Bramante's statue in the history of St Peter's is immense. The trust reposed in him by the pope, once had approved each project, was implicit. The architect was regarded as the divinely inspired instrument of Christ's Vicar in the creation of the greatest temple of the Christian world. His design for St Peter's was commensurate with the authority of the papacy as regenerated by a civilization newly based on principles of humanism and the rules of art according the classical masters. The Renaissance was very conscious of its break with medieval philosophy and art; and Bramante's projected basilica was the symbol of a new manner of thinking and more glorious mode of living. Moreover he raised the profession of architect to one of the most honourable and coveted posts in renaissance Rome. Hitherto, architects were recognized under the names of muratore, tagliapietraor faber lignarius, and were treated merely as master craftsmen. Bramante earned the title of Messer, which was accorded to his successors at St Peter's in tribute to a highly responsible office. Not only was he sole creator of the basilican design but the controller of a huge army of workmen attached to innumerable crafts. On the pope's behalf, he drew up contracts with the master craftsmen, who were paid by a conventional tariff for each square foot of wall, pavement and roof, and an agreed sum for each specially applied feature, whether column, capital, vaulting panel or niche shell-head. The master craftsmen in their turn paid the artisans whom they employed by the day.