📖  Introduction

It is one of the four major basilicas of Rome, and the only one not associated with the martyrdom of early Christian saints. It was also the first church in the Eternal City dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and its origins are surrounded by a remarkable legend.

According to tradition, on the night of August 4th to 5th in the year 352, a Roman patrician named John and Pope Liberius had a dream in which the Virgin Mary appeared to them. She asked them to build a church in the place and shape that would be revealed by snow — despite it being the height of the Roman summer. By morning, a fresh layer of white snow had miraculously covered the Esquiline Hill. In memory of this “miracle of the snow,” the church was given the title of Our Lady of the Snows. To this day, every year on August 5th, a special celebration takes place in the basilica: white rose petals fall from the coffered ceiling onto the altar and the gathered faithful, symbolizing that extraordinary August snowfall.

According to legend, the first church on this site was built as early as the 4th century and was known as the Liberian Basilica, named after Pope Liberius. However, historians tend to favor a slightly later date, around the year 432, when Pope Sixtus III began constructing a larger basilica on the Esquiline Hill shortly after the Council of Ephesus (431), which had proclaimed Mary as the Mother of God.

The new church was likely erected on the site of an earlier temple dedicated to Juno Lucina, the Roman goddess who protected women in childbirth. Some of the columns from the pagan temple were reused in the construction of the Christian basilica — a symbolic gesture meant to attract women to the new faith. Around the same time, an ancient icon of the Virgin Mary was brought into the basilica, today known as Salus Populi Romani (“Protectress of the Roman People”) — one of the most revered Marian images in all of Rome.

Expansion of the Basilica Through the Centuries

Over the centuries, the basilica underwent continuous expansion and embellishment. At the end of the 13th century, Pope Nicholas IV — the first pope from the Franciscan order — commissioned the addition of a transept and a spacious apse, preparing the space for new mosaics. In the 17th century, architect Carlo Rainaldi redesigned the apse, and in the 18th century, the basilica received its grand new façade. Although the church has transformed over time, one thing has remained unchanged: its profound connection to the Virgin Mary and the enduring memory of the legendary August snowfall that marked its origin..

Architecture of the Basilica: Façade, Bell Tower, and Mosaics

The current exterior of Santa Maria Maggiore is the result of an 18th-century renovation. The Baroque façade was designed by architect Ferdinando Fuga for the Holy Year of 1750. Behind it lies the original front wall of the basilica, where visitors can still admire precious mosaics by Filippo Rusuti (c. 1300), depicting Christ enthroned among the saints and the miraculous snowfall.

A central feature of the façade is the Loggia delle Benedizioni – the “Blessing Loggia” – with its arcades supported by slender columns. To the side stands a 246-foot-tall brick bell tower from the 14th century – the tallest in Rome – whose peak dominates the skyline thanks to the basilica’s elevated location.

In front of the basilica stands a marble Corinthian column, originally from the Basilica of Maxentius, relocated here by Pope Sixtus V. It is crowned with a statue of the Virgin Mary, sculpted by Guillaume Berthelot and Orazio Censore.

Inside the Basilica: Space, Gold, and Ancient Mosaics

Upon entering the basilica, visitors step into a vast three-aisled interior that has preserved the layout of an early Christian church. The central nave stretches an impressive 282 feet and is separated from the side aisles by rows of ancient columns, likely repurposed from the former pagan temple of Juno.

The floor is covered with a geometric mosaic of porphyry and marble, a 12th-century masterpiece by the Cosmati craftsmen. Looking upward, the coffered Renaissance ceiling, designed by Giuliano da Sangallo, gleams with gold. According to tradition, this was the first gold brought back from the New World – a gift from Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand, offered to the pope after Christopher Columbus’s voyage. The glow of that gold still adds a regal touch to the interior.

But the basilica’s greatest artistic treasure lies in its ancient mosaics. Above the columns, along the upper walls of the nave, stretches a cycle of 42 mosaic panels from the 5th century – a priceless example of early Christian art depicting scenes from the Old Testament that foreshadow the coming of the Messiah.

On the triumphal arch separating the nave from the presbytery are mosaics from the time of Pope Sixtus III (432–440), illustrating episodes from the infancy of Christ: the Annunciation, the Adoration of the Magi, the Massacre of the Innocents, and a symbolic throne of God the Father surrounded by Saints Peter and Paul and the symbols of the four Evangelists. Here, Mary is portrayed as an empress – a Queen honored by both humble shepherds and Eastern kings. These mosaics powerfully reinforce the dogma of Mary’s divine motherhood, proclaimed at the Council of Ephesus just prior to their creation.

The Apse, Altar, and the Relic of the Holy Crib

The focal point of the presbytery’s decoration is the apse mosaic depicting the Coronation of the Virgin, created by Jacopo Torriti in 1295 at the request of Pope Nicholas IV. Mary is shown in glory, being crowned by Christ and surrounded by angels and saints – a magnificent example of medieval Marian devotion.

At the center stands the grand main altar, topped by a richly decorated baldachin supported by four red porphyry columns. Beneath it, in the crypt, are kept the relics of the Holy Crib (Sacra Culla) – wooden fragments believed to come from the manger in Bethlehem.

Chapels and the Sculpture of Arnolfo di Cambio – Hidden Treasures of the Interior

Santa Maria Maggiore is also renowned for its grand side chapels, added during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. On the right side of the presbytery is the Sistine Chapel (not to be confused with the Vatican’s), commissioned by Pope Sixtus V in the late 16th century. Designed by Domenico Fontana in the shape of a Greek cross and topped with a dome, the chapel serves as a royal mausoleum, housing the tombs of Sixtus V and his predecessor, Saint Pius V, famed for his role in the Counter-Reformation after the Council of Trent.

Opposite, on the left side, stands the Pauline Chapel (also known as the Borghese Chapel), built in the early 17th century at the behest of Pope Paul V. It houses the miraculous icon of Salus Populi Romani – one of Rome’s most venerated images of the Virgin Mary – as well as the tombs of Popes Paul V and Clement VIII.

Both chapels are artistic marvels, adorned with colored marble, rich frescoes, and intricate detailing. Interestingly, there are also Polish touches: a bas-relief on Sixtus V’s tomb depicts King Sigismund III Vasa of Poland in a historic reconciliation scene with Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg. In the Pauline Chapel, one can also spot Saint Kinga, a Polish princess and nun, among the saints featured in the frescoes.

A particularly striking yet humble treasure lies near the main altar, in the right aisle: the Bethlehem Nativity scene carved in marble by Arnolfo di Cambio, a medieval sculptor and architect known for designing Florence’s cathedral. Created in the late 13th century at the request of Pope Nicholas IV, this work is considered the first three-dimensional Nativity scene in art history – the prototype for all later Christmas cribs. Though only a few figures have survived (including Mary with the Child and the Three Kings), their simplicity and spiritual depth continue to impress. The sculpture was placed beside the relics of the Holy Crib to deepen the faithful’s experience of the mystery of Christ’s birth.

Tombs of Saints, Popes, and Artists

Over the centuries, the Basilica of Our Lady of the Snows has served not only as a place of worship but also as the resting place for some of the Church’s most important figures. Seven popes are buried here, ranging from medieval pontiffs such as Honorius III and Nicholas IV to great reformers like Pius V, Sixtus V, Clement VIII, and Paul V.

The basilica is also home to the relics of Saint Jerome, the Doctor of the Church who translated the Bible into Latin (the Vulgate). According to tradition, his remains were moved from Bethlehem to Santa Maria Maggiore. It was Jerome who made Bethlehem famous as the birthplace of Christ – a place now symbolically present in Rome through the relics of the manger.

The church also holds the tomb of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the great Baroque artist and architect who designed Saint Peter’s Square and sculpted the famous Ecstasy of Saint Teresa. Although celebrated in his lifetime, Bernini was buried with surprising modesty – a simple floor slab near the main altar marks his final resting place. One must look carefully among the tombs of cardinals to find it, which in itself feels symbolic: Bernini, who brought glory to Rome, now lies humbly at the feet of the Virgin.

Living History – Spiritual and Cultural Legacy

Visiting Santa Maria Maggiore is like stepping into a living tapestry of faith and history. It was here that Empress Eudocia sent relics from Bethlehem, here that Pope Liberius “tamed” the snowfall, here that medieval popes crowned Mary as Queen of the World – and to this day, Pope Francis visits the basilica before embarking on any apostolic journey.

Every corner of the church tells a story – from the ancient column outside the entrance to the golden floor plaque bearing Bernini’s name. For lovers of art, legend, and sacred heritage, Santa Maria Maggiore is more than a destination – it’s a journey into the soul of Rome.