Catholic Church Research Paper

Rome is strongly viewed as the centre of the Catholic church as it is the city of the Pope; Saint Peter's successor http://www.catholic.org/encyclopedia/view.php?id=10148. In the middle ages, pilgrims followed routes such as 'Via Francigena'; starting from France or even Canterbury, England with Rome as their destination. Christians who wished to visit the 'Holy See' and worship relics such as the tombs of the great apostles Peter and Paul followed this route. For the pilgrims, Rome was the destination and Saint Peter's the final stop, signifying the importance of the city within the Catholic faith. Rome stands as the metropolis of Catholicism and Saint Peter as its centre.
The 16th century finds the Catholic church in crisis due to the Protestant …show more content…
His reign had a significant effect in the Baroque culture as it marked the years of its crucial impetus 3. As a pope he did not focus on expanding the city, but rather in restoring the existing churches and improving their condition. This signifies his value of quality over quantity, and his aspiration to improve the experience of pilgrimage for the people of the Catholic Church. Furthermore, most of the churches were in a bad preservation state so he planned and completed their restoration and modernization. Moreover, one of the strongest examples of restorations is the Piazza del Quirinale (Figure ). In 1625, wanting to create a large open space, Urban VIII bought a part of the Colonna gardens which allowed for the accommodation of more pilgrims. Piazza del Quirinale was a significant piazza as it was the converging point of three streets 3, and was the place just outside the Quirinale Palace; the palace that housed more than thirty popes. It was an important gathering point for pilgrims, as people were awaiting there for the 'papal benediction' on significant religious occasions …show more content…
He was a pope that had the ambition of celebrating Rome 'as a cultural capital'9, that could 'accommodate religious pilgrims with a taste for historical and contemporary architectural drama' 9. His works were mainly revolving around three major sites: Piazza del Quirinale, the Corso and Saint Peter's. He viewed these parts as important aspects of the city, the imperial palace, the hippodrome and the temple. For him, the city was the monument and architecture was the medium of creating it. Through the projects he initiated, the pope seized to create a pleasing visual order sequence, with 'surprises' emerging throughout the city; 'interval for contemplation immersed in a continuous urban fabric'. This would enhance the experience of pilgrimage, as throughout the pilgrim's journey, the scene will constantly be changing, with different perspectives each time, which would create a sense of 'overwhelming grandeur' and 'boundless space'4. The pilgrim will be overwhelmed by these changes in scenery, and would experience a preparation for his entrance in the church. Saint Peter's piazza however was more than a show. It was about preparing 'oneself to appear in the presence of Lord or His vicar on earth'; the Pope.
'The artistry, architectural grandeur and sheer mass of St Peter's Basilica reaffirmed the status of Rome as the spiritual, if not temporal, home of

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