By: Peter Strzempka, BGSU Roma Aeterna 2023 Student

When one first enters Vatican City, St. Peter’s Basilica is undoubtedly the first thing everyone notices. However, one does not get a great view of the Basilica until they enter through the entrance on the north side of the oval Piazza San Pietro, where the massive structure is finally visible up close and personal. The façade, decorated beautifully with marble columns and statues of the most important Church fathers, overwhelms the viewer with seemingly endless detail. What most people do not realize about St. Peter’s is its long and illustrious history, both the Old and modern St. Peter’s. Much of the old structure and pre-Christian sites underneath have been overshadowed by perhaps the most important church in Roman Catholicism, but their stories are crucial to the foundation of the basilica we see today. This blog will start from the beginning, with St. Peter’s execution and the construction of Old St. Peter’s, and proceed through the Counter-Reformation, the period in which the St. Peter’s we know today was finished. Through this brief overview, the goal is to gain a greater understanding and appreciation for all who visit the basilica, whether for pilgrimage or tourism.