The Size and Capacity of European Churches

….compiled to show the impossibility of St. Peter’s at Rome being ever crowed, gives some curious statistics as to the comparative capacity of the most celebrated churches in Europe. We add a column, exhibiting the number of square yards. Those who attended at St. Peter’s during the august ceremonies of Christmas-day might, perhaps, have imagined that temple, in all parts open to the public during the function, as much crowded as possible. To show the impossibility of St. Peter’s being ever crowed, we annex the following statistics of its capabilities, as compared with other great churches, allowing four persons to every quadrate meter (square yard): -

Persons & Sq. yds.

• St. Peter’s: 54,000 persons - 13,500 Sq. yds.

• Milan Cathedral: 37,000 persons - 9,250 Sq. yds.

• St. Paul’s, at Rome: 32,000 persons - 8,000 Sq. yds.

• St. Petronio, at Bologna: 25,600 persons - 6,400 Sq. yds.

• Florence Cathedral: 24,400 persons - 6,100 Sq. yds.

• Antwerp Cathedral: 24,300 persons - 6,075 Sq. yds.

• St. Sophia’s, at Constantinople: 23,000 persons - 5,750 Sq. yds.

• St. John, Lateran: 22,900 persons - 5,725 Sq. yds.

• Notre Dame, at Paris: 21,000 persons - 5,250 Sq. yds.

• Pisa Cathedral: 13,000 persons - 3,250 Sq. yds.

• St. Stephen’s, at Vienna: 12,400 persons - 3,100 Sq. yds.

• St. Dominick’s, at Bologna: 12,000 persons - 3,000 Sq. yds.

• St. Peter’s at Bologna: 11,400 persons - 2,850 Sq. yds.

• Cathedral of Siena: 11,000 persons - 2,750 Sq. yds

• St. Mark’s, Venice: 7,000 persons - 1,750 Sq. yds.

The Piazza of St. Peter’s in its limits allowing twelve (persons) to the quadrate meter (square yard), holds 624,000; allowing four to the same, drawn up in military array, 208,000. In its narrower limits, not comprising the porticoes of the Piazza Rusticucci, 474,000 crowded, and 138,000 in military array.