St Peter's Basilica by Candlelight

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Candle Holders on the Cupola of St Peter's Basilica

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In the not too distant past, one of the most spectacular light shows in the Eternal City was created at St Peter's Basilica.  

On special feast days, the exterior of the vast church would be lit up with thousands of candles. Evidence of this illumination remains on its giant cupola in the form of tiers of spiked metal plates. 

The plates served as candle holders and a host of death-defying sampietrini (also known as sanpetrini), the nickname given to the workmen who maintain the fabric of the basilica, would nimbly caper up and down the cupola to place the candles on the spikes, creating a breathtaking illumination of the most famous church in Christendom. 

View the spectacle on YouTube. 

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Candle Holders on the Cupola of St Peter's Basilica