Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, Major basilica in Monti district, Rome, Italy
The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore spans 92 meters in length and reaches 75 meters in height, featuring a grand bell tower and extensive mosaic decorations.
Pope Sixtus III established this religious structure in 401 AD, making it one of the earliest Christian places dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Rome.
The interior walls display fifth-century mosaics that illustrate biblical narratives and contain some of the first artistic depictions of the Virgin Mary.
The basilica maintains regular visiting hours from 7:00 to 18:45 every day, allowing access to both the main church area and the Crypt of Nativity.
The crystal reliquary beneath the high altar contains wood fragments that religious tradition associates with the original manger of Jesus Christ.
Location: Rome
Inception: 5 century
Founders: Sixtus III
Architects: Ferdinando Fuga
Architectural style: Renaissance architecture
Height: 75 m
Length: 92 m
Width: 80 m
Part of: historic centre of Rome, Properties of the Holy See, Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome
Address: P.za di Santa Maria Maggiore, 00100 Roma RM, Italy
Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday 07:00-18:45
Phone: +390669886800
Website: https://basilicasantamariamaggiore.va/it.html
GPS coordinates: 41.89750,12.49861
Latest update: August 10, 2025 19:52
These burial sites document the history of European noble families. The structures range from large mausoleums to simple monuments. The architecture displays various styles from ancient Rome to modern times.
Rome contains over 900 churches that demonstrate two thousand years of sacred architecture, from Roman antiquity to the Baroque period. These buildings reveal the evolution of construction techniques and artistic expressions over the centuries. St. Peter's Basilica covers 20,000 square meters and features a dome designed by Michelangelo. The Pantheon retains its Roman dome with a 43-meter (141 feet) diameter, the largest ever constructed in unreinforced concrete. Major basilicas such as Santa Maria Maggiore showcase Byzantine mosaics from the 5th century beneath a Renaissance ceiling with gilded coffers. Saint Clement's Basilica in the Lateran overlays three levels of construction from the 1st to the 12th centuries, illustrating Rome's urban stratification. Santa Maria in Trastevere, one of the city's oldest churches, presents medieval gilded mosaics, while Saint Peter's in Chains houses Michelangelo's Moses. These monuments help understand how Rome shaped European religious architecture for over fifteen centuries.
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