Bramantes Pergamentplan

The planning history of St. Peter's in Rome at the beginning of the 16th century has been an important topic of art historical research since the 19th century. The so-called parchment plan by Donato Bramante, which has only been preserved as a draft fragment, is the focus of the scientific investigations. In the present study, this plan is analyzed comprehensively and placed in an historical context with other text and image materials, ranging from architectural precursors from the late antique imperial period to the baroque planning phase of St. Peter's in the 17th century. On the basis of various scientific approaches, the aim is to answer the fundamental question whether the parchment plan was a central or longitudinal building.

• Reappraisal of Bramante's parchment plan in the context of art historical text- and image-materials
• Answer to the question of whether the parchment plan is a central- or longitudinal-building
• Critical review of the existing research literature