One of the most important and largest monuments and public spaces is St. Peter's Basilica ("St. Peter's Basilica"). It was initially built by Emperor Constantine on top of the tomb of Saint Peter (SCTJM 2006). This was done when Pope Sylvester I was head of the church (“St. Peter’s Basilica” 2014). What we're seeing right now is the renovated version of St. Peters. When the old church began to deteriorate, Pope Nicholas V declared it unsafe and asked Bernardo Rossellino to rebuild the church. After the death of Pope Nicholas V, Pope Julius II decided to pursue the idea ("St. Peter's Basilica"). Thus, in 1506 AD, construction of the new church began under the direction of Donato Bramante (Hayes 2010). Thanks to the construction of the basilica, many main architects worked on it. Leaders flocked from Bramante to Raphael to Fra Giocondo, Giuliano da Sangallo, Baldassare Peruzzi, Antonio da Sangallo and finally Michelangelo ("St. Peter's Basilica" 2014). Then, in 1626 AD, a new church was opened ("St. Peter's Basilica"). The architects who worked on the basilica ensured that the final product reflected the magnificence of the Catholic Church. They also added symbolic architecture to the interior and exterior of the basilica, from the arrangement of the pillars to the smallest details. the bee on the altar of Confession has deep symbolic and theological meanings (Croisette 2014). From the outside, the basilica has many symbolic structures and statues. One example is the square lined with colonnades, also known as St. Peter's Square. Its shape resembles an arm outstretched to welcome. The architect himself explained the idea as “the maternal arms of the church”. zza." Last modified in 2005. Accessed April 14, 2014. http://honorsaharchive.blogspot.com/2005/09/st-peters-piazza.html.Tighe, SP Arch, Bell Towers and Dom: religious symbols during a journey of Faith Indiana: Authour House, 2009. http://books.google.com/books?id=fax-HoMP7I8C&pg=PA73&dq=symbolism in Saint Peter's Basilica&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ikBMU-fgKpHmsATxk4CACA&ved=0CE0Q6AEwBgGuides du world site, "St. Peter's Basilia, Rome." Last modified April 3, 2011. Accessed April 14, 2014. http://www.worldsiteguides.com/europe/italy/rome/st-peters-basilica/.Hassett, Maurice. The Catholi Encyclopedia, "History of the Christian Altar". Last modified 1907. Accessed April 16, 2014. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01362a.htm.McClendon, Charles B. "L "History of the site of St. Peter's Basilica, Rome." Perspectives. (1989): 32-65. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1567138 (accessed May 2, 2014).