Rome - Basilica of St Mary Major

(Local Name: Santa Maria Maggiore) Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome is the largest of the 80 Roman churches dedicated to the Virgin. It is also one of the four patriarchal basilicas (coming after San Giovanni in Laterano, San Pietro in Vaticano and San Paolo fuori le Mura) and one of the seven pilgrimage churches (the patriarchal churches together with Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, San Lorenzo fuori le Mura and San Sebastiano). It is the only church in Rome in which mass has been celebrated every day without interruption since the fifth century.

From the square with the obelisk (14.80m/49ft high) from the Mausoleum of Augustus an imposing flight of steps leads up to the entrance at the chancel end of the church. The main entrance (facade by Ferdinando Fuga, 1743) is reached by way of the column from the Basilica of Maxentius, now crowned by a figure of the Virgin.

This principal basilica was built by Pope Liberius who had a vision of Our Lady during a miraculous snowstorm that took place in the height of summer. The triumphal arch and facade were built in the 18th century. The Pauline Chapel and Sistine Chapel were beautifully built by Flaminio Ponzio and Domenico Fontana.