Rome, Italy

We did not get to see the inside of the basilica as we were on the same crazy 3 hour tour of Rome as when we saw the Pantheon.  Believe it or not, I took the original photo of the basilica used for this design through the back window of a tour bus as we went wizzing by!

Fun Facts:

• The original church on this site was built in the 4th century by Emperor Constantine, the Roman Empire's first christian emperor
• By the early Renaissance period, the church was in terrible shape, and was torn down to make way for a new one, destroying thousands of priceless ancient art in the process
• The current basilica was built between 1506-1626
• Each of the paintings inside the church are actually glass mosaics
• Charlemagne's coronation was held here on December 25, 800
• The Baldachin, the bronze canopy over the alter, is 96 feet tall, and is said to have been created using bronze from the roof of the Pantheon
• St. Peter might be buried below the basilica.  It was believed that the site contained the saint's remains when the original church was built on that location.  In the 1940's, an excavation was done in the area rumored to contain his remains, and bones were found.  They were found to have belonged to a 60 year old male, which was the age at which Peter died, and they were encrusted with dirt, which further supports the theory, as Peter was originally buried directly in the dirt.  In addition, remnants of purple thread were clinging to the bones, a color that would only be used to wrap the bones of someone royal or holy.