Peter, the first pope and bishop of Rome, appointed by Jesus himself, took the lead to establish Christianity in Rome. He was later martyred; however, his legacy was set. One and a half millennia passed, and the inspired Pope Julius II sought to honor St. Peter and the origins of the papacy. He turned to Renaissance architect and painter Donato Bramante and requested him to make “the most magnificent, biggest church in Christendom.” For more than 100 years, some of the greatest minds of the Renaissance and Baroque periods contributed to the magnificent creation of St. Peter’s Basilica that would offer its patrons an experience of the divine. Although his design was not entirely realized, Bramante embarked on the journey that embraced the Renaissance ideals of truth and beauty, honoring St. Peter and the divine principles the saint embodied, and set the course for creating this great Basilica. Bramante aimed …