Rome - San Pietro in Montorio

The church of "St Peter on the Golden Mountain" (from the name of Mons Aureus or Monte d'Oro which was given in early times to the Janiculum), an early Renaissance building of the late 15th century, owes its foundation to the medieval legend - without historical foundation - that the Apostle Peter was crucified on this spot. The church was built for King Ferdinand IV of Spain by Baccio Pontelli (after 1481). The chapels on the left-hand side contain notable pictures ("Scourging of Christ" by Sebastiano del Piombo, 1519-25, a Madonna by Pomarancio and the "Conversion of St Paul" by Giorgio Vasari) and monuments.

In a court to the right of the church is the famous Tempietto di Bramante (a small round pillared temple), a chapel built in 1502 to commemorate the crucifixion of St Peter, which is recognized as a classic example of High Renaissance architecture, demonstrating the characteristic return to antiquity and the revival of Greco-Roman architectural forms. The harmony of its proportions and symmetry of its forms make this little temple an architectural delight.