Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ ◀ Aisle

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ ◀ Chapel of Our Lady della Strada Artist: Valeriano and Scipione Pulzone • The painting is the Assumption of Mary

Anchor 1 Chapel of St. Dominic • ▼

Anchor 1 ▼ ◀ Crucifixion Chapel • The painting is St. Peter

Anchor 1 ▼ Chapel of St. Sebastian Artist: Antonio Giorgetti Date: • The statue is of St. Sebastian after being shot by arrows. Sebastian was an officer in the Praetorian Guard under Diocletian (284-305). Sentenced to death for being a Christian, the archers were ordered to shoot him. A widow Irene nursed him back to health and he again went before the emperor and was clubbed to death • Although often depicted as a youth, early artwork shows him as of a mature age ▲

Anchor 1 ▼ Sacred Heart Chapel Artist: Baldassarre Croce Date: 1599 • The cupola has doctors and evangelists of the church ▲

Anchor 1 ▼ Immacolata e S. Benedetto G. Labre •

Anchor 1 ▶ ◀ Tomb of Raphael

Anchor 1 ▶ ▲ ◀ Interior Church established: 1670 • The church is elliptical in shape and is a combination of polychrome marbles. The dual pairs of fluted red and white cottanello columns support an architrave that bends with the church • The carrara marble pilasters form eight chapels. These chapels were designed by Mattia De Rossi who was an assistant to Bernini • The Corinthian columns have the Pampili dove with an olive branch sitting on them • The arches opening to the side altars are cottanello marble with Sicilian jasper friezes and spandrels

Anchor 1 ▼ Cappella S. Filippo Neri •

Anchor 1 ▼ Chapel of St. Francis Xavier Artist: Giovanni Andrea Carlone • On the left is St. Francis Xavier Finds His Lost Crucifix • The center is St. Francis Xavier in Glory • On the right is St. Francis Xavier Baptizes an Indian Princess ▶ ◀

Anchor 1 ▼ ▲ ▶ ◀ Chapel of the Passion Artist: Giacinto Brandi Date: 1682 • The painting over the altar is Christ Taken from the Cross • After Jesus dies on the cross, he is taken down to be buried. Mary Magdalene, a follower of Jesus who had seven demons cast out of her, holds Jesus' hand. Mary, the mother of Jesus, holds out her hands in the background. The other figures are less certain.

Anchor 1 ▼ St. Joseph in the Holy Land Chapel ▶ ◀

Anchor 1 ▼ Main Altar • Relics of the Quattro Coronati, traditionally named as Severus, Victorinus, Carpophorus, and Severinus, are found in the crypt. They were martyred by Diocletian (284-305) for not worshiping a statue of the pagan god Asclepius • Relics of the Five sculptors of Pannonia, traditionally named Claudius, Nicostratus, Castor, Sempronianus, and Simplicius, are also found in the crypt. They were martyred for not making a sculpture of the pagan god Asclepius • You can access the crypt at the ends of the transcepts

Anchor 1 ▼ North Entrance ▶ ◀

Anchor 1 ▼ ◀ Chapel of St. Helen ▲

Anchor 1 ▼ S. Gregorio VII Papa al Gelsomino • ▲

Anchor 1 ▼ Vault Artist: Giovanni Caslani; Simone D'Aria Date: 1619 • The medallions have Scenes from Acts of the Apostles • The center coat of arms is of Pope Paul V (1605-1621) who built the vault Artist: Buonvicino Date: 1916 • The statues are of 36 popes that were martyred ▲ ▶ ◀

Anchor 1 ▼ Pavement Artist: Giacomo Della Porta; Bernini Date: 1650 • Pope Innocent X (1644-1655) had the pavement completed for the 1650 Holy Year. Thus his seal is found on the floor • Further up the nave is the seal of Pope Pius XI (1922-1939) which also notes the 1933 Holy Year • There are also bronze marks on the floor which note the comparative lengths of 27 famous churches

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ ◀ Altar of St. Leo the Great Artist: Alessandro Algardi Date: 1646-1653 • The relief is Pope Leo I Meets Attila. This refers to the meeting in 452 of Pope Leo (440-461) and Attila the Hun (406-453). Pope Leo somehow encourages the barbarian Attila to spare Rome. Peter and Paul appear in the scene as spiritual protectors of the city • Pope Leo the Great was the first pope to be buried inside old St. Peter's. Previous popes had all be buried in the catacombs outside Rome's walls. His relics were moved under this altar in 1606