Carlo Maderna's final plan shape for St. Peter's Basilica is which cross plan?

• A. Latin Cross
• B. Greek Cross
• C. Cross in circle
• D. T Cross

Answer: (A)

The concept here is how cross plans are defined by the proportions of the nave and transepts. A Latin cross plan features a long nave forming the vertical arm, with a shorter crossing arm. Carlo Maderno, finishing St. Peter’s Basilica, extended the earlier centralized design by adding a long nave that leads to the crossing, so the footprint reads as a cross with a notably longer vertical leg. This makes it distinctly a Latin cross. The Greek cross would have arms of roughly equal length, the cross in circle would center on a circular plan, and a T cross lacks the full longitudinal nave and the traditional cross shape created by a long nave and shorter transept. So the final plan is a Latin cross.