The Church of Santa Maria Maggiore (Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore) is not just another Catholic church in Rome. In fact, it is one of the 4 main basilicas of the eternal city, or to put it another way – the cathedral of the highest rank!
Table of Contents:
1. History of the Basilica
2. Interior
3. Chapels
4. Museum
5. Piazza di Santa Maria Maggiore (Piazza di Santa Maria Maggiore)
6. Interesting Facts
8. How to Get to Santa Maria Maggiore
History of the Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore was formed in the early Christian era. The story of its construction over the years has been transformed into a beautiful legend.
The Roman bishop Liberius, heaven was sent a wonderful dream in which the Blessed Virgin appeared to him and ordered him to build a temple on the place where it would snow at dawn.
With the arrival of a new day, the Pope was informed that the snow-white blanket covered the Esquiline Hill (from the Latin Mons Esquilinus) of Rome.
- In 352 AD the first stone of the basilica was laid.
- In the 5th century the church was significantly enlarged and reconstructed by order of Pope Sixtus III.
- Just then the basilica was dedicated to the Mother of God. Centuries passed, bishops who rose in power added to the church chic and picturesque, brought new relics to the temple.
- In the 14th century over the three-nave basilica rose the bell tower to a height of 75 meters.
- Pope Gregory XI promoted the erection of the bell tower soon after his return from Avignone. One of the 5 bells rings at 9:00 p.m. in the evening to strengthen the faith of those offering prayers.
The modern facade of the building is a combination of Romanesque and Baroque styles. The final important element of the exterior decoration was the addition of a monumental loggia with a portico. The architect Ferdinando Fuga, who spent the 18th century decorating the interior of the church, gave the final touch to the exterior.
Interior
With all the changes and reconstructions that have taken place, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore has largely retained its authentic appearance.
Visitors are most interested in the mosaic elements of Santa Maria Maggiore, which have survived to the present day from the 5th century AD. The main nave of the church and the triumphal arch were decorated with mosaic paintings under Pope Sixtus III.
Colorful paintings of the Old Testament look solemn against the lavishly decorated altar of the temple.
The entrance to the basilica is decorated with a mosaic painting of the “Miracle with Snow”, it sends visitors back to the legendary past of the church.
In the thirteenth century, a mosaic illustrating the crowning of the Madonna, the mother of Jesus, was still on the apse of the basilica. The striking painting was executed by the Prior of the Franciscan Order, Jacopo Torriti, commissioned by Pope Nicholas IV.
The geometric patterns of the floor echo the intricate ceiling by Giuliano Sangallo. The wooden ceiling panels are covered with gold, mined in Peru by Spanish explorers.
The church of Santa Maria Maggiore still preserves the striking floor ornaments in the cosmatesco style, dating from the 13th century.
The Basilica’s priceless relic, the Holy Cradle, is located under the main altar. The kneeling statue of Pope Pius IX is a symbol of faith and respect for the ancient shrine.
A precious crystal urn, painted in silver, hides elements of the wooden manger in which the baby Jesus once lay.
The Christmas theme is further developed by the statue of the same name by Arnolfo di Cambio.
Chapels
Many chapels dedicated to cardinals and popes, as well as an ancient baptistery complete the decoration of the temple. All 3 chapels are stunning in their decoration.
The Sistine Chapel (Cappella Sistina)
In the 15th century, Pope Sixtus V ordered his trusted architect Domenico Fontana to make a chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. It had to contain scenes of the Nativity.
Immortalizing the triumph of the Virgin Mary, her divine mission on the walls of the Sistine Chapel were 2 artists:
- Cesare Guerra
- Giovanni Nebbia
The masters also had the task of linking the elements of the mosaic of Santa Maria Maggiore on the apse with the painting of the Chapel.
Not far from the entrance to the Cappella Sistina there is a modest marble plaque with a memorial inscription stating that in this place in 1680 the great architect Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini found eternal rest.
A great deal of effort had to be made by sculptors and artists to realize the whole image of the Sistine Chapel. Sixtus V was depicted in stone kneeling before the cradle of the son of God. In the center of the chapel is an altar decorated with 4 golden angels. Pope Sixtus V and Pius V found their rest in this chapel.
Cappella Borghese
At the beginning of the 17th century Pope Paul V (Camilio Borghese) became pontiff. It was thanks to him that the Borghese Chapel or Pauline Cappella appeared. Its structure is a mirror image of the Sistine Chapel, located in the opposite side of the temple. The general outline of the room is a Latin cross, over which the dome stands on massive pilasters.
The architect of the Borghese Chapel, Flaminio Ponzio, had impressive means to realize a grandiose cultural and religious genius creation. The main decoration of the chapel is the icon of Madonna Salus Populi Romani. The decor of the chapel is made of marble, bronze, ornate gilded cornices. In the center of all this frenzy of luxury is an altar of deep blue color. In the midst of refined wealth and ecclesiastical splendor rest the tombs of Clement VIII and Paul V.
Cappella Sforza
Cappella Sforza is partly lost against the background of the 2 most luxurious ecclesiastical tombs. But it is believed that the architect Giacomo della Porta, who realized it for an influential Italian family, drew from Michelangelo Buonarroti’s sketches.
Museum
Directly beneath Santa Maria Maggiore is a museum that tells visitors what the papal cathedral is all about. The eight rooms contain exhibits related to the history of the basilica, the sacrament of the Nativity, the Virgin Mary, and the saints who patronized the church.
Under the roof of the museum are contained:
- paintings
- sculptures
- precious paraphernalia of papal authority
- sacred relics and other valuables that give the temple the status of a great temple
Working hours of the museum: every day, from 9.30 to 18.30.
Piazza di Santa Maria Maggiore (Santa Maria Maggiore Square)
The church of Santa Maria Maggiore is located in the square of the same name. In front of the main façade of the building stands a monument in honor of the Virgin Mary, the deliverer from the plague. The statue of the Virgin Mary was moved from the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine, which is located on the ruins of the Roman Forum. The Plague Pillar was erected in Rome in 1614 and became an example for similar monuments in the whole of Europe.
Interesting Facts
Every year on August 5 there is a celebration of the snow miracle – thousands of snow-white petals hover in the temple building, reproducing the prophetic snowfall. And in the evening the square is transformed into a stage for concerts by Italian artists. All the action ends with a snowfall. Many regular parishioners and travelers go to admire this celebration.
How to Get to Santa Maria Maggiore
The cathedral is located in Rome at Piazza di Santa Maria Maggiore, 42.
It is possible to reach the church from Termini train station. It takes only 10 minutes along Via Cavour to reach the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore from Termini metro station (line A or B).
Opening hours: every day, from 7.00 to 19.00. Confession is available in English, Spanish, German, Polish and other languages.
Phone: +39 06 698 86800
When going to Rome, don’t forget to buy your tickets in advance to avoid long lines at the entrance. You can do so through the link on the official ticketing platform.
