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 Vatican Post Card Issue of 1990 (Folder Cover) 400th Anniversary of the Construction of the Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica The annual post card set issued by Vatican City on April 5, 1990, commemorated the 400th anniversary of the completion of the construction of the dome of Saint Peter’s Basilica. Shown above is the cover for the folder, an image taken from an ancient fresco from around 1588 showing the unfinished dome of the basilica. The post card set contained four cards showing drawings of the dome, and can be seen by clicking on the UFN reference below. Dating to the early fourth century, the original St. Peter's Basilica was commissioned by Constantine the Great. Over the next 1100 years, the original structure would fall into disrepair, particularly due to neglect during the years of the Avignon Papacy. Popes Nicholas V and Julius II planned for the rebuilding of the Basilica, with Julius II taking Nicholas V's program of repair or modification to a much grander scale by calling for its reconstruction. In 1505, it was decided to demolish the original structure and rebuild Saint Peter’s Basilica with a monumental structure. The majestic dome would come to symbolize the grandeur of the new Basilica. The entire project would take around 150 years to complete. The dome of St. Peter's Basilica is the tallest domed structure in the world, with a height of 136.57 meters (or 448.1 feet) from the floor of the basilica to the top of the external cross. The early designers of the dome looked at the structures of the Pantheon in Rome and Florence Cathedral for the inspiration to conceive of the design for the dome, and determine the solutions needed to construct what would be the greatest dome of Christendom. Architects Donato Bramante and Giuliano da Sangallo, who also worked on the reconstruction of the Basilica, drew up plans for the dome in the early 16th century. But their designs were rejected, and it fell to the great Michelangelo to redesign the dome. His planning started around 1547, and he oversaw construction through the completion of the drum, until his death in 1564. Little progress occurred over the next twenty years, until Pope Sixtus V appointed Giacomo della Porta as lead architect to complete the dome. Working with Domenico Fontana, and starting in 1588, the construction of the dome was remarkably completed in just 22 months, in 1590. Regarded as one of the monumental architectural feats of all time, Saint Peter’s has been described as "holding a unique position in the Christian world", and as "the greatest of all churches of Christendom." It was dedicated on November 18, 1626. There are many Vatican City stamps depicting the dome of Saint Peter’s Basilica—a search of the Stamp Database on the VPS Website will provide images of these stamps. Here are a couple of examples of stamps portraying this magnificent structure: 
 Scott 24, 1933 (Gardens and Medallions Issue, first stamp showing Saint Peter’s Dome) Scott C22, 1953 (Air Post, Dome of St. Peter's Basilica) Scott 164, 1953 (Popes and Basilicas Issue, Pope Sixtus V and Dome) Scott 515, 1972 (Donato Bramante Issue, Design for the Dome of St. Peter's Basilica)  Popes of the Renaissance Issue Pope Julius II, Scott 1539 (2013) REFERENCES: |
