The shrine here is dedicated to Saint Peter, the first pope, ordained by Christ to become leader of the early Church. Behind the statue is the outline of an upside-down cross. Legend has it that Saint Peter did not feel worthy to be crucified in the same manner as Jesus, so he asked to be hung upside-down when he was martyred in Rome. The canopy above his statue is reminiscent of Bernini's great Altar of the Chair in Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome.