it was so shocking when Pope Julius II wanted to demolish St. Peter's Basilica due to the fact that it was considered to be one of the holiest sights in Europe.
Old St. Peter's Basilica was the building that stood, from the 4th to 16th centuries, where the new St. Peter's Basilica stands today in Vatican City.
Pope Julius II was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1 November 1503 to his death in 1513.