Friday, April 11, 2008

Notes on St Peter's Basilica, Vatican City

Wikipedia-based notes -
- One of the world's largest churches - seats some 60,000.
- Piazza San Pietro is the circular plaza.
- Egyptian obelisk is an anomaly - a pagan symbol.
- principal architect of dome was Michelangelo.
- near the River Tiber.
- Bernini-designed columns above the altar in *twist* shape.
- Colonnade surrounds piazza.
- Current Pope is Benedict XVI.
- Swiss Guards considered an army; have medieval uniforms.

Compare to . . .
- Great Mosque of Mecca
- Great Mosque of Djenne
- Great Pagoda of Xi'an
- Dome of the Rock mosque, Jerusalem
- Dalai Lama

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