In the early fourth century, the Roman Emperor Constantine ordered the construction of a church on the burial site of St. Peter.

It was the greatest church in Christianity.

Centuries later, that building was falling apart, so Pope Julius II ordered the construction of a replacement church

that would be newer and much bigger. Learn more about St. Peter's Basilica

the world's largest church on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Book your ticket to happiness with Sun Express Airlines. So, I've previously done an episode about Vatican City, but that episode dealt with how it came

to exist as an institution and a tiny little country.

In this episode I just want to focus on the signature building of the Vatican.

In fact, the building which makes up an enormous part of the area of the country, St. Peter's Basilica.

The current location of St. Peter's Basilica was originally outside the walls of Rome across

the Tyber River. The site was known in Latin as the Agar Vaticanus. It was a swampy field that was prone to flooding on the tiber and it was known for having a lot of mosquitoes.

As Rome expanded, the area was eventually drained and it was developed.

For the purposes of this story, it became notable for being the location of the Circus of Nero.

The Circus of Nero, like the Circus Maximus, was a location for chariot racing and other events.

It was located roughly where the southern half of St. Peter Square and the Basilica is today,

pointing southwest to northeast.

Supposedly, the circus was the first place where the organized execution of early Christians

took place in the year 65, and it was supposed to also be the location where St. Peter was executed

in the year 67 or 68.

According to the acts of Peter, he was crucified upside down between two

turning posts in the middle of the track. After his death he was then buried in a

cemetery that was directly across the Via Cornelia which was the street on the north side of the circus. a cemetery

that was directly across the Via Cornelia, which was the street on the north side of the circus.

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