Historedia
EuropeEvent

Installation of the Cathedra Petri

When
1666
Where
St. Peter's Basilica
Episodes
1

The Cathedra Petri, a wooden relic attributed to Saint Peter, was encased in a gilt bronze structure designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. This ensemble was installed in the apse of St. Peter's Basilica, where it was enshrined with great celebration on 16 January 1666.

Episodes

  1. 16 January 1666 · St. Peter's BasilicaEnshrinement of the Cathedra Petri

    The Chair of Saint Peter was enshrined in its new home in St. Peter's Basilica with great celebration on 16 January 1666.

Background and detail

Relic and Design. The Chair of Saint Peter is a wooden throne that tradition claims belonged to the Apostle and was used by him as Bishop of Rome. Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed a sculpted gilt bronze casing to enclose this relic, a project constructed between 1647 and 1653. The design serves as a symbolic representation of the authority of the Bishop of Rome as the successor of Saint Peter.

Installation Context. Located in the apse of St. Peter's Basilica, the chair forms part of a larger sculptural ensemble by Bernini. Catholic tradition holds that the basilica is the burial site of Saint Peter. The installation of the chair culminated in a celebratory ceremony on 16 January 1666.

People involved

Sources

  1. Chair of Saint Peter Wikipedia, revision of 2026-07-11
  2. St. Peter's Basilica Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-18

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.