WHENCE THE ART OF ROME? 285 



Angel o to the Piazza di S. Pietro, or square directly 

 in front of St. Peter's. A plain obelisk stands at the 

 foot of the steps leading up to the portico of the 

 church. Semicircular colonades extend to the right 

 and left of the magnificent edifice, and add somewhat 

 to the imposing grandeur of the front aspect of the 

 historic structure. The ground occupied by the huge 

 pile of buildings was once the circus of Nero, where 

 St. Peter is said to have suffered martyrdom. The 

 foundation of the present St. Peter's was laid in about 

 the year 1500, by Bramante, but several architects 

 were instrumental in raising the superstructure, 

 Michael Angelo planning the grandest feature of the 

 edifice, the dome. The interior of St. Peter's is strik- 

 ingly impressive, is awe-inspiring. The pillars, niches, 

 statues, paintings, and the symmetry of all the pro- 

 portions contribute to the whelming spectacle. Reach- 

 ing from the substructure of the nave, are four pillars 

 with Corinthian pilasters, and above these is a rich en- 

 tablature which supports the arches extending from 

 one pillar to another to the gorgeous vault above. 

 By the fourth pillar is a sitting statue of St. Peter in 

 bronze, a work of the. fifth- century, and brought from 

 the monastery of Santo Martino. The feet of the 

 saint are bare, and the great toe of the left foot pro- 

 jects a little beyond the pedestal. This is kissed by 

 devotees, and the oft-repeated osculation has worn 

 away a considerable portion of the digit, Probably 

 the custom has given rise to the expression, "kissing 

 the Pope's toe." The dome of the church rests on 

 four huge buttresses which are so arranged that they 

 do not seem to be specially designed to support the 

 immense weight bearing upon them. In the vaulting 

 of the dome are sixteen ribs so gilded and decorated 



