Saint Peter Basilica digital experience(virtual.basilicasanpietro.va) |
Saint Peter Basilica digital experience(virtual.basilicasanpietro.va) |
Movement is very jerky (maybe because of my old computer?) and I was disappointed that I could only roam freely around the wireframe model, not any of the photographic images. Because of the jerkiness, it was sometimes hard to tell what part of the architecture I was looking at.
As someone that is not very religious, it is still a site to behold in person.
The story was that the original church was built by Emperor Constantine on top of Peter’s tomb. When the basilica was built about a thousand years later. Peter’s bones were moved to its current location a few hundred yards away.
This video gives a glimpse of the jeweled box and Peter’s bones. https://youtu.be/DhnJgAzSHD8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwDqKWMLSIM
A detailed and lengthy explanation of the necropolis, excavations, and findings is available here:
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Australia FWIW
The site provides the relevant information. In the "Story of the Basilica" the first section is "The Life of St. Peter" and it tells you why Simon came to be called Peter.
The story is that Jesus spoke Aramaic. He would address Simon as Kepha. But the early gentile Christians wrote in Greek the language of the educated.
I had to exit the experience because my laptop (admittedly a few years old) could only give me 1-2 frames per second. I love the idea, but in the current state, viewing hi-res pictures would give you a better experience than this virtual 3d tour, IMO.
At first I didn't like the wire frame scene introductions, but I got used to it.