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Walking Tours of Rome

A Guide to
​St Peter's Basilica


The Nave


Nave of St Peter's Basilica, Rome
Nave

The barrel-vaulted nave is 90 metres long, 26 metres wide and 44.5 metres high. It consists of four bays, which are divided by pairs of pilasters, 25 metres high.
Statues of St Peter of Alcantara & St Lucy Filippini, nave of St Peter's Basilica, Rome
St Peter of Alcantara & St Lucy Filippini
Between each pair of pilasters are two niches, which house statues of saints who founded religious orders or institutes. 

On the right:

St Teresa of Avila, Discalced Carmelites (Statue by Filippo Della Valle, 1754).
St Madeleine Sophie Barat, Society of the Sacred Heart (Enrico Quattrini, 1934).

St Vincent de Paul, Lazarists (Pietro Bracci, 1754).
St John Eudes, Congregation of Jesus and Mary (
Silvio Silva, 1932).

St Philip Neri, Oratorians (Giovanni Battista Maini, 1734).
St John Baptist de la Salle, Brothers of the Christian Schools (
Cesare Aureli, 1904).

St John Bosco, Salesians (Pietro Canonica, 1936).


On the left:
St Peter of Alcántara, Alacantarini (Francisco Vergara Bartual, 1713). 
St Lucy Filippini, Maestre Pie Filippini (
Silvio Silva, 1949).

St Camillus de Lellis, Camillians (Pietro Pacilli, 1753).
St Louis de Montfort, Company of Mary (Giacomo Parisini, 1948).


St Ignatius of Loyola, Jesuits (Camillo Rusconi, 1733).
St Anthony Zaccaria, Barnabites (
Cesare Aureli, 1909).

St Francis of Paola, Minim friars (Giovanni Battista Maini, 1732).
St Peter Fourier, Congregation of Notre Dame (
Louis Noel Nicoli, 1899).
Two of the allegorical statues of Virtues, St Peter's Basilica, Rome
Two of the Allegorical Statues of Virtues
In the spandrels of each of the bay arches are two allegorical stucco statues of the Virtues. They were mostly added between 1647 and 1649 under the supervision of Bernini. However, the four statues of Faith, Charity,  Justice and Fortitude were created in 1599 and 1600 by Ambrogio Buonvicino and Camillo Mariani. 

Left: Ecclesiastical Authority &  Divine Justice; Virginity & Obedience; Humility & Patience;  Justice (1599) & Fortitude. (1600). 

Right: Fortitude & Mercy; Constancy & Clemency; Peace & Innocence; Faith (1599) & Charity (1599). 
Coat of arms of Pope Innocent X (r. 1644-55), floor of the nave, St Peter's Basilica, Rome
Coat of Arms of Pope Innocent X (r. 1644-55)
The image of the dove with a sprig of laurel in its beak, which we see at the top and bottom of the sides of each pier, is part of the coat of arms of Pope Innocent X (r. 1644-55), a member of the Pamphilj family, who commissioned Bernini to complete the decoration of the nave. In addition to the cherubs, doves and symbols of the papacy (such as the tiara and the keys), there is also a huge image in opus sectile of the pope's coat of arms, embedded in the pavement in the centre of the nave. ​
Medallion of St Peter, St Peter's Basilica, Rome
Medallion of St Peter
The marble medallions of 56 of the early saint-popes, which are represented in chronological order on the piers of the nave and the sides of the lateral chapels, were designed by Bernini for Pope Innocent XI (r. 1676-89). The medallions are the work of many sculptors. The series begins with St Peter, located on the side of the third pier on the left, and concludes with Pope St Benedict II, on a pier next to the Chapel of the Pieta.

The long Latin inscription (black letters on a gold background), which starts above the statue of St Peter and runs around the top of the entire nave, declares: QVODCVMQVE LIGAVERIS SVPERTERRAM ERIT LIGATVM ET IN COELIS ET QVODCVMQVE SOLVERIS SVPERTERRAM ERIT SOLVTVM ET IN COELIS EGO ROGAVI PRO TE O PETRE VT NON DEFICIAT FIDES TVA ET TV ALIQVANDO CONVERSES CONFIRMA FRATRES TVOS (Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound also in Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed also in Heaven. I have prayed for thee O Peter, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren). The text is adapted from the gospels of St Luke (22.32) and St Matthew (16:19).
Coat of arms of Pope Pius VI (r. 1775-79), St Peter's Basilica, Rome
Coat of Arms of Pope Pius VI
The decoration of the twenty-seven-metre-wide barrel vault (44.5 m high) was commissioned by Pope Pius VI (r. 1775-99), whose coat of arms adorns the central roundel.  ​​​
Nave, St Peter's Basilica, Rome
Porphyry Disc in the Nave
St Peter's Basilica is the largest church in the world, at least in terms of its length (186.36 meters), a fact that is inscribed in the very fabric of the building. There are a series of markers in the nave which note the lengths of its nearest rivals. 
Templum Vaticanum, plaque in St Peter's Basilica celebrating the size of the church
Plaque Marking the Size of St Peter's Basilica
A few feet in front of the central door is a large, red porphyry disc, one of a total of six, which once ran up the centre of the nave in the old basilica. Five of the discs have disappeared and the one which has survived would originally have been located in front of the main altar. It was on this stone that Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor, knelt to be crowned by Pope Leo III (r. 795-816) on Christmas Eve, 800. Another fifteen emperors would be crowned on the same disc. By the time the present basilica was built such coronations had come to an end. ​​
holy-water stoup, St Peter's Basilica, Rome
One of The Two Holy Water Stoups
The two holy-water stoups (acquasentiere) were commissioned by Pope Benedict XIII (r. 1724-30) and designed by Agostino Cornacchini (1686-1754). The shells of yellow marble are the work of Giuseppe Lirone, while the two-metre tall chubby cherubs were carved by Francesco Moderati and Giovanni Battista de Rossi.
Coat of arms of Pope Pius XI (r. 1922-39), St Peter's Basilica, Rome
Coat of Arms of Pope Pius XI
The Holy Year of Redemption, which was proclaimed by Pius XI (r. 1922-39) for 1933, is marked by a large depiction of the pope's coat of arms in the floor of the nave.
The upper section of the counter-facade, St Peter's Basilica, Rome
Upper Section of the Counter-facade
One of the two clocks on the counter-facade is a six-hour-clock. The six-hour-clock (sistema orario a sei ore), which is also known as the sistema alla romana or the sistema all' italiana, was a system of time-keeping that was used before the introduction of the twenty-four hour clock. A new day started with the recital of the Ave Maria at the end of twilight, approximately half an hour after sunset; the following twenty-four hours were divided into four six-hour-cycles. 
Picture
Each of the three doors of the nave is surmounted by a large tablet of dedication. The tablet on the left, although it bears the name of Pope Paul V (r. 1605-21), was actually erected by Pope Urban VIII to replace one erected by Paul V. In essence, the Latin inscription declares that Paul V completed the church begun by Pope Julius II (r. 1503-13), adding the facade and portico. 
Picture
The tablet in the centre was erected by Pope Innocent X (r. 1644-55) and the inscription celebrates the pope's embellishment of the nave and aisles. 
Picture
 The tablet on the right was erected by Pope Urban VIII (r. 1633-44) and the inscription hails the pope's consecration of the basilica (which took place on November 18th 1626) and his embellishment of the choir, altars and chapels. It also makes a specific reference to the erection of Bernini's baldacchino.  

walking Tours of Rome

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      • Pope Clement XIII
      • Pope Pius VI
      • Pope Pius VII
      • Pope Leo XII
      • Pope Pius VIII
      • Pope Gregory XVI
      • Pope Pius X
      • Pope Benedict XV
      • Pope Pius XI
      • Pope Pius XII
      • Pope John XXIII
      • The Stuarts
    • Mosaics
    • Nave
    • Portico >
      • Door of Death
      • Door of Good and Evil
      • Central Door
      • Door of the Sacraments
      • Holy Door
    • Statue of St Peter
    • Statues of Founder Saints
    • Transept
    • Tribune
  • St Peter's Square
  • Vatican Museums
    • Borgia Apartment
    • Braccio Nuovo
    • Cappella Niccolina
    • Courtyard of the Pinecone
    • Gallery of the Candelabras
    • Gallery of the Maps
    • Gallery of the Tapestries
    • Greek Cross Hall
    • Picture Gallery
    • Pius-Clementine Museum
    • 'Raphael' Tapestries
    • Room of the Immaculate Conception
    • Sala di Costantino
    • Sala dei Chiaroscuri
    • Stanza della Segnatura
    • Stanza di Eliodoro
    • Stanza dell' Incendio
  • Sistine Chapel
    • South Wall
    • North Wall
    • East Wall
    • Ceiling
    • Last Judgement
  • Fountains
    • A Miscellany of Fountains
    • Trevi Fountain
    • Bernini's Fountains
    • Fontana della Barcaccia
    • Fontana della Peschiera
    • Fontana Sallustiana
    • Fountain in Piazza Colonna
    • Fountain in Piazza delle Cinque Scole
    • Fountain in Piazza dell' Aracoeli
    • Fountain in Piazza Nicosia
    • Fountain in Piazza di S.M. in Trastevere
    • Fountain of Moses
    • Fountain of Neptune
    • Fountain of Ponte Sisto
    • Fountain of the Acqua Paola
    • Fountain of the Bees
    • Fountain of the Cannonball
    • Fountain of the Frogs
    • Fountain of the Four Rivers
    • Fountain of the Goddess Roma
    • Fountain of the Lateran Obelisk
    • Fountain of the Little Barrel
    • Fountain of the Mask
    • Fountain of the Moor
    • Fountain of the Naiads
    • Fountain of the Pantheon
    • Fountains of Piazza Farnese
    • Fountains of Piazza del Popolo
    • Fountain of Piazza Viminale
    • Fountain of Ponte Sisto
    • Fountain of the Porter
    • Fountain of the Seahorses
    • Fountain of the Triton
    • Fountain of the Tritons
    • Fountain of the Tureen
    • Fountain of the Turtles
    • Fountains of St Peter's Square
    • Fountains of the Two Seas
    • Fountains of Valle Giulia
    • Four Fountains
    • Rioni Fountains
    • Street Fountains
    • Venice Marries the Sea
  • On This Day in Rome
    • January
    • February
    • March
    • April
    • May
    • June
    • July
    • August
    • September
    • October
    • November
    • December
  • Churches
    • Top Ten Churches
    • Churches by Location
    • Little-known Churches
    • Cosmatesque Pavements
    • Funerary Monuments
    • Chiesa del Gesù >
      • Chapel of St Ignatius
    • Chiesa di Gesù e Maria
    • Chiesa Nuova
    • Domine Quo Vadis
    • Lateran Baptistery
    • Re Magi
    • S. Agata dei Goti
    • S. Agata in Trastevere
    • S. Agnese fuori le Mura
    • S. Agnese in Agone
    • S. Agostino
    • S. Alessio
    • S. Anastasia al Palatino
    • S. Andrea al Quirinale
    • S. Andrea della Valle
    • S. Andrea delle Fratte
    • S. Angelo in Pescheria
    • S. Anna dei Palafrenieri
    • S. Antonio dei Portoghesi
    • S. Apollinare
    • Ss. Apostoli
    • S. Balbina
    • S. Barbara dei Librai
    • S. Bartolomeo all' Isola
    • S. Benedetto in Piscinula
    • S. Bernardo alle Terme
    • S. Bibiana
    • S. Brigida
    • S. Carlo ai Catinari
    • S. Carlo al Corso
    • S. Carlo alle Quattro Fontane
    • S. Caterina a Magnanopoli
    • S. Caterina dei Funari
    • S. Caterina da Siena
    • S. Cecilia in Trastevere
    • Ss. Celso e Giuliano
    • S. M. in Monticelli
    • Ss. Claudio e Andrea
    • S. Clemente >
      • Cappella Castiglione
    • Ss. Cosma e Damiano
    • S. Crisogono
    • S. Costanza
    • S. Croce in Gerusalemme >
      • Chapel of St Helen
    • Ss. Domenico e Sisto
    • S. Dorotea
    • S. Eusebio
    • S. Eustachio
    • S. Francesco a Ripa >
      • Cappella Altieri
      • Cappella Rospigliosi-Pallavicini
    • S. Francesca Romana
    • S. Giacomo degli Spagnoli
    • S. Giorgio in Velabro
    • S. Giovanni a Porta Latina
    • S. Giovanni Decollato
    • S. Giovanni dei Fiorentini
    • S. Giovanni della Pigna
    • Ss. Giovanni e Paolo
    • S. Giovanni in Laterano >
      • Cappella Corsini
      • Cappella Lancellotti
    • S. Girolamo dei Croati
    • S. Girolamo della Carità >
      • Cappella Antamoro
      • Cappella Spada
    • S. Giuliano dei Fiamminghi
    • S. Giuseppe dei Falegnami
    • S. Gregorio Magno
    • S. Ignazio di Loyola
    • S. Ivo alla Sapienza
    • S. Lorenzo fuori le Mura
    • S. Lorenzo in Damaso
    • S. Lorenzo in Lucina
    • S. Lorenzo in Miranda
    • S. Lucia del Gonfalone
    • S. Luigi dei Francesi >
      • Cappella Contarelli
    • Ss. Luca e Martina
    • Ss. Marcellino e Pietro
    • S. Marcello al Corso
    • S. Marco
    • S. Maria ad Martyres
    • S. Maria ai Monti
    • S. Maria Annunziata
    • S. Maria degli Angeli
    • S. Maria dei Miracoli
    • S. Maria della Concezione
    • S. Maria del Popolo >
      • Cappella Cerasi
      • Cappella Chigi
    • S. Maria dei Sette Dolori
    • S. Maria del Priorato
    • S. Maria della Consolazione
    • S. Maria della Pace >
      • Chigi Chapel
      • Cloister of Bramante
    • S. Maria della Scala
    • S. Maria della Vittoria >
      • Cappella Cornaro
    • S. Maria delle Grazie
    • S. Maria dell' Anima
    • S. Maria dell' Orazione e Morte
    • S. Maria dell' Orto
    • S. Maria di Loreto
    • S. Maria in Aracoeli >
      • Cappella Bufalini
    • S. Maria in Aquiro
    • S. Maria in Campitelli
    • S. Maria in Cosmedin
    • S. Maria in Domnica
    • S. Maria in Monserrato
    • S. Maria in Montesanto
    • S. Maria in Traspontina
    • S. Maria in Trastevere >
      • Cappella Altemps
    • S. Maria in Trivio
    • S. Maria in Via
    • S. Maria in Via Lata
    • S. Maria Maddalena
    • S. Maria Maggiore >
      • Baptistery
      • Cappella Paolina
      • Cappella Sistina
    • S. Maria sopra Minerva >
      • Cappella Carafa
      • Chapel of the Annunciation
    • S. Maria Scala Coeli
    • S. Martino ai Monti
    • Ss. Nereo e Achilleo
    • S. Nicola da Tolentino
    • S. Nicola dei Lorenesi
    • S. Nicola in Carcere
    • Ss. Nome di Maria
    • S. Onofrio al Gianicolo
    • S. Pancrazio
    • S. Pantaleo
    • S. Paolo alla Regola
    • S. Paolo alle Tre Fontane
    • S. Paolo fuori le Mura
    • S. Pasquale Baylon
    • S. Pietro in Montorio
    • S. Pietro in Vincoli
    • S. Prassede
    • S. Prisca
    • S. Pudenziana
    • Ss. Quattro Coronati
    • S. Rita da Cascia
    • S. Rocco
    • S. Saba
    • S. Sabina >
      • Chapel of St Catherine
      • Chapel of St Hyacinth
    • S. Salvatore in Lauro
    • S. Salvatore in Onda
    • S. Sebastiano fuori le Mura >
      • Cappella Albani
    • S. Silvestro in Capite
    • S. Sisto Vecchio
    • S. Spirito in Sassia
    • S. Stanislao dei Polacchi
    • S. Stefano Rotondo
    • Ss Stimmate di San Francesco
    • Ss. Sudario dei Piemontesi
    • S. Susanna
    • Ss. Trinità degli Spagnoli
    • Ss. Trinità dei Pellegrini
    • Ss. Trinità di Monti
    • Ss. Vincenzo e Anastasio
    • Ss. Vincenzo e Anastasio
    • S. Vitale
  • Cloisters
  • Palatine
  • Forum
    • Arch of Septimius Severus
    • Arch of Titus
    • Basilica of Maxentius
    • Curia Julia
    • Temple of Antoninus Pius
    • Temple of Castor and Pollux
    • Temple of Saturn
    • Temple of Venus and Rome
    • Temple of Vespasian and Titus
    • Temple of Vesta
  • Ancient Monuments
    • Aqueducts
    • Ara Pacis
    • Arch of Constantine
    • Arch of Drusus
    • Arch of Gallienus
    • Arch of Janus
    • Arch of the Money-Changers
    • Aurelian Walls
    • Baths of Caracalla
    • Baths of Diocletian
    • Castel Sant' Angelo
    • Catacombs of Domitilla
    • Circus Maxentius
    • Circus Maximus
    • Colosseum
    • Column of Marcus Aurelius
    • Column of Trajan
    • Forum of Augustus
    • Forum of Trajan
    • Mausoleum of Augustus
    • Nymphaeum
    • Pantheon
    • Ponte Fabricio
    • Ponte Milvio
    • Ponte Rotto
    • Ponte Sant' Angelo
    • Porta Maggiore
    • Porta San Paolo
    • Porta San Sebastiano
    • Portico of Octavia
    • Pyramid of Cestius
    • Temple of Hadrian
    • Temple of Hercules
    • Temple of Jupiter
    • Temple of Portunus
    • Theatre of Balbus
    • Theatre of Marcellus
    • Theatre of Pompey
    • Tomb of Caecilia Metella
    • Via Appia
  • Obelisks
    • 'Minerveo' Obelisk
    • 'Flaminio' Obelisk
    • 'Matteiano' Obelisk
    • 'Lateran' Obelisk
    • 'Dogali' Obelisk
    • 'Macuteo' Obelisk
    • 'Solare' Obelisk
    • 'Vatican' Obelisk
    • 'Agonalis' Obelisk
    • 'Sallustiano' Obelisk
    • 'Quirinale' Obelisk
    • 'Esquiline' Obelisk
    • 'Pinciano' Obelisk
    • 'Mediceo' Obelisk
    • 'Torlonia' Obelisks
    • 'Mussolini' Obelisk
    • 'Marconi' Obelisk
  • Mosaics
    • Sant' Agnese fuori le Mura
    • Santa Cecilia in Trastevere
    • San Clemente
    • Santa Costanza
    • Santa Francesca Romana
    • San Lorenzo fuori le Mura
    • San Marco
    • Santa Maria in Domnica
    • Santa Maria in Trastevere
    • Santa Maria Maggiore
    • Santa Prassede >
      • San Zenone
    • Santa Pudenziana
    • Santo Stefano Rotondo
    • San Teodoro
    • San Venanzio
    • Santi Cosma e Damiano
    • Santi Nereo e Achilleo
  • Palaces
    • Palazzo Barberini
    • Palazzo dei Conservatori
    • Palazzo del Quirinale
    • Palazzo della Cancelleria
    • Palazzo della Consulta
    • Palazzo delle Esposizioni
    • Palazzo Farnese
    • Palazzo Farnesina
    • Palazzo di Giustizia
    • Palazzo Laterano
    • Palazzo Madama
    • Palazzo Spada
    • Palazzo Venezia
    • Palazzo Zuccari
    • Villa Giulia
    • Villa Farnesina
    • Villa Medici
  • Galleries & Museums
    • Baths of Diocletian
    • Capitoline Museums
    • Etruscan Museum
    • Galleria Borghese
    • Galleria Colonna
    • Galleria Doria-Pamphilj
    • Palazzo Altemps
    • Palazzo Massimo
  • Piazzas
    • Campo de' Fiori
    • Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta
    • Piazza del Campidoglio
    • Piazza del Popolo
    • Piazza del Quirinale
    • Piazza della Repubblica
    • Piazza Farnese
    • Piazza Navona
    • Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II
  • Miscellaneous
    • A Calendar of Saints
    • A Literary Tour of Rome
    • Antico Caffè Greco
    • Babington's Tea Rooms
    • Barberini Bees
    • Borromini & the Baroque
    • Catacombs
    • Column of the Immaculate Conception
    • Domes
    • Equestrian Statues
    • EUR >
      • Museum of Roman Civilisation
    • Fasces
    • Flood Plaques
    • Galleria Sciarra
    • House of the Owls
    • Jewish Ghetto
    • Knights of Malta
    • Mithraism
    • Monumental Complex of S. Spirito in Sassia
    • Nolli Map of Rome
    • Ponte Sisto
    • Porta Pia
    • 'Protestant' Cemetery
    • Quartiere Coppedè
    • Scala Santa
    • Spanish Steps
    • Street Shrines
    • 'Talking' Palaces
    • 'Talking' Statues
    • Tiber Island
    • Views of Rome
    • Villa Borghese
    • Vittoriano
  • On This Day in Italy
    • January
    • February
    • March
    • April
    • May
    • June
    • July
    • August
    • September
    • October
    • November
    • December
  • The Bernini Trail
  • Baroque Sculptors
    • Alessandro Algardi
    • Pietro Bracci
    • Ercole Ferrata
    • Domenico Guidi
    • Pierre Le Gros
    • Giuseppe Mazzuoli
    • Antonio Raggi
    • Camillo Rusconi
    • Filippo della Valle
  • Florence
    • A Literary Tour
    • Anna Maria Luisa: Last of the Medici
    • Canons' Palace
    • Casa-Galleria Vichi
    • Column of Justice
    • Column of St Zenobius
    • Cosimo I de' Medici
    • Cosimo II de' Medici
    • Costanza Bonarelli
    • David With Fig Leaf
    • Elizabeth Barrett Browning
    • Equestrian Statue of Cosimo I de' Medici
    • Equestrian Statue of Ferdinando I de' Medici
    • Festina Lente
    • Flood Plaques
    • Fontana del Bacchino
    • Fontana dei Puttini
    • Fountain of Neptune
    • Fountains of the Marine Monsters
    • Gian Gastone de' Medici
    • Girolamo Savonarola
    • Images of the Annunciation
    • Little Devil
    • Monument to Cellini
    • Palazzo Bartolini-Salimbeni
    • Palazzo Bianca Cappello
    • Palazzo Fenzi
    • Palazzo Viviani
    • Perseus and Medusa
    • Piazza Santa Maria Novella
    • Pope Leo XI
    • Porta della Mandorla
    • Rape of the Sabine Woman
    • Santa Maria Novella
    • Statue of Dante
    • Theft of the Century
    • Torre del Arnolfo
    • Twelve Good Men
    • Villa Gamberaia
    • Wheel of the Innocents
    • 'Wine Windows'
  • Lazio
    • Bomarzo: Parco dei Mostri
    • Viterbo: Santa Rosa
  • Tuscany
    • Arezzo: Giorgio Vasari
    • Lucca: Puccini
    • Pistoia: Ospedale del Ceppo
    • Siena: The Balzana
    • Siena: The Palio
  • Venice
    • 421: Foundation of Venice
    • Acqua Alta
    • Bartolomeo Colleoni
    • Barque of Dante
    • Caffè Florian
    • Daniele Manin
    • Flagpoles
    • Giustina Rossi
    • Gondolas
    • Harry's Bar
    • Henry James
    • House of Three Eyes
    • Island of Lace
    • King Victor Emmanuel II
    • Map of Venice
    • Martinmas
    • Master of the House
    • Palazzo Contarini Fasan
    • Ponte Borgoloco
    • Ponte Chiodo
    • Punta del Dogana
    • Scacciadiavoli
    • Shrine of St Lucia
    • Sior Antonio Rioba
    • The 'Book Shitter'
    • The Lion's Mouth
    • Tommaso Rangone
    • Torcello
    • Venus
    • 'Viennese Oranges'
    • Wellheads
    • Winged Lions