Not to be confused with Rome’s Papal Basilica, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is one of Rome’s most emblematic landmarks. The basilica was built in 432 A.D. by Pope Sixtus III and dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
She was conceived and designed after the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus in 432 A.D., which declared her “Mother of God”.
Over the years, this beautiful basilica has borne many names: Santa Maria delle Nevi, Santa Maria Liberiana, Santa Maria del Presepe and, finally, Santa Maria Maggiore. This name is due to the fact that it is the largest of Rome’s 26 churches dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Today, the building retains the originality of its structure and is a true cultural gem from the first Christian phase. The 3-nave main body is punctuated by no fewer than 21 columns and Ionic capitals, with a wooden truss roof.
The church is located on the Esquilino hill, ideally linked by the Via Merulana and the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano .
An ancient legend tells of the location of Santa Maria Maggiore. It seems that a snowfall in August whitened the Roman hill on which it stands today. It was in this area that Pope Liberus, inspired in a dream by the Virgin Mary, decided to build the church dedicated to her.
In fact, the basilica’s existence is mentioned in the Liber Pontificalis, which reports that it was built near the Macellum Libiae, an imperial-era market named after Augusta’s wife.
In fact, one of the most violent episodes in the history of ancient Christianity took place in the church. After the death of Pope Liberius, the warriors of the new Pope Damasus clashed with the supporters of Bishop Ursinus around October 26, 366 AD.
The latter was initially supposed to succeed Pope Liberius. During the confrontation, they were massacred – according to the writings – by Ammianus Marcelinus.
For this reason, Pope Sixtus III wanted to build the new sacred edifice in this area. However, this reconstruction also served to sanitize the entire area.
The church’s famous mosaics and mosaic decorations are the building’s masterpiece. Images characterized by ideas that were truly revolutionary for the time, stemming from the Council of Ephesus, a semantic line that can be traced back to the central clypeus of the triumphal arch and elements of official art in the imperial tradition.
A beautiful throne is present, recalling imperial power and the coming of the King and thus Christ in the Christian imagination.
We can also see the vegetal shoots of what remains of the early Christian decoration, while what we can see now is mainly based on the crowning of the Virgin Mary by Jacopo Torriti thanks to Pope Nicholas IV, carried out between 1280 and 1295.
We can also admire a truly marvellous arch characterized by the Infantia Salvatoris represented by paleochristian art imbued with Byzantine figurative culture.
These are episodes also recounted in the apocryphal gospels, introduced by the figure of the Archangel Gabriel coming to Mary as she spins the purple for the Temple. There are also many episodes from the childhood of Jesus to be seen in this large decorative piece.
A sort of “second Annunciation” or Joseph’s dream as Mary’s companion, the Adoration of the Magi and much more. The naves feature numerous mosaics, including 27 panels telling the story of the chosen people on their way to the Promised Land.
We can sum up these magnificent mosaics in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (St. Mary Major) as a unicum with a truly rich and varied program from a theological, ideological and, of course, historical point of view. The mosaics are a fusion of early Christian and imperial art.
During your trip to Italy’s beautiful capital, you’ll need to make the best possible arrangements, both in terms of available days and timetables. We’ve often talked in our guides about the importance of organizing and reserving seats, especially during the busiest tourist periods.
We’re going to confess a secret, which may not be a secret at all. Rome is always overrun by tourists – in a good way, of course. It’s one of the most visited cities in the world, and even the Romans like to discover it like real travelers back home.
The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is open daily from 7 am to 6.45 pm. Masses are celebrated in the Chapel of Our Lady at 7am, 8am, 9am, 10am, 11am, 12pm and 6pm.
Not to be confused, of course, with the magnificent Santa Maria Maggiore Venice, Santa Maria Maggiore Verbania and Santa Maria Maggiore Assisi. Our Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome is located in the capital, in Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore.
It’s really easy to get there: you can take the Termini metro lines A and B, or the 16, 70, 71 and 714 bus lines.
The Basilica is one of the most important in Rome, and its preservation involves a great deal of restoration work. Despite this, the ticket price for the visit is :
You can also opt for a guided tour:
There are some truly exceptional places to visit near Santa Maria Maggiore. You’ll be surprised to know that it’s just 412 meters from Termini station, so it’s easy to reach on foot.
Piazza della Repubblica, the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli and the Diocletian Baths are also nearby, and the Palazzo Massimo is 375 metres away.
The Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli is located right next to Piazza della Repubblica and, as we said, next to Piazza di Santa Maria Maggiore.
The first was designed by Michelangelo and is the only Renaissance church in Rome. It has a particularly decadent appearance and an interesting interior.
The site was once occupied by the Baths of Diocletian. It was a very important structure, a reminder of the success of the Roman Empire until the Goths closed the capital’s aqueducts, condemning the baths to abandonment.
After many years, in 1560, Pope Pius IV offered Michelangelo the commission to re-evaluate the area, which in the meantime had fallen into ruin.
This is how part of the thermal baths was transformed into this beautiful basilica. The interior is truly rich and stunning with impressive dimensions: the temple is wonderfully decorated and the marble columns in different colors make it breathtaking.
On the floor, you can see the meridian line drawn by Biancini in 1703. This indicates noon and the arrival of the solstice and equinox. It can be visited daily from 7 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.
In conclusion, it’s fair to say that there are generally no long queues to visit the basilicas, and it’s also possible to book a guided tour. However, our advice is to plan your days in the capital carefully, as the days fly by between one beauty and another!