Basilica
The Splendor and the Scandal: Building St. Peter's
by R. A. Scotti
Without
a doubt, St. Peter's Basilica is the grandest architectural
undertaking of the High Renaissance. I had the privilege of visiting
it this summer, and it was one of the greatest experiences of my
life. I was literally awe-struck by the grandeur and size of this
magnificent building. After reading R. A. Scotti's beautifully
written history, I am further dazzled by the genius that was required
to accomplish this monument to God's glory. Having read this book
made my tour of the Basilica of St. Peter so much more meaningful.
Constantine
built the original Basilica over the apostle, Peter's, grave but,
in 1506, the fiercely ambitious Pope Julius II decided
to demolish this sacred shrine. He wanted to build a better
one. The new structure was not completed in his lifetime...construction
of the new St. Peter's covered two centuries. The greatest
artists and architects of the age – Michelangelo, Bramante, Raphael,
and Bernini – worked for a succession of twenty-seven popes. This
new Basilica and the controversy surrounding it, the assassination
attempts, the decadence, and the uncontrolled costs divided the
Christian world for all time, according to the author.
In
this absorbing story of the construction of the Basilica of St.
Peter in Rome, Scotti brings to life the artists and the popes,
the politics and the passions of this exciting time in the world
history. There was Julius II, who laid the cornerstone
in 1506; Leo X, the Medici pope whose extravagant spending fueled
the resentment toward the papacy that divided the Christian world;
Clement VII and his tumultuous rein, during which Rome was sacked
by Emperor Charles V; and Sixtus V, who restored the ravaged city
and pushed to have the great dome completed during his lifetime.
Michelangelo, who designed the present dome, reluctantly accepted
the job when he was 71 years old.
There
are some errors in Scotti's description of building methods and
materials used at the time, and maybe even on the effect that the
corruption and costs had on the Protestant Reformation, rather than
the theological issues that did fuel the split, but the liveliness
of the narrative more than makes up for these inconsistencies. The
book is highly readable and difficult to put down. |
The
Book |
Viking/Penguin Group |
June 8, 2006 |
Trade Paperback |
978-0-7394-7994-0 |
Nonfiction/History |
More
at Amazon.com |
Excerpt |
NOTE: |
The
Reviewer |
Beverly
J. Rowe |
Reviewed
2007 |
NOTE: |
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