Building the Vatican: Secrets Behind the Holy City on SBS – In less than 2,000 years the Vatican has not only become a spiritual beacon for 1.3 billion Catholics, but also an exceptional treasure of world heritage.
And to think that this site was originally practically empty… Everything was built around a crucial location: The Tomb of the Peter the Apostle.
A modest grave that triggered a series of grandiose constructions, starting with the first basilica built during Antiquity, yet almost as big as Notre-Dame de Paris.
As a follow-up, the architects were even more ambitious. The new St. Peter’s would become the largest church in the world.
But its construction was a technical conundrum, becoming a fascinating adventure with exciting twists and turns.
Everywhere in the Vatican, architecture is at the service of the papacy. And behind all of these wonders lie a multitude of unsuspected technical challenges.
In the magnificence of emblematic rooms, behind doors traditionally closed to the public and with the help of 3D images, you will discover the building secrets of a megastructure with a truly unique history: The Vatican.
Building The Vatican: Secrets Behind the Holy City – First Run – Sunday, 3 September at 7.30pm on SBS and SBS on Demand
TV Central SBS content HERE
