Lenten Station Church
Monday Within the Octave of Easter
St. Peter(San Petri)

This is our third and final visit to St Peter's Basilica during the Lenten Calendar. Our first visit was on the First Saturday of the First Week in Lent followed by the second visit on the Fifth Sunday in Lent. St Peter's Basilica contains numerous monuments and statues. Today we will visit six of these exceptional works of art to introduce you to some of the history that resides within St Peter's. 1. Statue of St Peter - This bronze statue of St Peter sits on a marble chair. Most scholars credit the sculptor Arnolfo di Cambio (1240-1310), but not all agree that he was its creator. Over the centuries, St Peter's toes have been almost worn away by the millions of pilgrims who have kissed or touched his feet. He bestows a blessing with his right hand and holds the keys to Heaven in his left hand. 2. Monument to Alexander VII - This sculptural monument was designed and partially executed by the Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The piece was commissioned by Pope Alexander VII himself and completed in 1678. There are six significant figures in the monument. At the apex is Alexander kneeling in prayer. Below him are four female statues representing virtues practiced by the Pontiff. On the foreground is Charity with a child in her arms. To the right of that is Truth, whose foot rests on a globe. 3. Monument to Pope Pius VIII - The Monument to Pius VIII by Pietro Tenerani is in the Neoclassical style. The Pontiff is kneeling; above him is the statue of Christ enthroned, and below, are the statues of Sts Peter and Paul. On the base are the allegorical figures of Prudence and Justice. Under the monument is a door leading to the Sacristy and Treasury Museum. In this passage is a list of all the popes buried in St Peter's. 4. Monument to Pope Benedict XIV - The Monument to Benedict XIV was built in 1769 by Domenico Augusto Bracci and refers back to the late Baroque tradition. The pope is represented rising from his throne to give his blessing; below there are allegorical statues of Sacred Wisdom (by Bracci) and Disinterestedness (carved by Gaspare Sibilla.) 5. Monument to Pope Innocent XII - The Monument to Pope Innocent XII by Filippo Della Valle has a simple composition - an urn is surmounted by a statue of the Pope, flanked by the allegorical figures of Charity and Justice and crowned at the top by two angels which support the coat of arms. The pope is in the act of blessing while seated. 6. Monument to Pope Gregory XIII - Created by the Milanese sculptor Camillo Rusconi between 1715 and 1723, this monument represents the pope giving his blessing on top of an urn bearing a relief showing the promulgation of the Gregorian calendar in 1582. At the sides there are allegorical statues of Religion holding the tablets of the Law, and Magnificence; at the base is a dragon, alluding to the heraldic device of the Boncompagni family. (In 1572 they obtained the papal throne thanks to Ugo Boncompagni, who, with the name of Pope Gregory XIII, was elected pope.) St Peter's Basilica Exterior Views Statue of St Peter Monument to Alexander VII Monument to Pope Pius VIII Monument to Pope Benedict XIV Monument to Pope Innocent XII Monument to Pope Gregory XIII Reference: 'Explore the Ancient Statues at St. Peter's Basilica' on StPetersBasilicaTickets.com 'St Peter's Basilica' on Wikipedia.org All Photographs are from Commons.WikiMedia.org Roman Basilicas - St Peter's E11 (1949) 26th Holy Year - St. Peter 568 (1974) Popes & Basilicas - Pope Alexander VII 167 (1953) Pope Alexander VII 350th Anniversary Of Death 1642 (2017) Jubilee Popes 1750-2000 - Pope Benedict XIV 1141 (2000)