The Paul VI Audience Hall: A Serpent Cult in Vatican
Authored by Loris Bagnara
Did you ever heard about the Paul VI Audience Hall or Hall of the Pontifical Audiences?
It is a building named for Pope Paul VI, which rises partly in Rome and partly in the Vatican City. With a seating capacity of 6,300 (12,000 standing), it was designed by Italian engineer Pier Luigi Nervi and completed in 1971. Inside, the stage is dominated by a huge bronze sculpture by Pericle Fazzini entitled La Resurrezione (Italian for The Resurrection). The Hall is often used by the Pope as an alternative to Saint Peter’s Square when conducting his Wednesday morning General Audience.
So far, nothing strange, but watching carefully…
The exterior shape of the Hall like a serpent’s head
Take a look at the image above, where the overall external shape of the building is compared with the head of a serpent. Note the wide back, the front narrow and rounded, the eyes in the middle, the nostrils at the front, and the curved top: the similarities are striking.
Now let’s focus on the “eyes” of the serpent, the two windows on both sides of the building. They are made of colored glass and placed about halfway along the length of the building on both sides.
