BASILICA SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE, A Divine Mosaic of Art and History

Piazza di S Maria Maggiore, 42 Rome, Italy

The interior of the Notre-Dame Cathedral is very exquisite

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Introduction

The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, also known as the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, is one of the four Major Basilicas located in Rome, Italy. According to legend, during the summer of the 4th century, the Virgin Mary appeared in a dream to Pope Liberius and requested that a church be built in the place where snow would fall the next day to honor her. The next morning, snow did indeed fall and the Pope proceeded to build the church, which is known as the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore or the Snow Basilica. Today, the church commemorates this miracle by sprinkling white rose petals. The Basilica was the first church in the world dedicated to the Virgin Mary and was built in the 4th century with subsequent renovations resulting in multiple architectural styles. The façade of the church features a statue of Pope Philip IV to commemorate his donation to the church. The body of the church was built in the 5th century and measures 86 meters in length, with 36 marble columns and four granite columns on either side, restored in the 18th century. A 75-meter tall bell tower was built in the 13th century but destroyed by an earthquake and rebuilt in the 14th century. The gilded ceiling was added in the 15th century with gold from the Americas. In the 16th century, the Baroque-style Paolina Chapel was designed and built, and the mosaic in the apse depicts the Coronation of Mary. A central altar is reserved for use only by the Pope or authorized clergy members and is used during the Feast of the Assumption on August 15th. The church also has an underground chamber known as the Bethlehem Crypt where the Silver Crib of the Infant Jesus, Gold Manger, and the tombs of St. Jerome and Pope Pius V are located.