IsitreallytheTombofSaintPeterunderSaintPeter'sBasilica?RetrievedApril19,2016,from
http://www.culturaltravelguide.com/realtombsaintpeterundersaintpetersbasilica
11.St.Peter'sSquareStatueofSt.Peter.(n.d.).RetrievedApril19,2016,from
http://stpetersbasilica.info/Exterior/StPeterStatue/StPeterStatue.htm
12.Gaya,V.D.(2008,July19).ThepapalaltarbyBernini.RetrievedApril19,2016,fromhttps://www.travelblog.org/Photos/2588294
13.St.Peter'sPapalAltar&Baldacchino.(n.d.).RetrievedApril19,2016,from
http://stpetersbasilica.info/Altars/PapalAltar/PapalAltar.htm

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