St Peter's Square (Piazza San Pietro) takes the form of an immense ellipse, which is 194 metres wide and 148 metres long.
The twin colonnades were commissioned by Pope Alexander VII (r. 1655-67) and built by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) between 1656 and 1667, a gigantic and costly undertaking that nearly bankrupted the papacy. Bernini intended the gently curving colonnades to symbolise 'the maternal arms of Mother Church'.
Bernini also built two straight wings (120 metres long) to link the colonnades to the basilica.
Coat of arms of Pope Alexander VII
The two colonnades are made up of 284 thirteen-metre-high Doric columns, four rows deep. They are crowned with the coat of arms of Pope Alexander VII and the statues of 96 saints and martyrs, the work of members of Bernini's workshop. There are a further 44 statues on the two wings, making a grand total of 140. The statues, which are three metres high, were designed by Bernini and executed by a number of sculptors.
Statues atop the colonnades
Here is a list of the saints. The first saint on each colonnade is sited on the exterior.
Left Colonnade: 1. St. Norbert; 2. St. Theobald; 3. St. Theodore; 4. St. Jerome; 5. St. Hilarion; 6. St. Bruno; 7. St. Louis Bertrand; 8. St. John of Matha; 9. St. Romuald; 10. St. Joseph; 11. St. Peter Nolasco; 12. St. Paul the Hermit; 13. St. Anthony Abbot; 14. St. Francis de Paola; 15. St. Anthony of Padua; 16. St. Charles Borromeo; 17. St. Philip Neri; 18. St. Philip Benizi; 19. St. Cajetan; 20. St. Francis Xavier; 21. St. Hyacinth; 22. St. Theodora; 23. St. Beatrice. Coat of Arms 24. St. Rose of Lima; 25. St. Galla; 26. Pope St. Marcellinus; 27. Pope St. Sylvester; 28. Pope St. Martin; 29. Pope St. Marcellus; 30. Pope St. Peter Celestine; 31. Pope St. Clement; 32. Pope St. Leo IV; 33. St. Gregory of Nazanzius; 34. St. Ubaldo; 35. St. John Chrysostom; 36. St. Athanasius; 37. Pope St. Leo the Great; 38. St. Alexander; 39. St. Ignatius; 40. St. Spyridon; 41. St. Eusebius; 42. St. Romanus; 43. St. Stephen; 44. St. Laurence.
Left Wing: 45. St. Pelagia; 46. St. Crescentius; 47. St. Andrew Corsini; 48. St. Constance; 49. St. Felix; 50. St. Achilleus; 51. St. Nereus; 52. St. Julian; 53. St. Paul; 54. St. Basilissa; 55. St. Hyppolitus; 56. St. Felician; 59. St Primus; 60. St. Faustus; 61. St Timothy; 62. St. Sebastian; 63. Pope St. Fabian; 64. St. Prudentiana; 65. St. Praxedes; 66. St. Modestus; 67. St. Vitus; 68. St. Marcellinus; 69. St. Mark; 70. St. Bonaventure.
Right Colonnade: 1. St. Gallicanus; 2. St. Leonard; 3. St. Petronilla; 4. St. Vitalis; 5. St. Thecla; 6. St. Albert; 7 St. Elizabeth of Portugal; 8. St. Agatha; 9. St. Ursula; 10. St. Clare; 11. St. Olympias; 12. St. Lucy; 13. St. Balbina; 14. St. Apollonia; 15. St. Remigius; 16. St. Ignatius of Loyola; 17. St. Benedict; 18. St. Bernard; 19. St. Francis of Assisi; 20. St. Dominic; 21. St. John Damascene; 22. St. Theodosia; 23. St. Ephraim. Coat of Arms 24. St. Mary of Egypt; 25. St. Mark the Evangelist; 26. St. Febronia; 27. St. Fabiola; 28. St. Nilamon the Lonely; 29. St. Marcianus; 30. St. Eusignius; 31. St. Marinus; 32. St. Dydimius; 33. St. Apollonius; 34. St. Candida; 35. St. Fausta; 36. St. Barbara; 37. St. Benignus; 38. St. Malco; 39. St. Marmant; 40. St. Columba; 41. Pope St. Pontian; 42. St. Genesius; 43. St. Agnes; 44. St. Catherine.
Right Wing: 45. St. Justin; 46. St. Cecilia; 47. St. Frances of Rome; 48. St. George; 49. St. Magdalen de Pazzi; 50. St. Susanna; 51. St. Martina; 52. St. Nicholas of Bari; 53. St. Nicholas of Tolentino; 54. St. Francis Borgia; 55. St. Francis de Sales; 56. St. Theresa; 57. St. Juliana; 58. St. Julian; 59. St. Celsius; 60. St. Anastasius; 61. St. Vincent; 62. St. Paul; 63. St. John; 64. St. Damian; 65. St. Cosima; 66. St. Zosimus; 67. St. Rufus; 68. St. Protase; 69. St. Gervase; 70. St. Thomas Aquinas.
One of the Discs marking the 'Centro del Colonnato'
Embedded into the cobblestones of the piazza, between the fountains and the obelisk, are two marble discs, each bearing the words 'centro del colonnato'. Stand on one of the discs, look at the nearest colonnade, and you will see that the four rows of columns line up perfectly, creating the illusion that there is only a single set!
Statue of St Peter
Two colossal statues flank the steps leading up to St Peter's Basilica. The statue of Saint Peter (1835-8) is the work of Giuseppe de Fabris (1790-1860). The apostle holds two keys in his right hand and a scroll in his left. On the latter is written in Latin: ET TIBI DABO CLAVES REGNI CAELORUM ('And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven', Matthew: 16:19, KJV).
St Paul by Adamo Tadolini
The statue of Saint Paul (1838) was created by Adamo Tadolini (1788-1868), a student of the great neo-classical sculptor Antonio Canova. St. Paul holds a long sword, the instrument of his martyrdom, and a scroll. On the scroll is written in Hebrew: 'I can do all things in him who strengthens me,' (Phil. 4:13).
One of the two pedestals
The two pedestals sport the coat of arms of Pope Pius IX (r. 1846-78), and of the Reverenda Fabbrica di San Pietro(R. F. S. P.), the body responsible for the conservation and maintenance of St. Peter's Basilica.
Wind Rose
The Wind Rose (rosa dei venti) encircling the obelisk uses the compass points to show the different wind directions. 16 oval marble markers identify the winds.
One of the sixteen marble markers that make up the Wind Rose
The Wind Rose was added in the middle of the 19th century when Pope Pius IX (r. 1846-78) created a traffic-free zone in the centre of the piazza. The zone is protected by sixty-eight granite posts, punctuated by four ornate wrought-iron lamp posts.
A detail of one of the four wrought-iron lamp-posts