Art and Architecture in the Vatican

Since the pope first came to worldwide prominence in the late Middle Ages, he has been recognized as both a political and spiritual leader. His religious clout alone demands that the Vatican, the papal state fully under his control, would be filled with breathtaking structures and artwork. As visitors to the Vatican progress through St Peter's Square, into the famed basilica, and perhaps to the Sistine Chapel, they are surrounded with art and architecture created to play very specific roles, ranging from the practical to the symbolic.

St Peter's Square is actually a circle, a softer shape without any inconvenient, out-of-the-way corners. This inclusive shape, along with its large size, allows multitudes of worshippers to participate in the important events of Catholicism, even if they cannot actually fit in the basilica. The area's most noticeable architectural features are the two curving porticoes which embrace the people in the square with classical serenity. The pillars forming the porticoes are simple, just the bare essentials needed to hold up the saints who stand on top. They provide both physical shade from the grilling Italian heat and a calming spiritual effect as they block out the rest of Rome. St Peter's Square is built directly in front of Catholicism's heart, which allows it to act as an entryway, a spacious vestibule in which to transition from the secular to the religious. It is more than a resting place: it is also an area of preparation, and the art in the square reinforces that role.