The San Pietro
St. Peter was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ. He preached the word of God and was crucified for it. The spot where he was crucified is known to be on top of Janiculum Hill in the city of Rome. The church of San Pietro was built here in dedication to St. Peter. The church also has the Tempietto, which is a small temple or tomb which is placed in the exact spot the St. Peter died.
In the 15th century, the ruins were given to the Amadist friars. It was founded by the Blessed Amadeus of Portugal. He served as confessor to Pope Sixtus IV from 1472. This church is a titular church. That means that a cardinal priest belongs to it and performs mass there. Cardinal James Francis Stafford has been assigned to this certain church since March 1st, 2008.
The church has many different temples inside of it or around it. Each temple is used for different purposes. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the church and its temples were decorated with fine mastering artworks. In 1797, Raphael's final masterpiece, the Transfiguration graced the high altar. It is now in the Vatican pinacoteca. The altar currently displays a copy by Camuccini of Guido Reni's Crucifixion of St. Peter. There is also a giant statue of St. Peter, that is crowned every year on his holy feast day.
This church has many holy people buried in it, and a lot of holy stories painted or decorated in some way on it. At the high altar are two tombs. In the 1600’s, people were buried in them. One for Baron of Dungannon, oldest son of Hugh O'Neill. The other one is the tomb shared by Rory O'Donnell, and his brother Cathbharr. They are both younger brothers of Hugh O'Donnell.
Donato Bramante built the Tempietto possibly as early as 1502. He built it in the courtyard of San Pietro in Montorio. It is said to be one of the most harmonious buildings of the Renaissance. It is meant to mark the traditional exact spot of St. Peter's death. The Tempietto is considered a masterpiece of high renaissance Italian architecture.
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