Basilica

The Splendor and the Scandal: Building St. Peter's

By: R.A. Scotti

Narrated by: Josephine Bailey

It was the splendor and the scandal of the age. In 1506, the ferociously ambitious Renaissance Pope Julius II tore down the most sacred shrine in Europe, the millennium-old St. Peter's Basilica built by the Emperor Constantine over the apostle's grave, to build a better basilica.

Construction of the new St. Peter's spanned two centuries, embroiled 27 popes, and consumed the genius of the greatest artists of the age: Michaelangelo, Bramante, Raphael, and Bernini. The cost of building the new cathedral was costly in more than just monetary terms; the new basilica provoked the Protestant Reformation, dividing the Christian world for all time.

In this swift, colorful narrative, R.A. Scotti brings to life the artists and the popes, the politics and the passions behind this audacious enterprise. Scotti turns sacred architecture into a spellbinding human epic of enormous daring, petty jealousy, and staggering genius.

©2006 R.A. Scotti (P)2006 Tantor Media Inc

Critic reviews

"A riveting portrtait of the papacy, complete with its triumphs, intrigue, and excesses." (Kirkus)

Good story

I enjoyed hearing about the relationships of popes and artists, of challenges and triumphs in building St. Peter’s.

Amazing

This book was much more engaging than I’d expected. The drama and characters involved in building St. Peter’s are brought to life and the architectural and engineering details are fascinating. I’m not an architect or an engineer, but I was spellbound.

Fabulous.

This book could be used as the basis for an entire education. Unlike a lot of books, it is worth reading again.

Spell binding

I was so sorry to have it end. Truly amazing. I ran for my pictures of St. Peter's to check out the details.

Historical subject but novelized style

A fascinating subject, relatively well researched but written in a "You were there" style. ('Michelangelo was out of breath as he wiped his brow with his calloused hands and thought...." etc. More annoying was the uneducated pronunciation from the British reader who has a pleasant enough speaking voice but displays shocking ignorance of the classical field. These are not accepted English vs. American pronunciations, mind you. "Tacky-tiss' instead of Tacitus? There are many more of this sort, and I'm no snob. But she should have been coached properly and the recording edited. Otherwise, the book is worth a listen.