This book is on the history of the Roman Catholics’ building of the St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. What made me want to read this is because I wanted a fuller context of the building of the basilica that historically prompted the sales of indulgences which of course set the wheels turning that eventually that resulted in the Protestant Reformation. The author’s was a family acquaintance of Pope John Paul II and while I don’t know where she stand with spiritual matters I must admit she did a good job of presenting the history behind the building of St. Peter’s including some very unpleasant side to Roman Catholicism and the less than perfect side to the popes involved with the building project–such as the war fighting Julius II, the pompous Leo and others, who had mistress and children. The work also talks about the artists behind the building–with familiar names such as Michelangelo and Raphael. It explore the politics of the builders and artists themselves in this work. I enjoyed the work filling in the gaps historically, politically of Roman Catholicism before and during the Reformation.
