The story of St Peter's begins in the 1st century CE with the Hippodrome of Nero, one of two places where the Apostle Peter may have been crucified. 250 years later Constantine the Great marked the supposed site of Peter's tomb in an ancient cemetery with a great basilica. That in turn was replaced over a hundred-year period by a series of competitive renaissance and baroque Popes using the greatest artists of their day, all seeking to leave their mark on St Peter's. Here Keith Miller offers a rewarding account of a world-famous building: who built it; what it looks like and why; and how it affects the tourist or pilgrim. An intricate history, telling biography and the study of great art and architecture all play their part in a book that is a brilliant debut.

Provides the first full study of the predecessor church of St Peter's Basilica in Rome, from late antique construction to Renaissance destruction.

In this dramatic journey through religious and artistic history, R. A. Scotti traces the defining event of a glorious epoch: the building of St. Peter's Basilica. Begun by the ferociously ambitious Pope Julius II in 1506, the endeavor would span two tumultuous centuries, challenge the greatest Renaissance masters—Michelangelo, Raphael, and Bramante—and enrage Martin Luther. By the time it was completed, Shakespeare had written all of his plays, the Mayflower had reached Plymouth—and Rome had risen with its astounding basilica to become Europe's holy metropolis. A dazzling portrait of human achievement and excess, Basilica is a triumph of historical writing.

Think you really know Church History? Think Again The Catholic Church is the longest-standing and the most universal of all institutions. The contributions made by Catholic men and women over the past 2000 years are most impressive, from a properly functioning calendar to the inventions of many things that we all take for granted today. In 101 Surprising Facts About Church History, Fr. Meconi, SJ walks readers through the most amazing achievements of Christ's Body on earth. From economic and mercantile developments to scientific and astronomical advances, from the cataloging of zoological and botanical species to the cherishing of beautiful music and fine arts, Fr. Meconi shows you why the Catholic Church stands as the greatest promoter of human culture and knowledge. Did you know: -A Catholic priest held the first insights into the "BigBang" theory well before anyone else? -The first prototype of today's moving robots wasfound in a medieval monastery? -Many types of food and drink have their originswithin the Church, including cappuccino, sparklingwine, and pretzels -The Holy Bible was the first work of the GutenbergPress -The Church has patron saints for all sorts of things, including headaches, ugliness, fireworks, hangoversand television Fr. Meconi's 101 Surprising Facts About Church History takes you through 2,000 years of amazing achievements and contributions by the Church and her many sons and daughters. Beautifully illustrated and chronologically arranged, this work is a reliable guide through centuries of Church figures, facts, and fun.

During the course of the 19th and 20th centuries Brighton grew from a small fishing village on the Sussex coast to a large thriving city, popular with residents and visitors alike. Much building work went on during this time, but sadly many of the theatres, cinemas, dance halls and churches that were such a part of life in these earlier times have either been made redundant or converted for other uses or demolished. One of the iconic buildings of the city is St Peters Church. When it was first built it stood at the entrance to the main part of Brighton, on the road that goes past the Royal pavilion to the Palace Pier. It was the first important design that Sir Charles Barry created. He later became one of the foremost architects of Victorian times being responsible for the Houses of Parliament and Highclere Castle (now known to millions of television viewers as Downton Abbey). St Peters is a fine example of Barrys work, but this book will record how a chancel was added to the north of the building seventy-five years after the original structure had been completed. We will also see how the incumbent of St Peters became Vicar of Brighton which put him at the centre of the building and development of other churches throughout the town. In the twentieth century St Peters continued to be the spiritual hub for civic life in the town, but there was one occasion when the vicar failed to get to the church for the Sunday morning service. Later on the church suffered an arson attack, and the century ended with an extraordinary impromptu time of reflection in the early hours of 1st January 2000. However as the new century began, it was recognised that falling attendances and failing masonry could lead to St Peters going the same way as other older buildings in the city. The church authorities did not have the financial resources to cover all the expenses that this grand old building was requiring, and thus St Peters came under the threat of closure. This horrified the inhabitants of the city who saw St Peters as being just as much a part of the cityscape as the Pavilion and the Pier. To the great delight of all, the church was eventually saved through the last minute intervention of Holy Trinity Brompton Church in London. This book documents the story of a church that, amid many ups and downs along the way, has come to be much loved in Brighton, Hove and Sussex.

Celebrating 250 years, St. Peter's Episcopal Church in the Society Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia, has witnessed a rich mixture of people and events that reflect critical periods of American political and cultural history. George Washington worshiped here as did abolitionists and slave holders, Whigs, Democrats, and Republicans. St. Peter's was a point of first contact for thousands of immigrants, and the church opened schools for immigrants to help them to acculturate to life in Philadelphia. Opening a window onto colonial Philadelphia and the nation's histories, St. Peter's Church is a glorious testament to this National Historic Landmark. In addition to the stories and hundreds of black-and-white and color photographs, this handsome volume provides a history of the grounds, the churchyard, and the church itself-a classic example of eighteenth-century Philadelphia design that later incorporated the work of renown architects William Strickland, Thomas U. Walter, and Frank Furness.

Windows were the major emphasis of Louis Comfort Tiffany's work. Yet today, most Tiffany windows have never been seen by the public. Alastair Duncan has tracked down virtually every window still extant and has documented examples that have disappeared or been destroyed. Along with providing photographs of over 200 windows, more than half in color, Duncan describes how the glass was made and the windows constructed; Tiffany's designers and the workings of the Window Department; his critics and international exhibitions; window themes; signatures; chronology; and a complete list of all Tiffany windows.