St. Peter’s and the Altar: An Exploration of its Transformation and its Development as the Focal Point of Sacred Space

Authors

• Chloe BalkcomFollow

Files

Date of Graduation

5-2027

Description

This study explores the evolution of the high altar at St. Peter’s, tracing its history as a ritual focal point within the basilica. Rooted to being the presumed burial site of the Apostle Peter, the basilica served as a primary testing ground for the evolving relationship between altar, relic, and liturgy. Arguably, the altar's gradual formulation in its position from a movable object to a fixed structure, mirrors the actual Church’s broader effort to find its identity, authority, and ritual practice following the legalization of Christianity. Through architectural, material, and liturgical analysis across the centuries, the paper examines spatial consequences of key interventions and reveals the ways in which architectural form has been employed to reinforce continuity, hierarchy, and theological meaning throughout years of reconstruction. By situating the altar within an unbroken religious tradition, this paper positions St. Peter’s as both a catalyst and model for Catholic altar design. Ultimately, it argues that the altar at St. Peter’s transformed history into liturgy, material into symbol, and sacred space into an enduring expression of the Catholic tradition.

Publication Date

2026

Document Type

Book

Degree Name

Bachelor of Architecture

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Art

Advisor/Mentor

Sexton, Kim

Disciplines

Architecture

Keywords

Art and Design

Citation

Balkcom, C. (2026). St. Peter’s and the Altar: An Exploration of its Transformation and its Development as the Focal Point of Sacred Space. 2026 Research Poster Competition. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/hnrcsturpc26/38