The Romans are credited with creating the dome as a major architectural feature during the first century BC. However, they did not appear in their present form until the mid-15th century. Since then, over 70 churches in Rome have been crowned with a dome. They give the city a unique and beautiful skyline. Towering over all of them is the 448 foot dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. It was redesigned in the mid-16th century by Michelangelo. He specified two layers of bricks surrounded by 16 ribs of stone. Beneath the 63 foot lantern is a very impressive diameter of 136 feet. No wonder it has been copied so often but never duplicated.
