Julius II and the Saint Peter's Basilica (Vatican)

Julius II was the follower of Pope Pius III. His civic name was Giuliano della Rovere. He was born in 1443. Before he became the Pope he was the head of the opposition against Alexander VI, the Pope from the House of Borgia. He became the Pope in 1503. He was the founder of the Swiss Guard and in 1506 he induced the laying of the first stone of the Saint Peter’s Basilica. He died in 1513.

The Saint Peter's Basilica is one of the largest churches in the World and one of the highest-ranking Roman Catholic churches. In 1506 Pope Julius II charged Donato Bramante with the construction of a new basilica on the place were Constantin built an older basilica on the grave of Saint Peter. Until the finishing 120 years passed and during this time many different popes brought forward their own ideas and so the best builder of Italy were involved in the building of the basilica.