The work of the Fabbrica di San Pietro takes place daily thanks to the hard work carried out by the surveillance and specialized workers, known as the Sampietrini.
For centuries, since Pope Clement VIII Aldobrandini (1592-1605) ordered to permanently assign a team of human resources to the Fabbrica in order to take care of the magnificent New Basilica of San Pietro, they have transmitted this traditional task from generation to generation with dignity and pride, sometimes studying innovative methods to assist the restoration and maintenance work necessary for the preservation of the characteristic architectural features of this splendid cult building. In this regard, we remind the personality of Nicola Zabaglia (1664-1750), who starting from 1691, when he officially became a laborer of the factory, provided a valuable contribution with his inventions of numerous wooden structures that allowed the performance of these tasks with versatility, safety and economy. Thanks to the exemplary work of Zabaglia, the cardinal members of the then Congregation of the Reverend Fabbrica di San Pietro decided to increase the number of unskilled workers.
Currently, the ordinary staff of the Sanpietrino staff counts just under a hundred units, under the supervision of a Sanpietrino Soprastante. Two teams work daily simultaneously to fulfill their main tasks: internal and external custody under the guidance of special Inspectors appointed by the Factory, cleaning and maintenance, the Vatican Basilica and the structures on the adjacent territory of its relevance; arduous and demanding tasks for the huge architectural and territorial parameters of this site, a World Heritage Site and universal center of Christianity, and for the constant flow of pilgrims and visitors from all over the world which often exceeds a daily ceiling of over 20,000 people .
