then rebuilt in 1506. Emperor Constantine recognized Christianity as the official religion and chose the place for basilica where the Circus of Nero was located. The Circus of Nero was the site of martyrdoms of Christians (Letarouilly 33). It is believed that St. Peter , one of the apostles of Jesus Christ, was crucified in this spot (the Circus of Nero). It is considered that the tomb of Peter is located beneath altar in the basilica.
The old basilica of St. Peter’s, built in haste, in a bad age, was fast falling to decay; and, notwithstanding that it was larger than any Medieval cathedral, it still was felt to be unworthy of being the principal church of Europe. In consequence of this, Pope Nicholas V. commenced a new building, from the designs of Rosselino , on such a scale as would — had it been completed — have made it the greatest and most splendid cathedral of Europe (Letarouilly 76). His designs have not been preserved, and the only part which was executed was the western tribune, which occupied the same place as the present one, but was only raised a few feet out of the ground when the Pope died in 1454 (Letarouilly 78).
There the matter seems to have rested for more than half a century, and no one seems to have thought of carrying out the conception of Nicholas, till the project was revived by Pope Julius II in 1506. Bramante , who was then in the plenitude of his practice and the zenith of his fame, was instructed to prepare the designs (Wittmann 39).
The foundation-stone of this great church was laid in the year 1506, and the works were carried on with the greatest activity during the following seven or eight years. On the death of Pope Julius II., in 1513, and that of his architect in the following