Rome, Italy: Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major: Central Nave Overview

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dc.contributor.authorSheppard, Beth M.
dc.date.accessioned2024-06-24T12:59:33Z
dc.date.available2024-06-24T12:59:33Z
dc.date.issuedMay 19, 2017
dc.descriptionThe Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major (Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore; Santa Maria della Neve; St. Mary of the Snow; St. Mary of the Crib) is the largest of the 80 Mary churches in Rome; it is also one of the seven pilgrim churches and one of four papal basilicas in Rome. The church was built in 432 CE at the behest of Pope Sixtus III, immediately after the Council of Ephesus declared that the Virgin Mary was the mother of God. The basilica sits on Esquiline Hill, where the Virgin Mary appeared in a dream of Pope Liberius a century earlier. The legend behind the church dates back to about 358 CE when a childless Roman couple decided to leave their estate to the Virgin Mary. She visited them in their sleep that hot summer night and told them to build a church in her honor on a spot marked by snow. The puzzled couple told Pope Liberius about their dream, only to discover that he had the same dream. The pope accompanied the couple to their property on Esquiline Hill, where they discovered it was covered in snow. Today this is commemorated annually on August 5 with white flower petals dropped from the ceiling of the basilica. Many of the church's mosaics were part of the original building, whereas its large marble columns probably came from an ancient Roman structure. The church is particularly known for its gilded, coffered ceiling, which was built using the first of the gold brought back from America by Columbus, and for containing a relic of Jesus' manger (hence, "St. Mary of the Crib"). The photograph shows the central nave of the church, with 36 granite Ionic columns supporting architraves instead of arches. Two aisles flank the central nave. The ceiling was created by Giuliano da Sangallo for the Spanish pope, Alexander VI, and was funded by Ferdinand and Isabella. The heraldic bull of the infamous Borgias can be seen in the ceiling; the pope was a member of the family.
dc.identifier.otherSAM_3622.jpg
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14312/2490
dc.languageN/A
dc.metadata.catalogerRogers, Shelley
dc.rightsCC BY-NC-SA 4.0
dc.rights.holderSheppard, Beth M.
dc.sponsorThis image was made available, in part, through a generous grant from the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation.
dc.subjectItaly
dc.subjectRome
dc.subjectBasilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore
dc.subjectPapal Basilica of Saint Mary Major
dc.subjectSanta Maria Della Neve
dc.subjectSaint Mary of the Snow
dc.subjectSaint Mary of the Crib
dc.subjectMary Churches
dc.subjectPilgrim Churches
dc.subjectPapal Basilicas
dc.subjectNaves
dc.subjectIonic Columns
dc.subjectCoffered Ceilings
dc.subjectGilded Ceilings
dc.subjectGiuliano da Sangallo
dc.subjectPope Alexander VI
dc.subjectFerdinand and Isabella
dc.subjectBorgia Family
dc.titleRome, Italy: Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major: Central Nave Overview
dc.typeImage

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