Desarrollo
Constituted in 1929 as a sovereign state, it is made up of St. Peter's Square and Basilica, the Papal Palace and other buildings. Situated in the very heart of Rome and represented by the Pope, it is governed by a law passed in 1969. The Holy See is a judicial entity that contemplates the bishopric of Rome and the direction of the Catholic Church presided by the Pope. Julius II commissioned the architect Bramante to construct the new basilica on the site of the ruins of the old one. The Basilica is in the shape of a Greek cross with a great cupola typical of the [Renaissance#ESTILOS#1]. Two limbs of the cross are finished in semi-circular apses, with a portico on the outside. Rafael de Urbino, as Bramante's disciple, directed work on St. Peter's for a time. In 1546 the Pope decided to commend the work to Michelangelo who made important modifications particularly to the cupola, making its proportions more elegant and elevating it to 430 ft (131 metres).
