TheFactory of Saint Peter (Latin:Reverenda Fabrica Sancti Petri,Italian:Fabbrica di San Pietro) is aCatholic institution responsible for the conservation and maintenance ofSt. Peter's Basilica and exercising vigilance over its sacred character and the organization of visitors. While it is not part of theRoman Curia, the 2022 apostolic constitutionPraedicate evangelium recognized it as "associated with theHoly See."[1]
The Fabric has existed under various names and varying responsibilities since its foundation in 1523, whenPope Clement VII established a commission to build and administer the Basilica.[2]
On 29 June 2020,Pope Francis appointed ArchbishopMario Giordana, a veteran papal diplomat, to lead a commission to reform the Fabric's administration. As Extraordinary Commissioner he is to "modernize and reorganize ... administrative and technical offices, improve transparency, and update the statutes" of the Fabric.[3][4]
In January 2023, the death of Monsignor Michele Basso, a canon of the basilica, attracted media attention to the art collection he had bequeathed to the Fabric of Saint Peter. The collection remained in storage beneath the dome of the basilica. The press questioned the provenance and value of the artworks, of which little is known.[5][6] In 2025, the Fabric of St Peter announced they would be undergoing a number of restoration projects of various monuments and tombs in St. Peter’s Basilica as well as installing new security enhancements.[7]
The archpriest of the Basilica is customarily the president of the Fabric.
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| Sovereign judicial entity under international law (Legal status) |
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| Diocese of Rome withuniversal full communion (Papal primacy) |
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| Properties including extra- territoriality |
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