The following is a list of Basilicas in Rome. An ecclesiastical basilica is a Roman Catholic church building which has been granted special status by the Pope. There are 66 such churches in Rome, more than any other city, and more than 125 of the 131 countries in the world that have basilicas.
Major Basilicas in Rome
There are four major basilicas of the Catholic Church: All four are in Rome, and are distinguished by their having a holy door and for being prescribed as destinations for visits as one of the conditions for gaining the Roman Jubilee. They are also signified by an Umbraculum (a baldachin resembling an umbrella, made of cloth of gold and red velvet) and a Tintinnabulum (a small bell mounted on a pole). The four are also designated Papal basilicas, so that only the Pope or his delegate may celebrate Mass at the high altar.
| Basilica | Municipality | Year of creation | number (per source.) |
Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Giovanni in Laterano | Municipio I | ancient | 1 |  .
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| San Pietro in Vaticano | Vatican City | ancient | 2 |  .
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| San Paolo fuori le Mura | Municipio VIII | ancient | 3 |  .
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| Santa Maria Maggiore | Municipio I | ancient | 4 |  .
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Minor papal basilicas
Several minor basilicas are also designated as papal basilicas; there is one such in Rome,
| Basilica | Municipality | Year of creation | number (per source.) |
Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Lorenzo fuori le Mura | Municipio II | ancient | 5 |  .
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Minor basilicas
A minor basilica is a church designated as such by apostolic grant (or from immemorial custom) as an outstanding centre of pastoral and liturgical excellence. They are often also sites of pilgrimage. Minor basilicas are also marked by the tintinnabulum and umbraculum, though for a minor basilica this is of yellow and red silk.
Notes
- The city with the next largest number after Rome is Buenos Aires, with 15 (See here)
- Only Germany (73), USA (74), Spain (108), Poland (125), France (169) and Italy itself (543) have more basilicas than the city of Rome. See here)
References
Sources
- List of all Minor Basilicas from GCatholic
