St. Peter's Basilica Collapse

St. Peter's Collapse
The Basilica tipping forward
Date	December 21, 2012 (Mayan calendar) Midsummer, 2012 (normal Gregorian calendar)
Location	Vatican City, Italy
Cause	Earthquake caused by Earth Crust Displacement
Survivors	Any that may have escaped before the dome collapsed
Casualties	Pope The Italian Prime Minister and his family Any worshipers that were crushed by the dome or rubble

The St. Peter's Basilica Collapse was an event that happened during the 2012 apocalypse. This huge church was hit by at least a 9.0 magnitude earthquake that made the building tip forward and collapse. This caused the death of thousands of people including the Pope and the Italian Prime Minister.

History:

Before the Collapse

In the late hours of the night, a large congregation gathered at the basilica and the Pope (assuming Benedict XVI as he was still Pope before his resignation in 2013) lead them in a mass prayer. As Cardinals pray in the Sistine Chapel, the ceiling starts cracking and eventually collapses, starting the event

The Earthquake

At 6:10 PM, violent shaking jolted through the area of Rome. The main lights of the dome flickered and shut off, and people started panicking, running away from the church. The Basilica started tipping forward and the stone facade of the church started to crumble, along with the stone obelisk in the center of the square. After several seconds, the dome of the building hit the ground, skidding for a brief second and then rolling over anyone that was unfortunate enough to not be able to escape the square.

Casualties

• Pope
• The Italian Prime Minister and his family
• Many Cardinals praying in the Sistine Chapel and two standing by the Pope
• Thousands of people praying at the time

Trivia

• In the beginning of the scene, the Basilica looks as it would in real life, with the Dome in the back part of the building, but when the earthquake started, the dome is placed in the front part of the building.
• Many Christians attacked this scene of the film with claims that the scene is anti-catholic, Roland Emmerich denied this.
• The way the church collapses is inaccurate and highly unlikely, as the building is more length than width, and the fact the dome in real life is in the back part of the building.
• The dome of the building is 136 feet in diameter and 488 feet tall and it connected by interlocking chains built in the dome, so the scene where to dome rolls over the square is accurate.
• It's safe to say anyone one from the front of the church to the middle of the square would've been crushed by the dome.
• The clocks on the basilica are pointed at the time 6:10.

Gallery

The Basilica before the collapse

The crack in the Sistine Chapel going between Adam and God

The Basilica starting to collapse

The Basilica lurching forward

The facade of the Basilica breaking apart, the pope and two cardinals can be seen ducking in the balcony

The dome about to hit the ground, with the prime minister and his family circled in blue

The dome rolling on the gound