St. Peter's Square, Vatican City, 1970s

Archive & AtlasEstablished · MMXXIII

St. Peter's Square, Vatican City, 1970s — Archive & Atlas

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Vatican City

St. Peter's Square, Vatican City, 1970s — Archive & Atlas

Unattributed 1970–1979

AA-2026-6D0CF0

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A lone figure walks across St. Peter's Square in the 1970s, apparently unbothered by the immense scale of the Basilica behind them. Such vast open spaces are designed to make individuals feel small, a psychological tactic still effective centuries later.

The architecture was clearly intended to inspire awe and devotion, or at least a healthy sense of proportion regarding one's own importance. Meanwhile, the ancient Egyptian obelisk continues to stand, having witnessed millennia of human projects come and go, retaining its stoic indifference.

Small Italian cars from the era dot the periphery, patiently waiting for the future to render them obsolete. People in every generation believe their conveyances are the pinnacle of technology, until they aren't.

The historian's note

St. Peter's Square, or Piazza San Pietro, is a large plaza located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave within Rome, Italy. Designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, construction of the square took place between 1656 and 1667 under Pope Alexander VII, forming a monumental approach to the basilica.

In the 1970s, the square continued to serve as a principal gathering place for major religious events, papal audiences, and a significant tourist destination. Whilst already popular, it had not yet reached the levels of mass tourism seen in later decades, which can explain the relatively sparse crowd in this depiction.

The central feature is the ancient Egyptian obelisk, brought to Rome in the 1st century AD, flanked by two fountains. Bernini's colonnades, topped with 140 statues of saints, embrace the square, symbolising the "maternal arms of the Church."

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