The constantinian St. Peter's basilica in Rome

A three-dimensional reconstruction of the old St. Peter's basilica

[@mp6471]

That's absolutely stunning, it is such a shame that this magnificent Roman building has been torn down to make room for today's basilica. I would have loved seeing in this reconstruction the interior of the two mausoleums, those two domed structures on the left of the main building. Those were sadly demolished too, and inside them were buried many important late Roman Empire emperors and generals.

[@umaara100]

I would have liked to have seen the original in its day of greatness

[@marcosorbetti7639]

@umaara100 It would have been something to behold for sure.

[@PC-lu3zf]

My 37th great grandfather Emperor Charlemagne was crowned here extensive family tree work revealed he’s my ancestor recently.

[@michielvdvlies3315]

about 20% of the europeans are related to Charlemagne so that isnt that special ;-)

[@PC-lu3zf]

@@michielvdvlies3315 I heard it’s higher amount lol 😂

[@PC-lu3zf]

Most of my ancestry is Jewish except for mums dad via him im a descendant of King Charles 2nd of England and that lines ends with Charlemagne:) I like Charlemagne interesting man.

[@pantazos2954]

how exactly can one know, who his 37th great grandfather was? ...

[@kimdkus]

I love seeing this stuff. History is so amazing.

[@alexwoochaotieng8224]

Thank for make me remember back my past life

[@latinmasschoir5581]

Fantastic video - and I have to disagree mgbsecteacher - I think there is a strong probability that old St Peters would have looked like animated re-creation. Just look at the other Constantine inspire Roman Basilicas in Rome: St Paul outside the walls and arch-typical architecture of the Constantinian period in St John Lateran. Wouldn't the emperor have given so much more attention and splendour to St Peters, the major domo in Rome as it's the resting place of the Prince of the Apostles?

[@Britton_Thompson]

The only flaw in that assertion is that both St. Paul's and St. John's Latteran have also been renovated since their construction too. I agree that this virtual recreation is likely accurate. However, all I'm saying is citing those other two cathedrals for comparison may not be the strongest bedrocks to base your argument on since they've also been updated in the intervening centuries. That's all I'm saying.

[@didikachmadi4758]

I'm amazed there were no statues back then. It looks humble but still majestic. From a muslim who loves history.

[@EmdrGreg]

The actual basilica probably contained many statues. Also, some of the original mosaics were saved.

[@evangelosnikitopoulos]

@@EmdrGreg Free standing statuary is largely an innovation from the Renaissance. Traditional Christian statuary are relief carvings which reached their peak in the Gothic cathedrals. Before that time painted iconography was the norm.

[@KenDelloSandro7565]

In Rome free standing statuary has been around since the 3rd or 4th century. Some people believe that they were medieval but they have been described by some early Church Fathers.

[@evangelosnikitopoulos]

@@KenDelloSandro7565 In the early catacomb period, the only statue that Im aware of is The Good Shepherd and I dont think that was used for religious functions. Icons are the norm in the 1st millenium. Even Bede mentions them in his account of the Ecclesiastical History of the English.

[@MasterUxi]

@@evangelosnikitopoulos Incorrect, there would have been many statues. The Iconoclast Emperor Leo III the Isaurian wrote to the Pope in Rome and threatened to come to Rome to smash the famous bronze statue of St. Peter in the (old) basilica and Pope St Gregory II defied him and said the West would never consent to the destruction of our sacred images. Constantinople almost certainly had three-dimensional images (aka statues) before Iconoclasm, as well, though they did not survive the Iconoclast Emperors.

[@fintan3563]

3:51 - There are four - I think - twisted columns that survive from St. Peter Basilica #1. They were the inspiration for the twisted columns of Bernini’s baldacchino. Are those they seen in the chancel screen to the left?

[@lamprotes1]

ATTENTION: I have added another video on the basilica, in the second part is identical to this video. In the first part has totally different images, most beautiful. This video will be replaced by the second video, after a certain period.

[@PC-lu3zf]

This building had a very long life it was finally demolished in 1505/6 due to fears it was structurally unsafe.

[@greekorthodoxmonarchist]

Rather because the pope wanted to build a new basilica

[@lordofhostsappreciator3075]

^^^ He could've repaired it, but wanted to build an occultic renessaince "church" instead.

[@MasterUxi]

It was both. The old one had deteriorated badly and wanted something grander. Same thing happened in Constantinople when Constaninian Hagia Sophia burned down and was replaced with the Justinian

[@sethhaberman4316]

@@lordofhostsappreciator3075 no he couldn’t many tried to repair it before him but it couldn’t be done

[@brunobonavigo]

​@@lordofhostsappreciator3075 He couldn't. If you don't take care of a more than 1000 years old building, it falls apart. That's what happened to old Saint Peter's. The same almost happened to Notre-Dame Cathedral, because, after the revolution, the damages were so bad it almost fell apart.

[@federicoelrus3199]

Universal Church before The Great Schism?

[@lordofhostsappreciator3075]

@@alemelvera It's disputable that Saint Peter was ever even Bishop of Rome btw.

[@kristianpowell3760]

@@lordofhostsappreciator3075 explain

[@greekorthodoxmonarchist]

@@kristianpowell3760 That was city teached mainly by St. Paul :)

[@14mkful]

what a great architecture

[@Overdozeofthedemoscene]

It is like the st paul basilica :) real roman building.

[@Fatzers]

great stuff, thanks :)

[@Survivor-mf1nm]

Would have really enjoyed hearing the history behind what I'm seeing

[@MasterUxi]

Go to a traditional Latin Mass

[@markgruber1540]

Was the Mass in the fourth century Roman Rite celebrated pro populo as the placement of the sacramentary in the video suggests?

[@gillesbarique9113]

The mass was celebrated ad orientem. However, the East is, in Saint Peter basilica, wether old or new, in the direction of the entry. It is the same for Saint-John Lateran, cathedral of the bishop of Rome. The reverse orientation for building the churches, Autel westward/Entry eastward, occurred in the 8th century. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orientation_of_churches

[@dootboye]

The exterior could've been better but the interior was superb, where did you get those awesome marble textures?

[@lamprotes1]

The constantinian St. Peter's basilica in Rome - La basilica costantiniana di san Pietro

[@dootboye]

lamprotes1 ....?

[@kimdkus]

+Louie Rodriguez I think the question should be how did they move that stuff??? Middle ages just fascinates me. And wouldn't you just love to spend 10 min rummaging through the basement and storage areas?? Oh man.

[@tibfulv]

+kimdkus They've actually been working on those problems quite recently. Ancient Impossible made a documentary about it. Seems the Romans put wheels on gigantic stone blocks, turning them into axles. Basically gave them the ability to move anything.

[@dalibormilina5714]

The first Christians built churches opposite the pagan temples. The pagan temples were regularly covered with marble, with high pylons, dark inside without windows... Christian churches have been built externally modestly from the brick, and inside the huge space for as many people with abundance of light

[@KenDelloSandro7565]

Sanctus Petrus, Pontifex Maximus Primum. Ora pro nobis. Amen.

[@greekorthodoxmonarchist]

Non Pontifex Maximus, sed Primus inter pares!

[@MasterUxi]

@@greekorthodoxmonarchist both!

[@greekorthodoxmonarchist]

@@MasterUxi one is on opposite to another, so it cant bez both

[@MasterUxi]

@@greekorthodoxmonarchist one is built in the other.

[@greekorthodoxmonarchist]

@@MasterUxi so you don't understand any of them xd

[@yusuf2508]

hi there! is it possible to get drawings (digital) of these?

[@thienphan4615]

Is there anyway to get access to this model ? Thank you very much .

[@rugosetexture2716]

Grazie !

[@lamprotes1]

New Video of this: The constantinian St. Peter's basilica in Rome - La basilica costantiniana di san Pietro

[@yosoyfuego6896]

That chant belongs to the Byzantine Period and has moorish/Arabian tones

[@seanpielli1161]

JC F agreed. Still an awesome sound but something more Roman would seem more appropriate

[@brandonmoro2360]

Old Roman Chant, from the s.IV-XIII. Music of the Catholic Church before the great schism.

[@SYLVESTRIVS]

Do you have the sketchup models!?

[@aslater5]

It’s a shame when they have to tear all buildings down but from what I understand, it was basically falling apart.

[@nickkonis2041]

With what program did youake it?

[@rectorman1]

This building stood till about 1504

[@dalibormilina5714]

No, building had suffered a great deal of damage already for nearly 100 years was more closed than open for repairs ... while Pope Nikolaus V did not decide to destroy it and build a new one, It was later made by Juliet II

To rectorman1: It stood until 1506. To Dalibor Milina: It’s Julius II, not Juliet II.

[@lamprotes1]

ATTENZIONE: Ho aggiunto un altro video sulla basilica, nella seconda parte è identico a questo video. Nella prima parte ha immagini totalmente diverse, più belle. Questo video sarà sostituito dal secondo video, dopo un certo periodo.

[@arcakahn]

Would you be interested in selling your model and retexturing for Unreal Engine 5? I have a project I need the old basilica for. Cheers!

[@thomaspark3475]

What is the song?

[@survivinginthedarkforestra5784]

Jeremy Villanueva montejo 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🥀

[@lordofhostsappreciator3075]

Orthodox Rome...

[@dofollowme7981]

On the road to Romam, St.Peter intercepted Jesus by quoting, "Quo Vardis", where are you going. Jesus replied, in latin, I am going to Rome to be crucified for the sin's of man.

[@nickkonis2041]

Whats the name of the music?

[@MasterUxi]

Old Roman Chant: Dixit Dominus Domino meo. Psalm 109 (Vulgate). kzbin.info/www/bejne/fITCcp2DhdasZpY

[@marcosorbetti7639]

Hmm. "Tecum principeum" I believe is the name of the Gregorian roman chant.

[@asterisstamatis3900]

Whats the name of the hymn?

[@brandonmoro2360]

Tecum Principium (Ensemble Organum)

[@greekorthodoxmonarchist]

when Rome was orthodox....

[@Pimsleurable]

Sorely lacking in today's services.

[@jimorr820]

You could have used real chant

[@mgbsecteacher]

In a second viewing of this, I think that it is a spurious rendering on the first basilica. It was by no means this grand with "luminescent lighting" in its interior. It probably was dark and dingy from over 1000 years of smoke. The basilica probably had an archaic, stripped-down, bare timber, essentials only quality to it. Constantine had just come into his power. Where would he get all of the fine marble and porphyry. It is unethical to present such a rendering. I have read an account that the walls were ready to collapse and were six feet off center. The doors were probably warped. Who thought up such nonsense?

[@dalibormilina5714]

the basilica is depicted as it is built, the windows were made of alabaster, the simplest way to see the Basilica of St. Paul outside the walls, she was the only one to preserve the original look, Of course, with the time, mosaics and frescoes and other ornaments were added...

[@jperez7893]

this is an accurate rendering according to historical witnesses. Only the Lateran would have been grander since it was the original Christian basilica, not to mention it was one of the former palaces of the emperor

[@gryphons.5604]

mgbsecteacher Who said this was a reconstruction of the basilica when it was 1300 years old? Maybe this is it in its prime.

[@mgbsecteacher]

I'm sorry, this video is well done, However, we have no way of knowing how the first basilica looked like and it most certainly was not this grand. Someone took great poetic license with this video. The basilica probably had more rustic elements than this. We only have anecdotal descriptions and no artistic renderings of it.

[@lamprotes1]

La basilica è stata costruita su un piano ben preciso, con disegni di epoca tarda (XV sec) ma che rimandano ad un piano ben più antico. Non è dunque alcuna opera fantasiosa, ad eccezione di alcuni arredi interni. A parte ciò, ogni realizzazione grafica non è mai perfetta: chi di noi ha vissuto nell'anno 800 per descriverci come era la basilica allora?

[@lamprotes1]

Is this, "phantasy"? www.oneonta.edu/faculty/farberas/arth/Images/109images/Early_Christian/St_Peters_plan.jpg The video take from this!

[@mgbsecteacher]

lamprotes1 We are talking about the FIRST BASILICA which was built by COMSTANTINE in the 300s and lasted for about 1000 years until it was dismantled for the present one. This video took great license with it. It was not this grand!!

[@mgbsecteacher]

By the time it was torn down. the walls were all six feet off center and near collapse.

[@mgbsecteacher]

***** Yes, and I should know very well because I majored in Classics. There is quite a difference in building and materials from the fourth century in a capital of a decaying empire to the building of Haghia Sophia in the 6th century. Yes, it is still standing but there is written evidence that it was built quite hastily and there have been ongoing problems. Throughout the century, the dome has collapsed three times. The old basilica was in ruins and near collapse. There is a written account of one of the main walls being six feet off center--you cannot do much with a 1200 year old dilapidated structure near collapse.