April 18, 1506 - Foundation Stone of St. Peter's Basilica Blessed

When Pope Julius II blessed the foundation stone of the new St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on April 18, 1506, he was allegedly lowered into the hole where the stones were being laid in front of thousands of people. For the next 120 years, architects, builders, artisans, and popes worked tirelessly until the Basilica was completed. This extravagant and, to many people, unnecessary use of the Church’s money was one of the catalysts of the Protestant Reformation.