Altar of the Chair of St. Peter & Bernini's Holy Spirit Window

Bernini's glowing depiction of the Holy Spirit as a Dove above the Bronze Chair

The Altar of the Chair of St. Peter is a wooden throne in Saint Peter's Basilica, encased in bronze by John Lorenzo Bernini, and given to Pope John VIII in 875. The stained glass window showing the Holy Spirit as Dove was also made by Bernini and was made out of alabaster.

At the far end of St. Peter’s Basilica, in the apse behind the Papal Altar, stands the magnificent Altar of the Chair of St. Peter, a masterpiece by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, completed in 1666. This grand Baroque structure was designed to enshrine the Cathedra Petri (Chair of St. Peter), an ancient wooden throne that, according to tradition, belonged to St. Peter, the first Pope. The relic is encased in a magnificent bronze structure, supported by the statues of four Doctors of the Church—St. Augustine and St. Ambrose (representing the Latin Church), and St. John Chrysostom and St. Athanasius (representing the Greek Church).

Above the altar, Bernini’s breathtaking Holy Spirit window dominates the apse. Made of gilded stucco and glowing amber-colored alabaster, the window features a radiant dove, symbolizing the Holy Spirit, at its center. The golden rays emanating from the dove create an ethereal effect, filling the basilica with warm light. This dynamic composition symbolizes the divine guidance of the Holy Spirit over the Church, reinforcing St. Peter’s authority and his successors’ role as leaders of the faith.

The Altar of the Chair of St. Peter is a focal point of major liturgical celebrations, especially on February 22, the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, which honors the Pope’s role as the spiritual shepherd of the Catholic Church.