Após a crucifixão de Jesus, Simão, chamado Pedro assumiu seu lugar de líder dos seguidores de Jesus.
A Tradiição Católica sustenta que apos um ministério de trinta e quatro anos, Pedro viajou para Roma, onde conheceu o martítio, juntamente com São Paulo aos 13 de Outubro de 64, durante o reinado de Nero. A crucifixão teve lugar junto ao obelisco egípcio no circo de Nero. Hoje, este obelisco está na Praça de São Pedro.
Ainda segundo a Tradição, seu corpo foi enterrado fora do circo, no Mons Vaticanus, apenas a cruzar a Via Cornelia, a menos de 150 metros do lugar de sua execução. Alguns anos depois, uma santuário foi construído sobre seu túmulo e quase trezentos anos depois, a Velha Basílica de São Pedro foi construída nesse lugar.
A Velha Basílica era um a construção mandada erigir pelo Imperador Constantino, o Grande, em 319 e concluída em 333.
Pelo fim do século XV, tendo sido abandonada durante o período do Papado em Avinhão, a velha basílica precisava de severas reformas. Parece que o Papa Nicolau V (1447-1455) foi o primeiro a considerar, se não a construção de uma nova basílica, ao menos fazer radicais reformas.
A construção de uma nova basílica é tomada pelo Papa Júlio II (1503-1513) e continuou sob os reinados dos papas Leão X (1513–1521), Adriano VI (1522–1523), Clemente VII (1523–1534), Pauol III (1534–1549), Júlio III (1550–1555), Marcelo II (1555), Paulo IV (1555–1559), Pio IV (1559–1565), Pio V (saint) (1565–1572), Gregório XIII (1572–1585), Sixto V (1585–1590), Urbano VII (1590), Gregório XIV (1590–1591), Inocêncio IX (1591), Clemente VIII (1592–1605), Leão XI (1605), Paulo V (1605–1621), Gregório XV (1621–1623), Urbano VIII (1623–1644) e Incêncio X (1644–1655). Os trabalhos no interior e na Praça de São Pedro levaram outros quarenta anos a mais para serem concluídos.
After the crucifixion of Jesus, Simon known as Saint Peter, a fisherman from Galilee, took a leadership position among Jesus' followers .
Catholic tradition holds that Saint Peter, after a ministry of thirty-four years, travelled to Rome and met his martyrdom there along with Saint Paul on 13 October 64 AD during the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero. The crucifixion took place near an ancient Egyptian obelisk in the Circus of Nero. The obelisk now stands in St. Peter's Square.
According to tradition, Peter's remains were buried just outside the Circus, on the Mons Vaticanus across the Via Cornelia from the Circus, less than 150 metres from his place of death. A shrine was built on this site some years later. Almost three hundred years later, Old St. Peter's Basilica was constructed over this site.
Old St. Peter's Basilica was the fourth-century church begun by the Emperor Constantine the Great between 319 and 333 AD.
By the end of the 15th century, having been neglected during the period of the Avignon Papacy, the old basilica had fallen into disrepair. It appears that the first pope to consider rebuilding or at least making radical changes was Pope Nicholas V (1447–1455).
The scheme begun by Julius II (1503-1513) continued through the reigns of Leo X (1513–1521), Adrian VI (1522–1523), Clement VII (1523–1534), Paul III (1534–1549), Julius III (1550–1555), Marcellus II (1555), Paul IV (1555–1559), Pius IV (1559–1565), Pius V (saint) (1565–1572), Gregory XIII (1572–1585), Sixtus V (1585–1590), Urban VII (1590), Gregory XIV (1590–1591), Innocent IX (1591), Clement VIII (1592–1605), Leo XI (1605), Paul V (1605–1621), Gregory XV (1621–1623), Urban VIII (1623–1644) and Innocent X (1644–1655). Works in the basilica's interior and on Saint Peter Square took further forty years to be completed.
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| Bernardo Rosellino (1409–1464) constrói uma nova ábside que substitui a anterior, do tempo de Constantino. Donato Bramante (1444-1514) projeta o edifício em forma de cruz grega (1506). Rafael (1483-1520) muda o projeto epropõe uma planta em cruz latina (1515). Antonello da Sangallo (1484-1546) faz pequenos retoques no plano de Rafael. Michelangelo (1475-1564) retoma o projeto da cruz grega e Giacomo della Porta (1533–1602) faz a cúpula entre 1588 e 1590. Carlo Maderno (1556-1629) faz a fachada e Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) a colunata exterior. Bernardo Rosellino (1409–1464) build a new apse to substitute the old, from Constantine's period. Donato Bramante (1444-1514) projects a new build in a form of greek cross (1506). Raphael (1483-1520) changes the project to a plan in Latin cross (1515). Antonello da Sangallo (1484-1546) makes little changes on Raphael's project. Michelangelo (1475-1564) returns to the original Greek cross project and Giacomo della Porta (1533–1602) makes the duomo between 1588-1590. Carlo Maderno (1556-1629) concludes the facade and Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) makes the exterior colonate. |
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| Projeto de Bramante. Bramante's project. |
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| Projeto de Rafael. Bramante's Raphael. |
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| Projeto de Michelangelo. Michelangelo's project. |
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| Alterações de Maderno sobre Michelangelo. Maderno's alterations of Michelangelo's plan. |
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| A planta final. The final plan. |
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