Marble

Giuseppe de Fabris

• 1838
• Located at the bottom of the steps in 1847

Statue:

• Height: 5,55 m

Pedestal:

• Height: 4,91 m

Saint Peter’s Square. Left side facing the Basilica

The colossal statue of Saint Peter, like that of Saint Paul, was commissioned by Pope Gregory XVI (1831-1846) for the new Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, rebuilt after the disastrous fire of 1823. Preserved in the storage room of the basilica during construction, it was placed in Saint Peter’s Square at the desire of Pius IX in March 1847. The work, created by Giuseppe de Fabris, replaced a statue realized between 1461-1462 on the same subject, but of more modest dimensions. The pontiff also had the statue placed on a cubic base, along the sides of which are visible an inscription commemorating the transfer of the statue, the coat of arms with papal insignia surrounded by garlands of laurel, and the emblem of the “Reverenda Fabbrica di San Pietro” indicated by the letters R.F.S.P. The apostle is represented with two keys in his right hand and a scroll in his left with the following words written on it:  “ET TIBI DABO CLAVES REGNI COELORUM” [“I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven”] (Mt. 16:19).

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