Editing St. Peter's Basilica (section)

== Status ==

St. Peter's Basilica is one of the [[papal basilica]]s (previously styled "patriarchal basilicas"){{NoteTag|[[Benedict XVI]]'s theological act of renouncing the title of "[[Patriarch of the West]]" had as a consequence that Catholic Roman Rite patriarchal basilicas are today officially known as [[Papal basilicas]].}} and one of the four [[Major basilica|Major Basilicas]] of Rome the others (all of which are also Papal Basilicas) being the Basilicas of [[Archbasilica of St. John Lateran|St. John Lateran]], [[Santa Maria Maggiore|St. Mary Major]], and [[St. Paul outside the Walls]]. The rank of major basilica confers on St. Peter's Basilica precedence before all [[minor basilica]]s worldwide. However, unlike all the other Papal Major Basilicas, it is wholly within the territory, and thus the sovereign jurisdiction, of the [[Vatican City|Vatican City State]], and not that of Italy.<ref>{{cite book |first=Benedict |last=Williamson |url=http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/treaty.htm |title=The Treaty of the Lateran |publisher=Burns, Oates, and Washbourne Limited |location=London, England |date=1929 |pages=42–66 |access-date=25 March 2015 |archive-date=23 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180523023017/http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/treaty.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File: Konzilseroeffnung 2.jpg|thumb|left|alt= Bishops vested in white are standing in the sunshine in St. Peter's Square. Most wear white mitres on their heads, except for an Eastern Catholic bishop who wears a distinctive embroidered velvet hat.|Bishops at the [[Second Vatican Council]] in 1962]]
It is the most prominent building in the [[Vatican City]]. Its dome is a feature of the skyline of Rome and covers an area of {{convert|2.3|ha|acre|abbr=off}}{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}. One of the holiest sites of Christianity and Catholic Tradition, it is traditionally the burial site of its titular, [[St. Peter]], who was the head of the [[twelve apostles|twelve Apostles]] of [[Jesus]] and, according to tradition, the first [[Bishop of Antioch]] and later the first [[Bishop of Rome]], rendering him the first [[Pope]]. Although the New Testament does not mention St. Peter's martyrdom in Rome, tradition, based on the writings of the [[Fathers of the Church]],{{clarify|Clement of Rome was the only one close enough. This sounds rather deliberately vague. We have Clement's writing and can identify him. If unknown, let's omit|date=November 2010}} holds that his tomb is below the [[baldachin]] and the altar of the Basilica in the "Confession". For this reason, many Popes have, from the early years of the Church, been buried near Pope St. Peter in the necropolis beneath the Basilica. Construction of the current basilica, over the old Constantinian basilica, began on 18 April 1506 and finished in 1615. At length, on 18 November 1626 [[Pope Urban VIII]] solemnly dedicated the Basilica.<ref name="cathency"/>

St. Peter's Basilica is neither the Pope's official seat nor first in rank among the [[Major basilica|Major Basilicas]] of Rome. This <!---STOP!--->honour<!---STOP! Do not change this spelling. It is BRITISH ENGLISH spelling, like the rest of this article.----> is held by the Pope's cathedral, the [[Archbasilica of St. John Lateran]], the [[mother church]] of all churches in communion with the [[Catholic Church]]. However, St. Peter's is functionally the Pope's principal church, as most Papal liturgies and ceremonies take place there due to its size, proximity to the Papal residence, and location within the Vatican City proper. The "[[Chair of Saint Peter]]", or [[cathedra]], an ancient chair sometimes presumed to have been used by St. Peter himself, but which was a gift from [[Charles the Bald]] and used by many popes, symbolizes the continuing line of [[apostolic succession]] from St. Peter to the reigning Pope. It occupies an elevated position in the apse of the Basilica, supported symbolically by the [[Doctors of the Church]] and enlightened symbolically by the [[Holy Spirit in Christianity|Holy Spirit]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vaticanstate.va/EN/Monuments/Saint_Peters_Basilica/Interior--p--2.htm |title=St. Peter's Basilica&nbsp;– Interior of the Basilica |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090226171733/http://www.vaticanstate.va/EN/Monuments/Saint_Peters_Basilica/Interior--p--2.htm |archive-date = 26 February 2009 |website=Internet Portal of the Vatican City State |page=2 |access-date = 2 January 2009}}</ref>

As one of the constituent structures of the historically and architecturally significant Vatican City, St. Peter's Basilica was inscribed as a UNESCO [[World Heritage Site]] in 1984 under criteria (i), (ii), (iv), and (vi).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/286 |title=Vatican City |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |language=en |access-date=9 August 2016 |archive-date=25 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171225203638/http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/286/ |url-status=live }}</ref> With an exterior area of {{Convert|21,095|m2|ft2}},<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.saintpetersbasilica.org/Interior/Nave/Nave.htm |title=The Nave |website=St. Peter's |access-date=9 August 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716034107/http://www.saintpetersbasilica.org/Interior/Nave/Nave.htm |archive-date=16 July 2012}}</ref> an interior area of {{Convert|15,160|m2|ft2}},<ref name="CE">{{CathEncy|wstitle=Basilica of St. Peter}}</ref><ref name="Ellis, Edward Robb pg. 413">{{cite book |title=The Epic of New York City: A Narrative History |last=Ellis |first=Edward Robb |date=21 December 2004 |publisher=Basic Books |isbn=978-0-7867-1436-0 |page=413}}</ref> St. Peter's Basilica is the [[List of largest church buildings in the world|largest Christian church building in the world]] by the two latter metrics and the second largest by the first {{as of|2016|lc=y}}. The top of its dome, at {{convert|448.1|ft|m}}, also places it as the [[List of tallest buildings in Rome|second tallest building in Rome]] {{as of|2016|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LTZcAwAAQBAJ&q=tallest+buildings+in+rome+st.+peter%27s+basilica&pg=PT87 |title=Fodor's Italy 2015 |last=Fodor's Travel Guides |publisher=Travel Distribution |year=2014 |isbn=978-0-8041-4291-5 |via=[[Google Books]] |access-date=28 October 2020 |archive-date=22 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222140032/https://books.google.com/books?id=LTZcAwAAQBAJ&q=tallest+buildings+in+rome+st.+peter%27s+basilica&pg=PT87#v=snippet&q=tallest%20buildings%20in%20rome%20st.%20peter's%20basilica&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> The dome's soaring height placed it among the tallest buildings of the [[Old World]], and it continues to hold the title of [[List of tallest domes|tallest dome in the world]]. Though the largest dome in the world by diameter at the time of its completion, it no longer holds this distinction.<ref name="Jürgen Rasch 118">{{harvnb|Rasch|1985|p=118}}</ref>