The presence of women in the 16th century St. Peter’s construction site
The history of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City and, specifically, its domed roof have been richly
documented throughout the ages, however this wealth of information, until recently has remained largely
hidden, covered up by the huge mountain of sources and un-categorised texts on the subject.
The survey conducted made it possible to highlight the practical and productive aspects of the construction
site, the effort faced in its organization and the important social and economic effects that are illustrated
by the working conditions, wage dynamics and construction techniques adopted.
The results of the research also provided useful information for understanding, more generally, the
organization of the construction site, construction work and the very notion of ‘construction work’, in its
countless architectural, sociological, economic, administrative and political implications in the modern age.
