BASILICA DI SAN PAOLO FUORI LE MURA (MAJOR BASILICA OF SAINT PAUL OUTSIDE THE WALLS)

Along with the Lateran, the Vatican and Santa Maria Maggiore, St. Paul's Outside the Walls is one of the four major basilicas. Saint Paul, martyred in 67 AD, was buried here along the Via Ostiense, lined with cemeteries. In the ^4th century, Constantine had a small sanctuary built over the saint's tomb. To cope with the influx of visitors, towards the end of the century Honorius redesigned the complex, reversing the orientation which, as it stood originally, blocked the development of the edifice due to the height that dominates the area. During the ^8th century, it was the center of a small feudal monastic state, Giovannopoli. Inhabited until 1348, Giovannopoli was subsequently abandoned. Repeatedly ransacked, the basilica was surrounded by a fortified wall in the ^9th century and subsequently enriched, especially in the Middle Ages, by Arnolfo di Cambio and Pietro Cavallini. The fire that ravaged it in 1823 was felt to be a disaster. It was rebuilt as best as possible. The results bear witness to this. The vast atrium that precedes the main entrance is ^{19th-early20th-century}; alas, there's no point in dwelling on it. The nave is impressive for its size and its forest of granite columns: there are 80 of them. The light comes through openings lined with transparent alabaster, giving it a very special hue. The statues in the side niches represent the apostles and date from the ^19th or ^20th century. The triumphal arch is adorned with a well-restored^5th-century mosaic. The ciborium of the high altar is by Arnolfo di Cambio (1285), a fine example of the International Gothic style that prevailed at the time. The apse mosaic, commissioned by Honorius III, dates from the ^13th century. Some very fine pieces of furniture were saved from the fire. In the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, to the left of the transept, you'll see a wooden Christ by Cavallini and a statue of Saint Brigid by Maderno. The candelabra for the Paschal candle is by Vassaletto. The adjoining cloister is also well worth a visit. Last but not least, you should spend some time in the Pinacoteca, where you can see the state of the complex after the disaster of 1823, described in a series of engravings. Of particular note are the mosaic medallions placed on the entablature of the entire basilica. They represent all the popes since Saint Peter.

Jubilee 2025 : Opening of the Porta Santa on January 5, 2025.