Piazza of St
Preserved but no longer current.
Peter's. Although weighing some 320 tons, it was moved bodily on rollers by Pope Sixtus V, in 1586 — an astonishing en- gineering feat, considering the appliances then available. The task was so tricky that spec- tators were forbidden to utter a sound on pain of death.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Piazza of St” mean?
Peter's. Although weighing some 320 tons, it was moved bodily on rollers by Pope Sixtus V, in 1586 — an astonishing en- gineering feat, considering the appliances then available. The task was so tricky that spec- tators were forbidden to utter a sound on pain of death.
Is “Piazza of St” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.