The basilica was first built in the middle of the 5th century to house the relic of the chains that bound Saint Peter while imprisoned in Jerusalem, given to Pope Leo I by Empress Eudoxia (wife of Emperor Valentinian III).
According to legend, when the pope held them next to the chains from Peter's first imprisonment in the Mamertine Prison in Rome, the two chains miraculously fused together! The chains said to have held Peter in Rome and Jerusalem are kept in a reliquary under the main altar in the basilica.
Michelangelo's magnificent Moses, which dates from 1515, is the most notable piece of artwork in the basilica. It was originally intended as part of a 40-statue funeral monument for Pope Julius II.
No comments:
Post a Comment