Unknown, Plan of Circus Neronis and St. Peters, 2006. Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
Before the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica, this area functioned as a Roman necropolis filled with tombs and mausolea. Located outside the city walls, it was near the Circus of Nero, an imperial stadium used for chariot races and public spectacles. This burial ground later gained significance as the believed resting place of Saint Peter.
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Alvesgaspar, Main facade of Saint Peter's Basilica, Rome, 2015, Photograph. No changes made. CC BY 4.0
Constantine the Great commissioned a basilica over Saint Peter’s tomb in the 4th century. The original basilica was replaced during the Renaissance by the current St. Peter’s Basilica. The new design introduced a massive dome by Michelangelo. Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed the grand colonnade and piazza. The site became one of the most important centers of Christian pilgrimage.
