This book discusses Gianlorenzo Bernini's remarkable role in the ongoing transformation of Saint Peter's basilica over nearly six decades. It argues that Bernini envisioned Saint Peter's as a pilgrimage church, symbolizing the journey of human life for both himself and the visiting faithful.

Bernini at St. Peter¿s may be a unique case in history: a single artist in change of a grandiose monument in a continuous state ofcreativity under constantly changing patrons and a variety of projects, for nearly six decades. This book argues that a continuousthread of thought may be discerned underlying and connecting the vicissitudes of this spectacular display. From first to last, Bernini conceived of St. Peter¿s as a pilgrimage church, a kind of pilgrimage of human life, his own and of the believers who visited the basilica to worship and give testimony.The book is in large format and richly illustrated with 272 colour illustrations. It represents a fitting tribute to the artist and his monument, St. Peter's Basilica