ST. PETER’S AND THE PAPAL BASILICAS OF ROME

Behind the making ofSt. Peter and the Papal Basilicas of Rome, lies theJubilee of Mercyproclaimed by Pope Francis in 2017. Winding its way from the Early Christian Basilica on which StPeter’s was built, to the grandeurof Baroque,throughthe precious works of Medieval andRenaissance art, the narrative thread is provided by excerpts from‘The Roman Journal’byStendhal(1783-1842), the famousFrench writer who visited the four basilicas at the beginning of the 19thCentury duringhis GrandTour of Italy.Stendhal’s words are recited in thefilm byAdriano Giannini,emotionally preparing the viewer to come into contact with the historic, artistic world of these fourimposingbuildings seen through the eyes of the learned early 20thcenturytravellers