The Cross and Apse

Baldacchino

As part of the decoration of Saint Peter's in Rome by Pope Urban VIII (1568-1644) [Maffeo Barberini], Gianlorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) received the commission for the design and construction of a structure that would be placed over the tomb of St. Peter in the crossing of the newly rebuilt basilica.  The resulting structure, known as the  Baldacchino, is a combination of ideas that stem from earlier attempts at distinguishing the high altar and the tomb.  Many of the design elements such as the spiral column establish a link to the basilica of Old Saint Peter's and to the Temple in Jerusalem. 

It is important to realize that Bernini early on in his career to the time of his death had always some connection to the decoration of Saint Peter's.  It is his overall view of what the basilica should look like that makes Bernini's designs the essence of the Baroque style. 

The Baldacchino is constructed from bronze, much of it stolen from the Pantheon (portico) and from the dome of St. Peter's (ribs).  The height of the Baldacchino is supported by the use of bronze, rather than the perishable materials used in earlier versions.

Atop the four columns that support the canopy of the Baldacchino stand four angels, over life-size.  The affect that the angels produce suggests that they are what is supporting the canopy and not the columns (Lavin, 12).

Throughout the decorative elements on the Baldacchino are the symbols of Urban VIII, sun and bees, as well as the laurel of the Barberini family (mentioned above).

Four piers support the dome over the crossing in Saint Peter's, contained in each is a monumental statue and a balcony reliquary niche.  These are symbolic of Saint Peter's most important and cherished relics, aside from the remains of Sts. Peter and Paul.  The design of the sculptures and corresponding balcony niche belongs to Bernini.  Three of the four sculptures were given to other artists to produce, Andrea Bolgi (1605-56), Francesco Mochi (1580-1654), and François Duquesnoy (1597-1643), all of whom were assistants to Bernini. 

The reliquary niches were accessible through stairs located inside the piers.  They served as exhibition spaces for the relics on certain festive days: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.  Eight of the original spiral columns from the Old St. Peter's are reused to support the curved pediments in the niches.  The relief sculpture between the columns are comprised of white marble figures set against a polychromatic marble ground, which according to Rudolph Wittkower gives it the appearance of the "inaccessible realm of heaven" (198).

The monumental sculpture of St. Veronica was part of Bernini's original design, however, it was highly personalized in interpretation by Francesco Mochi.  It departs greatly from the calm and somber depictions of the other three statues.  Lavin suggests that Mochi's representation is reminiscent of the depiction of Veronica by Pontormo in Santa Maria Novella in Florence (32).  However, the statue in St. Peter's is far more expressive and appears to come at the viewer out from the pier. 

Originally, the Volto Santo was the most important relic along with the Lance and that importance determined where the statues would be placed.  The early design by Bernini placed St. Veronica across from St. Helena and directed the glance of each woman toward the high altar under the Baldacchino.  However, the final determination on the placement of the statues goes against the overall goal of Bernini in his plan for Saint Peter's.  Reason for the final and current placement was determined by the hierarchy of the relics and not the hierarchy of the saints.

More closely related to Bernini's direction is the statue of St. Helena by Andrea Bolgi.  It is more concrete with heavy drapery and static pose.  The overall pose of St. Helen with outstretched arms and the True Cross coming out at a diagonal from her right can be seen in the other two remaining statues, St. Andrew and St. Longinus.  Unlike the male counterparts and their heavenly gaze, St. Helen has a downward glance that would have been directed at the altar, similar to St. Veronica.

Far right top: Duquesnoy, Saint Andrew, 1629-33, marble.

Right bottom: Reliquary niche for the Lance of Longinus, 1636-8, marble and stucco.  Relief by Matteo Bonarelli.

The statues of St. Andrew and St. Longinus are extremely similar in pose, expression and style.  As mentioned above the Bernini had plans for the statues to be placed in piers across from each other.  In that position, the gaze of each saint would have been directed into the crossing and up at the Resurrected Christ. 

Duquesnoy's depiction of St. Andrew can be associated with a sculpture titled St. Andrew located in the tabernacle of Old St. Peter's and from an engraving by Adriaen Collaert.  Both show St. Andrew resting on his right on the crucifix with his drapery coming over the back side of it.  However, in both images St. Andrew is fully clothed.  The bare chest seen in Duquesnoy's statue may come from Bernini's admiration of Domenichino's Apotheosis of St. Andrew, in Sant'Andrea della Valle, Rome (Lavin, 28).

What differs most in Bernini's creation of St. Longinus from the other three statues, is how he carved the statue.  The entire figure of Longinus, the roman soldier who pierced the side of Christ, is striated.  On the skin of the figure is a fine, shallow ridge and on the drapery is a coarse and deep ridge.  The other statues have all been polished to a smooth finish with a shine to them.  The effect that St. Longinus creates is a velvety texture that makes the statue feel richer and warmer than the rest.  Bernini's goal was for this effect to be seen from a great distance, across the church (Witcombe).  This technique causes the statue to be more three dimensional and the others become flat in comparison.

Cathedra Petri

The crowning achievement of Bernini's design for the decoration of St. Peter's can be found in his later work Cathedra Petri (Chair of St. Peter) located in the apse of the basilica.  This large reliquary was designed to house the original wooden chair of St. Peter's.  In ecclesiastic tradition, Bishops always have their seats in the chief church of their district (cathedra=cathedral), and the Pope has his seat in St. John's in Lateran.  Symbolically, the chair of St. Peter recognizes that St. Peter was the first pope and that San Pietro is and forever shall be his seat.

The base of the sculpture is made of colored marble.  The Fathers or Doctors of the Church (Sts. Ambrose, Athanasius, John Chrysostom, and Augustine) and the Chair are made of bronze, partly gilded.  The original chair is housed in the bronze chair that is flanked by the Fathers or Doctors of the Church.  The chair appears to hover by divine will. 

The overall effect of the Cathedra Petri is awe-inspiring; rays of light, made in stucco, jut out from the real source of light.  So much emotion is worked into the piece by the expression on the Doctors' faces and the movement of the putti and angels.  Also located on the Cathedra Petri are bas relief of Washing of the Feet and The Handing Over of the Keys to St. Peter, created by Bernini.  On the back side is a bas relief regarding Christ's decree to St. Peter, "watch over my flock."

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Bruce Boucher, Italian Baroque Sculpture (London: Thames and Hudson Ltd., 1998)

Christopher Witcombe, "Gianlorenzo Bernini," European Art of the Seventeen Century, Online (5 April 2003) <witcombe.sbc.edu>

Fabrizio Mancinelli, "Rome, §V, 14(ii)(b): St Peter's: Decoration: 1504 and after." The Grove Dictionary of Art Online (5 April 2003) <www.groveart.com>

"François [Francesco; Franz] Du Quesnoy [il Fiammingo]," The Grove Dictionary of Art Online (6 April 2003) <www.groveart.com>

Howard Hibbard, Bernini (Middlesex: Penguin Books, 1965)

Irving Lavin, Bernini and the Crossing of Saint Peter's (New York: New York University Press, 1968)

"Mochi, Francesco," The Grove Dictionary of Art Online (6 April 2003) <www.groveart.com>

Robert H. Westin, "Bolgi, Andrea [il Carrarino]," The Grove Dictionary of Art Online (6 April 2003) <www.groveart.com>

Rudolph Preimesberger and M. Mezzatesta, "The St Peter's baldacchino and other works for Urban VIII, 1623-44," The Grove Dictionary of Art Online (5 April 2003) <www.groveart.com>