A Guide to
​St Peter's Basilica

Altars

There are numerous altars in St Peter's Basilica. In almost all cases, the altarpieces take the form of mosaics, which are copies of paintings by a variety of artists. 

Altar of Pope Leo the Great

Expulsion of Attila by Algardi, St Peter's Basilica, Rome
Expulsion of Attila and the Huns by Alessandro Algardi
​The altarpiece, the only one in the basilica to take the form of a marble relief (1640-53), is the work of Alessandro Algardi (1598-1654). It depicts Pope Leo I invoking the intervention of St Peter and St Paul to prevent Attila the Hun from attacking Rome. Leo the Great (r. 440-61) was the first pope to be interred in the old basilica. His remains were moved to the new basilica by Pope Paul V (r. 1605-21). Leo I is one of the few popes to have been granted the title 'Great'.

Altar of the Transfiguration

Altar of the Transfiguration, St Peter's Basilica, Rome
Altar of the Transfiguration
One of the most beautiful mosaics in the basilica is the reproduction of Raphael's last painting, the Transfiguration, which he was still working on when he died on April 6th, 1520. Cardinal Giulio de' Medici, later Pope Clement VII (r. 1523-34), commissioned the painting for the cathedral at Narbonne in France. However, the painting was never sent to Narbonne, but remained in Rome in the church of San Pietro in Montorio until 1797, when Napoleon ordered it to be taken to Paris. It returned to the Vatican in 1815 and now hangs in the Pinacoteca.

It took a team of six craftsmen almost a decade to execute the mosaic, which was completed in 1767.

Underneath the altar lie the mortal remains of Pope Innocent XI (r. 1676-89), who was beatified on October 7th 1956.

Altar of St Jerome

Altar of St Jerome, St Peter's Basilica, Rome
Altar of St Jerome
The mosaic is a copy of a painting by Domenichino (1581-1641), which now hangs in the Vatican's Pinacoteca. It depicts The Last communion of St Jerome. 

Under the altar lies the body of Pope St John XXIII (r. 1958-63), which was placed here following his beatification on September 3rd, 2000. He was canonised on April 27th 2014. ​

Altar of the Presentation of the Virgin

Altar of Altar of the Presentation of the Virgin, St Peter's Basilica, Rome
Altar of the Presentation of the Virgin
The altarpiece is a copy in mosaic of a painting by Giovanni Francesco Romanelli (1610-1662), which depicts The Presentation of the Virgin Mary in the Temple. 

Below the altar lies the body of Pope Pius X (r.1903-14), who was canonised on May 29th 1954.

Altar of the Lie

Picture
The Punishment of Ananias and Sapphira
The altarpiece, which is a copy of a painting by Cristoforo Roncalli, better known as il Pomerancio (1552-1626), depicts a story from the Acts of the Apostles in which Ananias and Sapphira were punished for withholding money they had promised to the Apostles and for lying to St Peter. Sapphira falls to the ground in front of Peter, while in the background the dead body of her husband is being carried away.

​The altarpiece is placed directly opposite the Sacristy as a solemn reminder to priests, as they walk out to celebrate mass, of their commitment to truth.

Altar of St Sebastian

altar-of-st-sebastian-st-peters-basilica-rome
The Martyrdom of St Sebastian
The altarpiece is a copy of a work by Domenico Zampieri (1581-1641), better known as il Domenichino. Under the altar lies the body of Pope John Paul II (r. 1978-2005), which was placed here following his beatification in May, 2011. He was canonised on April 27th, 2014.

Altar of the Madonna of Succour

Altar of the Madonna of Succour, St Peter's Basilica, Rome
Altar of the Madonna of Succour
​The 12th century fresco of the Madonna del Soccorso (Madonna of Succour) is one of the few works of art to survive from the old basilica. The remains of St Gregory of Nazianzus, who died at the end of the 4th century, are preserved in the porphyry urn.

Altar of Pope St Gregory the Great

Altar of St Gregory the Great, St Peter's Basilica, Rome
Altar of Pope St Gregory the Great
The altarpiece is a copy of The Miracle of Pope St Gregory the Great by Andrea Sacchi (1599-1661). It depicts imperial messengers from Constantinople asking for relics of the martyrs. Gregory offered them sand from the Colosseum, which they felt was disrespectful toward the emperor. The Pope then squeezed the bag containing the sand and the blood of martyrs ran from it.

Beneath the altar lies a white marble sarcophagus, which contains the mortal remains of Pope Gregory the Great (r. 590-604). ​
To be continued...