This is a photograph I captured of Bernini’s famous baldacchino (canopy) in Rome’s St. Peter’s Basilica, a few years ago.

The enormity of the space, and the enormity of the bronze canopy makes for difficult on-the-spot decisions from a photographic perspective.  In this photograph, I opted to get as close to the subject as possible, and include onlooking tourists to give the subject scale.

St. Peter’s baldachin was designed by Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini.  The canopy rests upon massive twisted bronze columns (over six stories), which tradition claims are patterned after columns from King Solomon’s Temple built in the 10th century BC.

The canopy sits directly under the basilica’s massive dome, is at the center of the cross shaped interior, rests directly above St. Peter’s tomb, and covers the High Alter of the basilica.

As a fan of glorious architecture, St. Peter’s Basilica likely sits at the top of my list of favorites.  And, gazing upon Bernini’s bacdachin, with Michelangelo’s dome soaring 452 ft. above my head was certainly a glorious experience in architecture.

Have you visited St. Peter’s Basilica?  If not, be certain to put it on your bucket list.

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