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Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major
Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore (Italian) Basilica Sanctae Mariae Maioris (Latin) Basilica Sanctae Mariae ad Nives (Latin)
Façade of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore facing the Piazza
Interactive map of Santa Maria Maggiore's location in Rome
41°53′51″N 12°29′55″E / 41.89750°N 12.49861°E / 41.89750; 12.49861
Location	Rome
Country	Italy
Denomination	Catholic Church
Tradition	Latin Church
Website	Santa Maria Maggiore
History
Status	Papal major basilica
Dedication	Blessed Virgin Mary
Cult(s) present	Salus Populi Romani
Relics held	Holy Crib Jerome
Architecture
Architect(s)	Ferdinando Fuga
Architectural type	Basilica
Style	Roman architecture Romanesque architecture (tower) Baroque architecture
Groundbreaking	432 (432)
Completed	1743 (1743)
Specifications
Length	92 meters (302 ft)
Width	80 meters (260 ft)
Nave width	30 meters (98 ft)
Height	75 meters (246 ft)
Administration
Diocese	Rome
Clergy
Archpriest	Stanisław Ryłko
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Historic Center of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, ii, iii, iv, vi
Designated	1980
Reference no.	91
Region	Europe and North America

The Basilica of Saint Mary Major (Italian: Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, Italian pronunciation: [ˈsanta maˈriːa madˈdʒoːre]; Latin: Basilica Sanctae Mariae Maioris; Latin: Basilica Sanctae Mariae ad Nives), or church of Santa Maria Maggiore (also referred to as Santa Maria delle Nevi from its Latin origin Sancta Maria ad Nives), is one of the four major papal basilicas as well as one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome and the largest Marian church in Rome, Italy.

The basilica enshrines the venerated image of Salus Populi Romani, depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary as the health and protectress of the Roman people, which was granted a Canonical coronation by Pope Gregory XVI on 15 August 1838 accompanied by his Papal bull Cælestis Regina.

Pursuant to the Lateran Treaty of 1929 between the Holy See and Italy, the Basilica is within Italian territory and not the territory of the Vatican City State. However, the Holy See fully owns the Basilica, and Italy is legally obligated to recognize its full ownership thereof and to concede to it "the immunity granted by International Law to the headquarters of the diplomatic agents of foreign States." In other words, the complex of buildings has a status somewhat similar to a foreign embassy.

Names

The Basilica is sometimes referred to as Our Lady of the Snows, a name given to it in the Roman Missal from 1568 to 1969 in connection with the liturgical feast of the anniversary of its dedication on 5 August, a feast that was then denominated Dedicatio Sanctae Mariae ad Nives (Dedication of Saint Mary of the Snows). This name for the basilica had become popular in the 14th century in connection with a legend that c. 352, during "the pontificate of Liberius, a Roman patrician John and his wife, who were without heirs, made a vow to donate their possessions to the Virgin Mary. They prayed that she might make known to them how they were to dispose of their property in her honor. On 5 August, at the height of the Roman summer, snow fell during the night on the summit of the Esquiline Hill. In obedience to a vision of the Virgin Mary which they had the same night, the couple built a basilica in honor of Mary on the very spot which was covered with snow.

The legend is first reported only after the year 1000. It may be implied in what the Liber Pontificalis of the early 13th century says of Pope Liberius: "He built the basilica of his own name near the Macellum of Livia". It is shown in the early 15th-century painting of the Miracle of the Snow by Masolino da Panicale.

The feast was originally called Dedicatio Sanctae Mariae (Dedication of Saint Mary's), and was celebrated only in Rome until it was inserted into the General Roman Calendar, with ad Nives added to its name, in 1568. A congregation appointed by Pope Benedict XIV in 1741 proposed that the reading of the legend be struck from the Office and that the feast be given its original name. No action was taken on the proposal until 1969, when the reading of the legend was removed and the feast was called In dedicatione Basilicae S. Mariae (Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary). The legend is still commemorated by dropping white rose petals from the dome during the celebration of the Mass and during the Second Vespers on the feast day.

The earliest building on the site was the Liberian Basilica or Santa Maria Liberiana, after Pope Liberius (352–366). This name may have originated from the same legend, which recounts that, like John and his wife, Pope Liberius was told in a dream of the forthcoming summer snowfall, went in procession to where it occurred and there marked out the area on which the church was to be built. Liberiana is still included in some versions of the basilica's name, and "Liberian Basilica" may be used as a contemporary as well as historical name.

On the other hand, the name "Liberian Basilica" may be independent of the legend, since, according to Pius Parsch, Pope Liberius transformed a palace of the Sicinini family into a church, which was for that reason called the "Sicinini Basilica". This building was then replaced under Pope Sixtus III (432–440) by the present structure dedicated to Mary. However, some sources say that the adaptation as a church of a pre-existing building on the site of the present basilica was done in the 420s under Pope Celestine I, the immediate predecessor of Sixtus III.

Long before the earliest traces of the story of the miraculous snow, the church now known as Saint Mary Major was called "Saint Mary of the Crib" ("Sancta Maria ad Praesepe"), a name it was given because of its relic of the crib or manger of the Nativity of Jesus Christ, four boards of sycamore wood believed to have been brought to the church, together with a fifth, in the time of Pope Theodore I (640–649). This name appears in the Tridentine editions of the Roman Missal as the place for the pope's Mass (the station Mass) on Christmas Night, while the name "Mary Major" appears for the church of the station Mass on Christmas Day.

Status as a papal major basilica

A Catholic church can only be honored with the title of basilica by apostolic grant or from immemorial custom. St. Mary Major is one of the only four that hold the title of "major basilica". The other three are the basilicas of St. John in the Lateran, St. Peter, and St. Paul outside the Walls. The title of major basilica was once used more widely, being attached, for instance, to the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels in Assisi). Along with the other major basilicas, St. Mary Major is also styled a "papal basilica". Before 2006, the four papal major basilicas, together with the Basilica of St. Lawrence outside the Walls were referred to as the "patriarchal basilicas" of Rome. When Pope Benedict XVI abandoned the title "Patriarch of the West", the title of St. Mary Major changed from patriarchal to papal basilica, as found on its website, and each was associated with one of the five ancient patriarchates. St. Mary Major was associated with the Patriarchate of Antioch.

The five papal basilicas along with the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem and San Sebastiano fuori le mura were the traditional Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome, which were visited by pilgrims during their pilgrimage to Rome following a 20-kilometer (12 mi) itinerary established by Philip Neri on 25 February 1552.

History

It is now agreed that the present church was built on the Cispian spur of Rome's Esquiline Hill under Pope Celestine I (422–432) not under Pope Sixtus III (432–440), who consecrated the basilica on 5 August 434 to the Virgin Mary.

The dedicatory inscription on the triumphal arch, Latin: Sixtus Episcopus plebi Dei (Sixtus the bishop to the people of God), is an indication of that Pope's role in the construction. As well as this church on the summit of the Esquiline Hill, Pope Sixtus III is said to have commissioned extensive building projects throughout the city, which were continued by his successor Pope Leo I, the Great.

The church retains the core of its original structure, despite several additional construction projects and damage by the earthquake of 1348.

Church building in Rome in this period, as exemplified in Santa Maria Maggiore, was inspired by the idea of Rome being not just the center of the world of the Roman Empire, as it was seen in the classical period, but the center of the Christian world.

Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the first churches built to celebrate the Virgin Mary, was erected immediately after the Council of Ephesus of 431, which proclaimed Mary Mother of God. Pope Sixtus III built it to commemorate this decision. Certainly, the atmosphere that generated the council gave rise also to the mosaics that adorn the interior of the dedication: "whatever the precise connection was between council and church it is clear that the planners of the decoration belong to a period of concentrated debates on nature and status of the Virgin and incarnate Christ." The magnificent mosaics of the nave and triumphal arch, seen as "milestones in the depiction" of the Virgin, depict scenes of her life and that of Christ, but also scenes from the Old Testament: Moses striking the Red Sea, and Egyptians drowning in the Red Sea.

Richard Krautheimer attributes the magnificence of the work also to the abundant revenue accruing to the papacy at the time from land holdings acquired by the Catholic Church during the 4th and 5th centuries on the Italian peninsula: "Some of these holdings were locally controlled; the majority as early as the end of the 5th century were administered directly from Rome with great efficiency: a central accounting system was involved in the papal chancery; and a budget was apparently prepared, one part of the income going to the papal administration, another to the needs of the clergy, a third to the maintenance of church buildings, a fourth to charity. These fines enabled the papacy to carry out through the 5th century an ambitious building program, including Santa Maria Maggiore."

Miri Rubin believes that the building of the basilica was influenced also by seeing Mary as one who could represent the imperial ideals of classical Rome, bringing together the old Rome and the new Christian Rome: "In Rome, the city of martyrs, if no longer of emperors, Mary was a figure that could credibly carry imperial memories and representations."

Gregory the Great may have been inspired by Byzantine devotions to the Theotokos (Mother of God) when after becoming Pope during a plague in 590 that had taken the life of his predecessor, he ordered for seven processions to march through the city of Rome chanting Psalms and Kyrie Eleison, in order to appease the wrath of God. The processions began in different parts of the city, but rather than finally converging on St Peter's, who was always the traditional protector of Rome, he instead ordered the processions to converge on Mary Major instead.

When the popes returned to Rome after the period of the Avignon papacy, the buildings of the basilica became a temporary Palace of the Popes due to the deteriorated state of the Lateran Palace. The papal residence was later moved to the Palace of the Vatican in what is now Vatican City.

The basilica was restored, redecorated and extended by various popes, including Eugene III (1145–1153), Nicholas IV (1288–1292), Clement X (1670–1676), and Benedict XIV (1740–1758), who in the 1740s commissioned Ferdinando Fuga to build the present façade and to modify the interior. The interior of the Santa Maria Maggiore underwent a broad renovation encompassing all of its altars between the years 1575 and 1630.

In 1966, archeologists excavating under the basilica found the remains of a Roman building including an imperial calendar with fasti and agricultural annotations and illustrations. On the basis of the calendar, the ruins have been dated to c. 200 by Salzman and to the 4th century by Magi.

On 15 December 2015, two homeless Arab men attempted to disarm soldiers outside the basilica while yelling the takbir "God is great". The 30 and 40 year old Palestinian and Tunisian called for others to help them as they threatened and assaulted the soldiers and police, but were arrested.

Architecture

The original architecture of Santa Maria Maggiore was classical and traditionally Roman, perhaps to convey the idea that Santa Maria Maggiore represented old imperial Rome as well as its Christian future. As one scholar puts it, "Santa Maria Maggiore so closely resembles a second-century imperial basilica that it has sometimes been thought to have been adapted from a basilica for use as a Christian church. Its plan was based on Hellenistic principles stated by Vitruvius at the time of Augustus."

Even though Santa Maria Maggiore is immense in its area, it was built to plan. The design of the basilica was a typical one during this time in Rome: "a tall and wide nave; an aisle on either side; and a semicircular apse at the end of the nave." The key aspect that made Santa Maria Maggiore such a significant cornerstone in church building during the early 5th century were the beautiful mosaics found on the triumphal arch and nave.

The Athenian marble columns supporting the nave are even older, and either come from the first basilica, or from another antique Roman building; thirty-six are marble and four granite, pared down, or shortened to make them identical by Ferdinando Fuga, who provided them with identical gilt-bronze capitals. The 14th-century campanile, or bell tower, is the highest in Rome, at 246 feet, (about 75 m.). The basilica's 16th-century coffered ceiling, to a design by Giuliano da Sangallo, is said to be gilded with gold, initially brought by Christopher Columbus, presented by Ferdinand and Isabella to the Spanish pope, Alexander VI. The apse mosaic, the Coronation of the Virgin, is from 1295, signed by the Franciscan friar, Jacopo Torriti. The Basilica also contains frescoes by Giovanni Baglione, in the Cappella Borghese.

The 12th-century façade has been masked by a reconstruction, with a screening loggia, that was added by Pope Benedict XIV in 1743, to designs by Ferdinando Fuga that did not damage the mosaics of the façade. The wing of the canonica (sacristy) to its left and a matching wing to the right (designed by Flaminio Ponzio) give the basilica's front the aspect of a palace facing the Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore. To the right of the Basilica's façade is a memorial constituting a column in the form of an up-ended cannon barrel topped with a cross: it was erected by Pope Clement VIII to celebrate the end of the French Wars of Religion.

In the piazza in front of the facade rises a column with a Corinthian capital, topped with a statue of the Virgin and the child Jesus. This Marian column was erected in 1614 to the designs of Carlo Maderno during the papacy of Paul V. Maderno's fountain at the base combines the armorial eagles and dragons of Paul V (Borghese). The column itself was the sole intact remainder from the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine in the Roman Forum. The statue atop the column was made by Domenico Ferri. In a papal bull from the year of its installation, the pope decreed three years of indulgences to those who uttered a prayer to the Virgin while saluting the column.

Interior

Fifth-century mosaics

The mosaics found in Santa Maria Maggiore are one of the oldest representations of the Virgin Mary in Christian late antiquity. As one scholar puts it, "This is well demonstrated by the decoration of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome,... where the iconographic depiction of the Virgin Mary was chosen at least in part to celebrate the affirmation of Mary as Theotokos (bearer of God) by the third ecumenical Council of Ephesus in 431 CE." The mosaics of the triumphal arch and the nave in Santa Maria Maggiore gave a model for the future representations of the Virgin Mary. The influences of these mosaics are rooted in late antique impressionism that could be seen in frescoes, manuscript paintings and many pavement mosaics across villas in Africa, Syria and Sicily during the 5th century. This being said, the crowning of Mary on the Apse was made much later by Torriti by commission of Pope Nicholas IV. (13th century).

These mosaics gave historians insight into artistic, religious, and social movements during this time. As Margaret R. Miles explains the mosaics in Santa Maria Maggiore have two goals: one to glorify the Virgin Mary as Theotokos (God-Bearer); and the other to present "a systematic and comprehensive articulation of the relationship of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian scriptures as one in which the Hebrew Bible foreshadows Christianity." This is explained by the dual images of Old Testament and New Testament events depicted in the mosaics of the triumphal arch and the nave. The mosaics also show the range of artistic expertise and refute the theory that mosaic technique during the time was based on copying from model books. The mosaics found in Santa Maria Maggiore are combinations of different styles of mosaic art during the time, according to art scholar Robin Cormack: "the range of artistic expertise and the actual complexities of production can hardly be reduced to a mentality of copying. A test case is given by the mosaics of S. Maria Maggiore in Rome".

Triumphal arch

The triumphal arch at the head of the nave was at first referred to as the apse arch, but later became known as the triumphal arch. The triumphal arch is illustrated with magnificent mosaics depicting different scenes of Christ and the Virgin Mary. There was a difference in the styles used in the triumphal arch mosaics compared to those of the nave; the style of the triumphal arch was much more linear and flat as one scholar describes it, not nearly as much action, emotion and movement in them as there were in the Old Testament mosaics of the nave. One of the first scenes that were visible on the triumphal arch was a panel of Christ's enthronement with a group of angels as his court. As one historian describes it: "On the apse arch Christ is enthroned, a young emperor attended by four chamberlains, angels of course", this is a perfect example of mosaic art in the 5th century. Another panel found on the triumphal arch is of the Virgin, she is crowned and dressed in a colorful veil, her wardrobe subtly brings to mind that of a Roman empress and in this panel she has her divine son walking with her and a suite of angels and Joseph ready to greet her; "The Virgin...shows to perfection the impressionistic character of mosaics." Another panel is known as the Adoration of the Magi and this mosaic depicts Infant Christ and The Virgin and the arrival of the three wise men, "mosaics illustrating Christ's first coming and his youth covered the triumphal arch." The other panel depicts the Virgin accompanied by five martyrs.

Nave

The nave of the basilica was covered in mosaics representing Old Testament events of Moses leading the Jews out of Egypt across the Red Sea. "The nave mosaics (which represents stories of Old Testament history and accordingly offered Christians in Rome a new 'past') are illusionistic in a colorful and impressionist manner" as this scholar puts it the scene was filled with movement, emotion, and it was to inspire thinking of Rome's "new" past; the past of the Old Testament. As one scholar describes it: "Moses strikes the waters of the Red Sea in a heroic gesture, his toga in light and dark grays and blues, but lined in black, the folds white lines, the tunic underneath light blue; the man next to him wears a deep blue toga over a gray and white tunic." Another panel shows the demise of the Egyptians in the Red Sea. An observer describes the mosaic: "The Egyptians, clad in blue armor with gold bands and scarlet cloaks wildly flying, drown in the greenish-blue waters; the horses, white or light brown shaded with darker browns, highlighted in white, the accoutrements a bright red."

Cappella Sistina and Crypt of the Nativity

Under the high altar of the basilica is the Crypt of the Nativity or Bethlehem Crypt, with a crystal reliquary designed by Giuseppe Valadier said to contain wood from the Holy Crib of the nativity of Jesus Christ. Here is the burial place of Jerome, the 4th-century Doctor of the Church who translated the Bible into the Latin language (the Vulgate).

Fragments of the sculpture of the Nativity believed to be by 13th-century Arnolfo di Cambio were transferred to beneath the altar of the large Sistine Chapel off the right transept of the church. This chapel of the Blessed Sacrament is named after Pope Sixtus V, and is not to be confused with the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican, named after Pope Sixtus IV. The architect Domenico Fontana designed the chapel, which contains the tombs of Sixtus V himself and of his early patron Pope Pius V. The main altar in the chapel has four gilded bronze angels by Sebastiano Torregiani, holding up the ciborium, which is a model of the chapel itself.

Beneath this altar is the Oratory or Chapel of the Nativity, on whose altar, at that time situated in the Crypt of the Nativity below the main altar of the church itself, Ignatius of Loyola celebrated his first Mass as a priest on 25 December 1538.

Just outside the Sistine Chapel is the tomb of Gianlorenzo Bernini and his family.

The Mannerist interior decoration of the Sistine Chapel was completed (1587–1589) by a large team of artists, directed by Cesare Nebbia and Giovanni Guerra. While the art biographer, Giovanni Baglione allocates specific works to individual artists, recent scholarship finds that the hand of Nebbia drew preliminary sketches for many, if not all, of the frescoes. Baglione also concedes the roles of Nebbia and Guerra could be summarized as "Nebbia drew, and Guerra supervised the teams".

Others include Ferdinando Sermei, Giacomo Stella, Paul Bril, and Ferraù Fenzoni.

Cappella Paolina (or Borghese Chapel) and Salus Populi Romani

The column in the Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore celebrates the famous icon of the Virgin Mary now enshrined in the Borghese Chapel of the basilica. It is known as "Salus Populi Romani", or "Health of the Roman People" or "Salvation of the Roman People", due to a miracle in which the icon reportedly helped keep plague from the city. The icon is at least a thousand years old, and according to a tradition was painted from life by St Luke the Evangelist using the wooden table of the Holy Family in Nazareth.

The "Salus Populi Romani" has been praised by several popes and acted as a key Mariological symbol.

Prior to becoming the Pope Pius XII, Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli celebrated his first Catholic Mass before the image inside the Borghese Chapel on Easter Sunday, 2 April 1899. In December 1953, the icon was carried through Rome to initiate the first Marian year. On 1 November 1954, the icon was translated and officially crowned by Pope Pius XII at Basilica of Saint Peter as he gave a personal speech and introduced a new Marian feast Queenship of Mary.

Future pontiffs Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis all visited the "Salus Populi Romani" and led liturgical celebrations.

Papal basilica

As a papal basilica, Santa Maria Maggiore is often used by the pope. He presides over the rites for the annual Feast of the Assumption of Mary on 15 August there. Except for a few priests and the basilica's archpriest, the canopied high altar is reserved for use by the pope alone. Pope Francis visited the basilica on the day after his election.

The pope gives charge of the basilica to an archpriest, usually a cardinal. Formerly, the archpriest was the titular Latin Patriarch of Antioch, a title abolished in 1964. Since 29 December 2016, the archpriest has been Stanisław Ryłko.

In addition to the archpriest and his assistant priests, a chapter of canons is resident. Redemptorist, Dominican and Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate priests serve the church.

The King of Spain, currently Felipe VI, is ex officio protocanon of the basilica's chapter.

Pope Francis visits the Basilica often, mainly to visit the Salus Populi Romani. He visits before and after trips outside the Vatican, calling the icon his "great devotion". He has also constructed a tomb next to the icon to be his final resting place upon his death. Francis plans to be the first pope to be interred outside the Vatican since Pope Leo XIII in 1903.

Archpriests of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore since 1127

List of archpriests since 1127.

• Rainiero (attested 1127–1130)
• Matteo (attested 1153)
• Paolo Scolari (attested 1176–1187)
• Rolando (attested 1189–1193)
• Pietro Sasso (attested 1212)
• Romano (attested 1222)
• Astor (attested 1244)
• Pietro Capocci (?) (named in 1245?)
• Romano (attested 1258)
• Ottobono Fieschi (1262–1276)
• Giacomo Colonna (1288–1297)
• Francesco Napoleone Orsini (administrator 1298–1306)
• Giacomo Colonna (again) (1306–1318)
• Pietro Colonna (1318–1326)
• Luca Fieschi (1326?–1336)
• Giovanni Colonna (1336–1348)
• Nicola Capocci (after 1350–1368)
• Pierre Roger de Beaufort (1368–1370)
• Marino Giudice (?–1385)
• Marino Bulcani (1385–1394)
• Stefano Palosio (1394–1396)
• Enrico Minutoli (1396–1412)
• Rinaldo Brancaccio (1412–1427)
• Francesco Lando (1427)
• Jean de la Rochetaillée (1428–1437)
• Antonio Casini (1437–1439)
• Giovanni Vitelleschi (1439–1440)
• Nicola Albergati (1440–1443)
• Guillaume d'Estouteville (1443–1483)
• Rodrigo Borgia (1483–1492)
• Giovanni Battista Savelli (1492–1498)
• Giovanni Battista Orsini (1498–1503)
• Giuliano Cesarini iuniore (1503–1510)
• Pedro Luis Borja Lanzol de Romani (1510–1511)
• Robert Guibe (1511)
• Francisco de Remolins (1511–1518)
• Leonardo Grosso della Rovere (1518–1520)
• Andrea della Valle (1520–1534)
• Paolo Emilio Cesi (1534–1537)
• Alessandro Farnese (1537–1543)
• Guido Ascanio Sforza (1543–1564)
• Carlo Borromeo (1564–1572)
• Alessandro Sforza (1572–1581)
• Filippo Boncompagni (1581–1586)
• Decio Azzolini (seniore) (1586–1587)
• Domenico Pinelli (1587–1611)
• Michelangelo Tonti (1611–1612)
• Giovanni Garzia Millini (1612–1629)
• Francesco Barberini (1629–1633)
• Antonio Barberini (1633–1671)
• Giacomo Rospigliosi (1671–1684)
• Felice Rospigliosi (1684–1688)
• Philip Thomas Howard (1689–1694)
• Benedetto Pamphili (1694–1699)
• Giacomo Antonio Morigia (1699–1701)
• Pietro Ottoboni (1702–1730)
• Ludovico Pico della Mirandola (1730–1743)
• Girolamo Colonna di Sciarra (1743–1763)
• Marcantonio Colonna (iuniore) (1763–1793)
• Andrea Corsini (1793–1795)
• Gian Francesco Albani (1795–1803)
• Antonio Despuig y Dameto (28 December 1803 – 2 May 1813)
• Giovanni Gallarati Scotti (1814 – 6 October 1819)
• Annibale Francesco Della Genga (10 February 18 – 28 September 1823)
• Benedetto Naro (1 January 1824 – 6 October 1832)
• Carlo Odescalchi (1832 – 21 November 1834)
• Giuseppe Antonio Sala (11 December 1838 – 23 August 1839)
• Luigi del Drago (29 August 1839 – 28 April 1845)
• Costantino Patrizi Naro (24 April 1845 – 21 September 1867)
• Gustav Adolf Hohenlohe (15 July 1878 – 30 October 1896)
• Vincenzo Vannutelli (16 December 1896 – 9 July 1930)
• Bonaventura Cerretti (16 July 1930 – 8 May 1933)
• Angelo Dolci (22 May 1933 – 13 September 1939)
• Alessandro Verde (11 October 1939 – 29 March 1958)
• Carlo Confalonieri (16 November 1959 – 1 August 1986)
• Luigi Dadaglio (15 December 1986 – 22 August 1990)
• Ugo Poletti (17 January 1991 – 25 February 1997)
• Carlo Furno (29 September 1997 – 27 May 2004)
• Bernard Francis Law (27 May 2004 – 21 November 2011)
• Santos Abril y Castelló (21 November 2011 – 28 December 2016)
• Stanisław Ryłko (28 December 2016 – )
  • Rolandas Makrickas, coadjutor archpriest (20 March 2024)

List of major works of art in the basilica

• Ancient Roman agricultural calendar
• Early Christian mosaic cycle depicting Old Testament events, 5th century
• The Salus Populi Romani, a much venerated early icon of the Virgin and Child.
• Funerary monument of Clement IX (1671) by Carlo Rainaldi with the papal bust by Domenico Guidi.
• Statue of King Philip IV of Spain by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, 1666.
• Temporary catafalque for Philip IV of Spain designed in 1665 by Rainaldi, no longer exists.
• Funerary monument of Pope Nicholas IV, designed by Domenico Fontana in 1574.
• Bust of Costanzo Patrizi by Algardi.
• Sacristy frescoes by Domenico Passignano and Giuseppe Puglia,
• High altar sculpture by Pietro Bracci, (c. 1750).
• Statue of Pius IX in prayer by Ignazio Jacometti, (c. 1880).
• Pauline Chapel frescoes, by Guido Reni
• Frescoes for the monument of Clement VIII, Lanfranco
• Cesi Chapel tombs by Guglielmo della Porta
• Altar, confessio and Presepio (crib) sculptures by Arnolfo di Cambio, about 1290

Burials in the church

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Mariology of the Catholic Church
Immaculate Conception by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (c. 1675)
Overview Prayers Antiphons Titles Hymns to Mary Devotional practices Saints Societies Consecrations and entrustments Veneration
Titles of Mary Theotokos (Mother of God) Mediatrix Mother of the Church Our Lady of Good Counsel Our Lady of Mount Carmel Our Lady of Sorrows Our Lady of Victory Our Lady, Star of the Sea Queen of Heaven Queen of Peace Queen of Poland Refugium Peccatorum (Refuge of Sinners) Untier of Knots Virgin of Mercy
Prayers and hymns Angelus Fátima prayers Flos Carmeli Hail Mary Hail Mary of Gold Immaculata prayer Magnificat Mary, Mother of Grace Memorare Sub tuum praesidium Marian hymns
Devotional practices Acts of Reparation Consecration to Mary First Saturdays Rosary Seven Joys of the Virgin Seven Sorrows of Mary Three Hail Marys
Movements and societies Sodality of Our Lady Congregation of Marian Fathers Company of Mary (Montfort) Marianists (Society of Mary) Marist Fathers Marist Brothers Schoenstatt Movement Legion of Mary World Apostolate of Fátima (Blue Army) Mariological Society Our Lady's Rosary Makers Marian Movement of Priests Fatima Family Apostolate Queen of Angels Foundation
Apparitions Approved, with widespread liturgical veneration endorsed by the Holy See: Fátima Three Secrets of Fátima Guadalupe Knock La Salette Lourdes Miraculous Medal Walsingham Dowry of Mary
Key Marian feast days Mother of God (1 January) Candlemas (2 February) Annunciation (25 March) Assumption (15 August) Nativity (8 September) Holy Name (12 September) Presentation (21 November) Immaculate Conception (8 December)
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Artists

• Gian Lorenzo Bernini
• Girolamo Muziano

Nobility

• Pauline Bonaparte
• Junio Valerio Borghese

Clergy and Religious Figures

• Archbishop Domenico Caloyera
• Cardinal Guido Ascanio Sforza di Santa Fiora
• Cardinal Ugo Poletti
• Jerome, relics

Popes

• Pope Clement VIII
• Pope Clement IX
• Pope Honorius III (no longer extant)
• Pope Nicholas IV
• Pope Paul V
• Pope St. Pius V
• Pope Sixtus V
• Pope Francis (future internment)

Gallery

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• Tomb of Clement VIII
• Baptismal chapel
• Pope Pius IX - Ignazio Jacometti
• Pope Pius IX - Ignazio Jacometti
• Pope Pius IX - Ignazio Jacometti
• Ave Regina Pacis
• 
• Statue of King Philip IV of Spain

See also

• Properties of the Holy See
• Roman Catholic Marian churches
• Dedication of the Basilica of St Mary Major, feast day
• Index of Vatican City-related articles
• San Ciriaco alle Terme Diocleziane

Notes

1. The actual, official name seems to vary: the Holy See's press office uses "Papal Liberian Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome" in English in a 2011 note Archived 3 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine, while the official Vatican site for the Basilica uses various formulas not including "Liberian" or Liberiana, some under a coat of arms that includes "basilica Liberiana" in Italian.
2. This triptych painted around 1423 was commissioned for the basilica by a member of the Colonna family; it is now in the Museo di Capodimonte, Naples (Paul Joannides, "The Colonna Triptych by Masolino and Masaccio," Arte Cristiana no 728 (1988:339-)). The miracle is depicted as witnessed by a crowd of men and women, with Jesus and the Virgin Mary observing from above.
3. See for example the Holy See's press office using "Papal Liberian Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome" in English in a 2011 note Archived 3 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine, while the official Vatican website for the church uses various formulas, some under a coat of arms that includes "basilica Liberiana" in Italian.
4. Prior authors refer to its derivation from the Tempio della Pace or Temple of Peace, which was the name attributed to the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine before the 18th-century.
5. Note that, initially, not all archpriests of the basilica were cardinals.
6. Archpriest Pietro Sasso is commonly identified with contemporary cardinal Pietro Sasso of S. Pudenziana (1206–1218/19). However, this identification remains uncertain because the only document which mentions this archpriest (dated 3 July 1212) makes no reference to his cardinalate, cf. Ferri in ASRSP, vol. 28, p. 24.
7. Cardinal Pietro Capocci (died 1259) is mentioned in the majority of the catalogs of archpriests of Liberian Basilica but the documents from the archive of the Basilica, published by Ferri in ASRSP, vol. 27, p. 34–39 and vol. 30, p. 119, give no support for this affirmation. Document dated 19 March 1244 mentions Astor (or Aston) as archpriest, documents between 13 February 1247 and 1 October 1255 mention archpriest without mentioning his name but also without indicating his cardinalate, and on 28 May 1258 Romano was archpriest of the Basilica; the latest document mentions also cardinal Pietro Capocci but makes no reference to his occupation of that post. If he was really an archpriest under Innocent IV, he must have later resigned, but it seems more likely that this statement resulted from a confusion.

References

Citations

1. "Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura". Whc.unesco.org. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
2. ^ Lateran Treaty of 1929, Article 15 ()
3. Lateran Treaty of 1929, Article 13 ()
4. ^ Calendarium Romanum 1969, p. 99
5. As reported in the 1911 Catholic Encyclopedia.
6. Dedication of St. Mary Major Basilica
7. Loomis 1916, p. 77
8. Miles 1993, p. 157
9. ^ Ott 1913, Our Lady of the Snow
10. ^ Pius Parsch, The Church's Year of Grace quoted in Catholic Culture: "Ordinary Time, 5 August"
11. Rubin 2009, p. 95
12. Encyclical Slavorum Apostoli, 5
13. Stephen M. Donovan, "Crib" in Catholic Encyclopedia 1908 Archived 17 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine
14. Joan Carroll Cruz, Relics (Our Sunday Visitor 1984 ISBN 978-0-87973-701-6), p. 22
15. Missale Romanum Archived 15 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine, 1962 edition, p. 17
16. Missale Romanum, 1962 edition, p. 20
17. Robert F. McNamara, Minor Basilicas in the United States
18. Basilicas
19. John Hardon, Modern Catholic Dictionary 1980
20. "Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major". Retrieved 14 July 2024.
21. Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Patriarch and Patriarchate" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
22. La Visita alle Sette Chiese
23. Panvinio, Onofrio (1570). Le sette chiese romane. Rome. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
24. Sacchi, Guido. "La visita alle Sette Chiese: cenni storici" (in Italian). Retrieved 12 August 2011.
25. ^ Krautheimer 1980, p. 49
26. Krautheimer 1980, p. 52
27. ^ Krautheimer 1980, p. 46
28. Vassilaki 2000, p. 10
29. Pirlo 1997, p. 7
30. ^ Cormack 2000, p. 889
31. Vassilaki 2000, p. 132
32. Krautheimer 1980, pp. 69–70
33. Rubin 2009, pp. 95–96
34. Andrew J. Ekonomou. Byzantine Rome and Greek Popes. Lexington Books, 2007
35. Dyson (2010), p. 295.
36. Salzman (1990), p. 11.
37. Magi (1972).
38. ANSA Italy News Service, accessed 16 December 2015
39. Miles 1993, p. 158
40. Beny & Gunn 1981, p. 106
41. Charles A. Coulombe, Vicars of Christ, p. 330.
42. Basilica memorial to celebrate the end of the French Wars of Religion; accessed 22 March 2014.
43. Il Divoto Pellegrino Guidato, ed Istruito nella Visita delle quattro Basiliche di Roma, per il Giubileo dell'Anno Santo 1750., Stamperia del Characas, presso San Marco al Corso, Rome, 1749, page 338-339.
44. Gwynn & Bangert 2010, p. 235
45. missing Ref
46. Miles 1993, p. 160
47. Krautheimer 1980, p. 47
48. ^ Krautheimer 1980, p. 48
49. ^ Inside the Basilica
50. ^ Sacred Destinations: SantaMariaMaggiore, Rome
51. Eitel-Porter 1997, pp. 452–462
52. Davies, Lizzy (14 March 2013). "Pope Francis eschews trappings of papacy on first day in office". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
53. Liberian Chapter
54. "The pope says he wants to be buried in the Rome basilica, not in the Vatican". Associated Press News. 13 December 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
55. Moroni 1840, pp. 127–135
56. Respective biographical entries on Essay of a General List of Cardinals by Salvador Miranda
57. Ferri 1904, p. 147–202 and 441–459
58. Ferri 1905, pp. 23–39
59. Ferri 1907, pp. 119–168

Bibliography

• Holy See (1969). Calendarium Romanum: ex decreto Sacrosancti Oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II instauratum. Vatican State: Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis.
• Beny, Roloff; Gunn, Peter (1981). The churches of Rome. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-0-671-43447-2.
• Cormack, Robin (2000). "Chapter 30: The Visual Arts". In Cameron, Averil; Ward-Perkins, Bryan; Whitby, Michael (eds.). The Cambridge ancient history. empire and successors, AD 425–600. Vol. XIV. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-32591-2.
• Dyson, Stephen L. (2010), Rome: A Living Portrait of an Ancient City, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, ISBN 9781421401010.
• Eitel-Porter, Rhoda (1997). "Artistic Co-Operation in Late Sixteenth-Century Rome: Sistine Chapel in S. Maria Maggiore and the Scala Santa". The Burlington Magazine. 139 (1139): 452–462. JSTOR 887503.
• Ferri, G. (1904). Le carte dell'Archivio Liberiano dal secolo X al XV. Archivio della Società Romana di Storia Patria (in Italian). Vol. 27.
• Ferri, G. (1905). Le carte dell'Archivio Liberiano dal secolo X al XV (continua). Archivio della Società Romana di Storia Patria (in Italian). Vol. 28.
• Ferri, G. (1907). Le carte dell'Archivio Liberiano dal secolo X al XV (continuazione e fine). Archivio della Società Romana di Storia Patria (in Italian). Vol. 30.
• Gwynn, David M.; Bangert, Susanne (2010). Religious diversity in late antiquity. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-18000-0.
• Krautheimer, Richard (1980). Rome : profile of a city, 312–1308. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-00319-1.
• Loomis, Louise Ropes (1916). The Book of Popes (Liber Pontificalis). New York: Columbia University Press. OCLC 1941708.
• Magi, Filippo (1972), Il Calendario Dipinto sotto Santa Maria Maggiore, Atti della Pontificia Accademia Romana di Archeologia, Vol. III (in Italian), Rome: Tipografia Poliglotta Vaticana.
• Miles, Margaret R. (1993). "Santa Maria Maggiore's Fifth-Century Mosaics: Triumphal Christianity and the Jews". Harvard Theological Review. 86 (2): 155–172. doi:10.1017/S001781600003114X. S2CID 154086584. The fifth-century mosaics of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome represent the oldest surviving program of mosaic decoration in a Christian church.
• Moroni, Gaetano (1840). "Notizie sul capitolo ed arcipreti della basilica di s. Maria Maggiore". Dizionario di erudizione storico-ecclesiastica da S. Pietro sino ai nostri giorni (in Italian). Vol. 12. Tipografia Emiliana. pp. 127–135. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
• Ott, Michael (1913). "Our Lady of the Snow" . In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved 2008-12-17.
• Pirlo, Paolo O. (1997). "Mary, Mother of God". My First Book of Saints. Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate – Quality Catholic Publications. ISBN 971-91595-4-5.
• Rubin, Miri (2009). Mother of God : a history of the Virgin Mary. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-10500-1.
• Salzman, Michele Renee (1990), On Roman Time: The Codex Calendar of 354 and the Rhythms of Urban Life in Late Antiquity, Berkeley: University of California Press, ISBN 9780520909106.
• Vassilaki, Maria (2000). The mother of God : representations of the Virgin in Byzantine art. Milano: Skira. ISBN 88-8118-738-8.
• Warland, Rainer (2003). "The Concept of Rome in Late Antiquity reflected in the mosaics of the Triumphal Arch of S. Maria Maggiore in Rome" (PDF). Acta Ad Archaeologiam et Artium Historiam Pertinentia. 17: 127–141. ISSN 0333-1512. Retrieved 4 August 2011.

External links

• Eternal Word Television Network, Global Catholic Network (EWTN) Profile of Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore.
• Kunsthistorie.com gallery Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
• Satellite Photo of St. Mary's Major Basilica
• Official website
• "Santa Maria Maggiore" . New International Encyclopedia. 1905.
• High-resolution 360° Panoramas and Images of Santa Maria Maggiore | Art Atlas
• "Beggar's Rome" – A self-directed virtual tour of Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica and other Roman churches

Media related to Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore (Rome) at Wikimedia Commons

• Major basilicas
• Baroque architecture in Rome
• Marian apparitions
• Sites of papal elections
• Byzantine sacred architecture
• World Heritage Sites in Italy
• 5th-century churches
• Burial places of popes
• Early Christian art
• Palaeo-Christian architecture in Italy
• Burial sites of the House of Bonaparte
• Burials at Santa Maria Maggiore
• Churches of Rome (rione Monti)
• Roman Catholic national shrines
• Extraterritorial properties of the Holy See in Rome