Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome

Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore (Basilica of Saint Mary Major) is one of the 4 Papal major basilicas, built in the 5th century atop Esquiline Hill to honor Virgin Mary

Holidayen / Rome / Places to Visit / Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

  Loading

Relevance Price Price Rating

Showing 1 to 18 of 18 Offers

Rome: Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica Guided Tour

  103 Reviews

 1.0 hour

$12

Admire the mix of architectural styles and historic significance of Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, t...

SEE IT

Offered by Get Your Guide

Rome: Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica Guided Tour

  38 Reviews

 1.0 hour

$20

Join an official guided tour of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Admire the Loggia delle Benedi...

SEE IT

Offered by Get Your Guide

Rome: The Secrets of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore

  11 Reviews

 1.0 hour

$27

Uncover the secrets of Santa Maria Maggiore's Basilica with a guided tour and witness the beauty of ...

SEE IT

Offered by Get Your Guide

Rome: Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore Tour

  2 Reviews

 2 hour

$67

Discover the 5th-century mosaics of Santa Maria Maggiore, a reliquary said to contain a piece of the...

SEE IT

Offered by Get Your Guide

Rome: Catacombs, St. Maria Maggiore, and St. Giovanni Tour

  1 Reviews

 4.0 hour

$87

Discover 2 of the major basilicas of Rome and explore the unique Christian cemeteries of the Roman C...

SEE IT

Offered by Get Your Guide

Rome: The Hidden Gems of Santa Maria Maggiore (Guided Tour)

  1 Reviews

 2.0 hour

$41

Skip the long lines to discover Santa Maria Maggiore's Basilica. Visit the Loggia of Blessings, Room...

SEE IT

Offered by Get Your Guide

Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore Tour

  No Reviews

 2 hours

$76

...

SEE IT

Offered by Viator

Historic Christian Tour in Rome

  44 Reviews

 3 hour

$62

Explore the most important sacred Christian sites in Rome on a 3-hour sightseeing tour by air-conditioned coach. The tou...

SEE IT

Offered by Get Your Guide

Christian Rome Afternoon Tour

  20 Reviews

 3 hours

$55

Mobile Voucher Accepted


 
 Explore the highlights of early Christian Rome on this 3-hour coach and walking tour. ...

SEE IT

Offered by Travel Toe

Skip the Line: Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel Tour

  18 Reviews

 Varies

$68

Mobile Voucher Accepted


 
 Enjoy a morning or afternoon of Vatican splendor on a 2-hours skip-the-line tour of th...

SEE IT

Offered by Travel Toe

Discover Catholic Rome Half-Day Private Tour by Car

  No Reviews

   5 hour

$346

Explore the main Catholic basilicas and churches of Rome on an exclusive 5-hour tour of the city center, traveling by ca...

SEE IT

Offered by Get Your Guide

Skip the Line: Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel Tour

  No Reviews

    9 hours

$70

Mobile Voucher Accepted

Enjoy a morning or afternoon of Vatican splendor on a 2-hours skip-the-line tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Ch...

SEE IT

Offered by Viator

Rome: Iubilaeum Card Travel Services & Discounts

  No Reviews

     365 day

$28

Mobile Voucher Accepted

If you’re visiting Rome during the Jubilee of Mercy, running from December 2015 through November 2016, be sure to book y...

SEE IT

Offered by Get Your Guide

Rome 8-Hour Guided Jubilee Tour by Electric-Assist Bike

  No Reviews

   8 hour

$81

Mobile Voucher Accepted

Enjoy a tour through papal history during the Holy Year of the Jubilee. Travel by electric-assist bicycle and visit the ...

SEE IT

Offered by Get Your Guide

Christian Rome Afternoon Tour

  No Reviews

 3 hours

$69

Mobile Voucher Accepted

Explore the highlights of early Christian Rome on this 3-hour coach and walking tour. With an expert guide, visit t...

SEE IT

Offered by Viator

Major Basilicas of Rome: 3-Hour Small Group Tour

  No Reviews

 3 hour

$55

Mobile Voucher Accepted

Your 3-hour tour starts at the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, the seat of the Pope and the oldest papal basilica, ...

SEE IT

Offered by Get Your Guide

Rome: 4 Hills of Rome Electric Bike Jubilee Tour

  No Reviews

   5 hour

$68

Mobile Voucher Accepted

Climb aboard a pedal-assisted, motorized bike to climb 4 hills of Rome in half a day. Cover long distances in little ...

SEE IT

Offered by Get Your Guide

Skip the Line: Vatican in One Day

  No Reviews

    8 hours 30 minutes

$105

Mobile Voucher Accepted


 
 Vatican City's most comprehensive introduction combining two walking tours to see Mich...

SEE IT

Offered by Travel Toe

Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome

Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore (Basilica of Saint Mary Major) is one of the 4 Papal major basilicas, built in the 5th century atop Esquiline Hill to honor Virgin Mary.

Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore (Basilica of Saint Mary Major) is one of the 4 Papal major basilicas, built in the 5th century atop Esquiline Hill to honor Virgin Mary. The original layout remains, but the building has been reworked over the ages and the current structure majorly dates back to the 17th - 18th century. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Properties of the Holy See in the Historic Centre of Rome.

As you approach the basilica from Via Cavour leading to the Piazza dell’Esquilino, you can get a good view of the exterior of the apse with the octagonal lead domes of the Sistina and Paolina chapels on either side outlined against the sky. In the square stands the 46-feet high Colonna della Pace, relocated from the Basilica di Massenzio. Dedicated to Virgin Mary, the column and the small fountain in front of it are adorned with the papal eagles and dragons.

The interiors are typical for an Early Christian church, with a spacious nave lined by marble columns leading to a round apse which has a 13th century mosaic depicting the Coronation of the Virgin. Mosaics from the 5th century along the nave illustrate scenes from the Old Testament, and those of the Triumphal Arch show scenes from the early life of Christ. Below the high altar of the basilica is the Crypt of the Nativity or Bethlehem Crypt which has a crystal reliquary that is believed to contain wood from the Holy Crib of the nativity of Jesus Christ. There is also a museum on the premises. If you are in Rome on Corpus Christi (Corpus Domini), which is the Thursday following the 8th Sunday after Easter, an early-evening service is held in San Giovanni by the Pope followed by a procession along Via Merulana to Santa Maria Maggiore. It offers a good opportunity for a close up view of the Pope.

A beautiful church with gilded coffered ceiling, Cosmatesque floor, and stunning mosaics, the Basilica is a highlight of any trip to Rome.

Hours

Sun

NA

Mon

NA

Tue

NA

Wed

NA

Thu

NA

Fri

NA

Sat

NA

About Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

 Piazza di S. Maria Maggiore, 42, 00100 Roma, Italy

 +39 06 6988 6800

 www.vatican.va

Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore and Nearby Sights on Map

Santa Prassede

Fantastic Byzantine mosaics and some other interesting artwork

Santa Pudenziana

A very ancient church named after a saint who was in 1969 removed from the Roman Catholic calendar of saints for the lack of details of her life

National Museum of Musical Instruments

Next door to Santa Croce

Roma dal Cielo Terrazza delle Quadrighe

Palazzo Altemps

Simple and elegant lines make up this building, whose construction began in 1480 for Count Girolamo Riario, nephew of Papa Sisto IV and was taken up by architect Martino Longhi for the new owner, Cardinal Marco Sittico Altemps

Baths of Diocletian

On the site of the Roman baths, this museum houses an enormous collection of statues

Museo Nazionale Romano

St Paul's Within the Walls

More modern than most Roman churches: it was not started until 1873

Colle Oppio

This is the attractive park on the hillside directly west of the Colosseum

Catacombs of Rome

Hidden underneath Rome's vibrant cityscape are miles of subterranean tunnels and chambers that were ancient underground burial places for people of all Roman religions