Tempietto del Bramante seen from the courtyard entrance.

The Tempietto del Bramante is located in the courtyard of the San Pietro in Montorio Church in the Trastevere district of Rome. It is considered one of the masterpieces of Renaissance architecture.

A brief history of the Tempietto del Bramante in Rome

Donato Bramante designed his temple in 1502, although he had already received the commission for it in 1497. This was given by the Spanish King Ferdinando, following a promise made on the death of his early-deceased son Juan. The work was finished in 1509. The site was chosen because it was here St. Peter was supposed to have been crucified.

The original plan was to place the temple inside another round structure. Lack of money put a hold to this, and the building ended up inside the square courtyard of the church of San Pietro in Montorio.

What to see

Bramante got his inspiration for the design from classical tholos (round buildings, constructed upon a podium, and with a ring of columns supporting a domed roof). However, he turned the design into a Renaissance building by adding the drum, considered a symbol of divine perfection.

The temple actually consists of two cylinders, the outer one formed by 16 columns,16, according to Vitruvius, being a perfect number. The central cylinder ends in a semi-circular dome, while the entire structure rests on a series of steps.

The columns making up the outer ring of the temple are crowned with Doric capitals, which was very unusual for the time as people preferred using Ionic or Corinthian capitals. The temple is surrounded by a colonnaded ambulatory.

The metopes decorating the frieze depict stylized liturgical objects.

The interior is characterized by Cosmatesque floor decorations.

Saint Peter was buried upside down, as depicted on the relief of the altar.

Crypt

Crypt of the Tempietto del Bramante

Below the temple is a crypt with a sign on the floor covering the hole where the crucifixion cross was placed. The entrance to the crypt is at the back of the temple.

Useful information

Address: Via Garibaldi, 33 – Rome. Phone: +39 06 5812806. Opening hours: From 10.00 till 18.00. Closed: Mondays. Ticket: free.

Tempietto di Bramante, Rome

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