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Anchor 1 ▼ ◀ Chapel of Pius IX • This is the entrance to the funeral chapel of Pius IX who is buried below • This is the original area of the church that was built by Constantine (306-337) in 330 and rebuilt by Pope Pelagius II (578-590) in 578. Later Pope Honorius III (1216-1227) added the nave area

Anchor 1 ▼ Portico Artist: Paolo and Filippo Date: Early 1200s • The panels recall how St. Lawrence and St. Stephen appeared to a monk, in 1062, who lived in the monastery attached to this basilica

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ ◀ Chapel of Mary Immaculate and Saints Artist: Placido Costanzi • The painting is Mary Immaculate and Saints

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ Back Wall • The inscription recalls the work of Pope Paul V (1605-1621) who finished the building St. Peter's in 1614 and his design of the confession area

Anchor 1 Tomb of Gian Lorenzo Bernini • The Latin above reads: "Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who brought honor to art and to the city, here humbly lies" • The coat of arms reads: "The noble Bernini family here awaits the resurrection" • Gian Lorenzo's father Pietro Berini is also buried here. One of Pietro's works is in the baptistry • Gian Lorenzo's son Pierfilippo Bernini was a canon of this church and thus arranged special permission for them to be buried here ▼

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 ▲ ▶ ◀