OLD SAINT PETER’SThe greatest of Constantine’s churches
in Rome was Old Saint Peter’s (FIG. 11-9), probably begun as early
as 319. The present-day church (FIG. 24-4), one of the masterpieces
of Italian Renaissance and Baroque architecture, is a replacement for
the Constantinian structure. Old Saint Peter’s stood on the western
side of the Tiber River on the spot where Constantine and Pope
Sylvester believed Peter, the first apostle and founder of the Christian
community in Rome, had been buried. Excavations in the Roman
cemetery beneath the church have in fact revealed a second-century
memorial erected in honor of the Christian martyr at his reputed
grave. The great Constantinian church, capable of housing 3,000 to
4,000 worshipers at one time, was raised upon a terrace over the an-
cient cemetery on the irregular slope of the Vatican Hill. It enshrined
one of the most hallowed sites in Christendom, second only to the298 Chapter 11 LATE ANTIQUITY
11-9Restored cutaway view (top) and plan (bottom) of Old Saint Peter’s, Rome, Italy, begun ca. 319 (John Burge). (1) nave, (2) aisle, (3) apse,
(4) transept, (5) narthex, (6) atrium.
Erected by Constantine, the first imperial patron of Christianity, this huge church stood on the spot of Saint Peter’s grave. The building’s plan and
elevation resemble those of Roman basilicas, not pagan temples.
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0 25 0 755 1 00 feet
0 10 20 30 meters3442221562