ST. PETER’S CHURCH IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST CANON CHURCHES OF THE 16TH CENTURY. COMMISSIONED ST. PETER HIMSELF, ST. PETER’S CHURCH WAS MODELED AFTER CONCEPTS SEEN IN THE PANTHEON. ARCHITECT DONATE BRAMANTE CREATED A CHURCH IN THE SHAPE OF A GREEK CROSS, WITH A LARGE DOME RADIATING FROM THE CENTER. CONTRARY TO THE PANTHEON, THIS DOME WOULD BE SUPPORTED BY FOUR LARGE PILLARS, INSTEAD OF ONE LONG WALL. ALONG THE DIAGONAL AXIS, BRAMANTE PLACED FOUR SMALLER DOMES TO HIGHLIGHT THE LARGER DOME IN THE CENTER. BRAMANTE ESPECIALLY LIKE THE USE OF CIRCLES BECAUSE OF THE SYMBOLISM ATTACHED TO THEM. TO HIM, CIRCLES HAD NO BEGINNING, END AND REPRESENTED THE ETERNITY OF GOD. CONSTRUCTION OF THE CHURCH BEGAN IN 1506 AND WAS NOT COMPLETED UNTIL 1626. DURING THIS TIME, THE CHURCH WOULD SEE THREE SEPARATE HEAD ARCHITECTS, EACH WOULD CHANGE THE DESIGNS OF THE CHURCH. THEREFORE, THE CHURCH THAT STANDS TODAY IS NOT THE ORIGINAL DESIGNS OF BRAMANTE, BUT A COMBINATION OF RAPHAEL AND MICHELANGELO AS WELL. TODAY, ST. PETER’S CHURCH IS A PILGRIMAGE SITE FOR CHRISTIANITY, AND STILL ONE OF THE LARGEST CHURCHES IN THE WORLD.