Holy Gold, Batman!

Mr. Blue · Rigger Posts: 1947 **68709 Gold** -

http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/44479%26eng%3Dy.html

I ran into this link quite by chance. It claims that St. Peter's Basilica in Rome was decorated with gold and silver. Silver plates covered the entire sactuary floor, the walls with gold plates, and there was a gold balustrade weighing 1328 pounds. Also, the gates were silver and there were six silver images.

All stolen in the year 846 by an Arab fleet.

One of the greatest pirate hauls of all time?
_________________
" ... the mistakes that we male and female mortals make when we have our own way might fairly raise some wonder that we are so fond of it. " George Eliot

Roland · Helmsman Posts: 4085 **22541 Gold** -

Thanks for sharing this history - it is new to me.

This video shows a reconstruction of Old St. Peter's Basilica, whose construction was sponsored by Constantine. The video begins with the exterior and reaches the interior at about 2:10.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5AqQtlm4MY

No date is given, but one of the commenters said it looks like a reconstruction of how it would have looked in the 7th century - so, about two centuries before the Arab raid.