Two popes who built St Peter’s Basilica face each other fully restored

Fully restored sculptures of the popes who built St. Peter's Basilica face each other - The Dialog

VATICAN CITY — Two popes who played instrumental roles in building the world’s largest church now gaze at one another with renewed clarity in the apse of St. Peter’s Basilica. After decades of accumulating dirt, dust and grime, the funerary statues of Popes Paul III and Urban VIII were returned to their original luster as part of a broader restoration campaign inside the basilica, which included conservation work on sculpture surfaces and a new …

Two popes who built St Peter’s Basilica face each other fully restored

The tomb of Pope Urban VIII, designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, is seen inside St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican April 11, 2025, after undergoing restoration work. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez) Two popes who played instrumental roles in building the world’s largest church now gaze at one another with renewed clarity in the apse of St Peter’s Basilica. After decades of accumulating dirt, dust and grime, the funerary statues of Popes Paul III and Urban …