The Basilica "St. Peter's in Rome is the most famous monument of Renaissance architecture and the largest church in the world. It is dedicated to the Apostle Peter, because it is believed that the saint was buried in the place where the cathedral stands. After many years of missionary work and preaching the Christian religion, the apostle Peter came to Rome in the second half of the 1st century, where in 64 he was tortured and crucified by Emperor Nero. His execution was part of the many killings of Christians after the Great Fire of Rome. After the adoption of Christianity as the official religion, the first basilica was built in honor of the saint, on the order of the emperor Constantine the Great, in the lobular place of the apostle Peter. Today's church was built on the foundations of the basilica from the time of Constantine the Great. The dome of the church is the work of Michelangelo, continued by Domenico Fontana and Giacomo de la Porta. The basilica, the square in front of it and the Papal palaces make up almost the entire area of one of the smallest countries in Europe - the Vatican.