Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore (Italian) Basilica Sanctae Mariae Majoris ad Nives (Latin)
The Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore is the largest church in Rome dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Basic information
Location	Rome
Geographic coordinates	41°53′51″N 12°29′55″E / 41.8975°N 12.49861°E / 41.8975; 12.49861Coordinates: 41°53′51″N 12°29′55″E / 41.8975°N 12.49861°E / 41.8975; 12.49861
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Major basilica
Leadership	Bernard Francis Law
Website	Official Website
Architectural description
Architectural type	Church
Direction of facade	SE
Specifications
Length	92 metres (302 ft)
Width	80 metres (260 ft)
Width (nave)	30 metres (98 ft)
Height (max)	75 metres (246 ft)

The Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major (Italian: Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore, Latin: Basilica Sanctae Mariae Majoris ad Nives^[1][2]), is an ancient Roman Catholic Marian basilica of Rome. It is one of the four major or four papal basilicas,^[3] which, together with St. Lawrence outside the Walls, were formerly referred to as the five "patriarchal basilicas" of Rome,^[4] associated with the five ancient patriarchal sees of Christendom (see Pentarchy). The other three papal or major basilicas are St. John Lateran, St. Peter and St. Paul outside the Walls. The Liberian Basilica (another title for the church) is one of the tituli, presided over by a patron—in this case Pope Liberius—that housed the major congregations of early Christians in Rome. Santa Maria Maggiore is the only Roman basilica that retained the core of its original structure, left intact despite several additional construction projects and damage from the earthquake of 1348.

According to tradition, the location of this basilica was chosen by the Blessed Virgin Mary through a miracle of snow falling on the original hill where the basilica is now erected. This feast, Our Lady of Snows is currently celebrated annually as reflected in the official Latin title of the Basilica. The name of the church reflects two ideas of greatness ("major"), that of a major (or papal) basilica and that of the largest (major) church in Rome dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The basilica currently houses the oldest Marian image in Rome, called the Salus Populi Romani famously reputed to have been painted by Saint Luke the Evangelist using the very wooden table of the Holy Family in Nazareth. It is currently enshrined in the Santa Borghese Chapel of the basilica.

After the Avignon papacy formally ended and the Papacy returned to Rome, the Basilica became a temporary Palace of the Popes due to the deteriorated state of the Lateran Palace. The papal residence was later moved to the Palace of the Vatican in what is now Vatican City.

Contents 1 Original Construction under Pope Sixtus III 2 Factors Behind Construction 2.1 Council of Ephesus 2.2 Land Holdings 2.3 Mary as Imperial Symbol 3 Santa Maria Maggiore’s Founding Legend: Liberian Basilica 4 History Cont. 5 Architecture 5.1 Restoration 6 Treasures 6.1 Fifth Century Mosaics 6.1.1 Triumphal Arch 6.1.2 Nave 6.2 List of major works of art in the basilica 6.3 The Capella Sistina and the Crypt of the Nativity 6.4 Burials 7 Salus Populi Romani 8 Papal basilica 9 Archpriests of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore since 1127 10 See also 11 References 12 External links

[edit] Original Construction under Pope Sixtus III

Although according to some sources the construction of Santa Maria Maggiore started in the 420s under Pope Celestine I,^[5] most scholars agree that all, if not a majority of the basilica was built under Pope Sixtus III (432-440). The dedicatory inscription on the triumphal arch reads — “Sixtus Episcopus plebi Dei,” “Sixtus the bishop to the people of God— an indication of Pope Sixtus’ role in the construction of Santa Maria Maggiore.^[6] Pope Sixtus III built the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore on the summit of the Esquiline Hill in Rome. Pope Sixtus III is said to have commissioned extensive church building projects throughout the city of Rome during the early part of the 5th century which were continued by his successor Pope Leo I, the great.^[7]

Church building in Rome during this period was defined by the idea of remaking Rome as not just the center of the known world; as was seen in the classical period, but as the center of the Christian world and Santa Maria Maggiore was the greatest example of this.^[8] Santa Maria Maggiore was one of the first basilicas built in honor of The Virgin; the purpose was to highlight the role of the Virgin as “Mother of God in ordinance with the decree issued by the Council of Ephesus (431 CE)”.^[9]

The aspects of this role were captured by the incredibly magnificent mosaics of the nave and triumphal arch. These mosaics depicted not only scenes of the Virgin and of Christ, they also depicted scenes from the Old Testament; Moses, Striking the Red Sea, and Egyptians Drowning in the Red Sea. These mosaics in Santa Maria Maggiore were seen by many scholars as “milestones in the depiction” of the Virgin.^[10]

[edit] Factors Behind Construction

[edit] Council of Ephesus

There were a number of factors that contributed to the building of Santa Maria Maggiore during this period. One factor almost all scholars can agree upon is the Council of Ephesus in 431 CE. “The church was a major dedication to Mary around the time of Council of Ephesus (431 CE), and whatever the precise connection was between council and church it is clear that the planners of the decoration belong to a period of concentrated debates on nature and status of the Virgin and incarnate Christ.”^[11] The central debate that was decided during the Council of Ephesus was the nature of the Virgin and the Incarnate Christ, and the conclusion came that the Virgin was in fact “Mother of God”. Santa Maria Maggiore was built by Pope Sixtus III to commemorate this decision and some scholars believe that this opened the gates for personal devotion and formal cults of the Virgin Mary.^[12]

[edit] Land Holdings

Another factor some scholars believe that contributed to the construction of the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is revenue from land holdings directly of the Papacy. Scholars suggests that massive amounts of land acquired by the Church during the 4th and 5th centuries on the Italian peninsula gave huge amounts of revenue, which consequentially gave the church the ability to take on ambitious building projects such as Santa Maria Maggiore. Richard Krautheimer writes, “Some of these holdings were locally controlled; the majority as early as the end of the 5th century were administered directly from Rome with great efficiency: a central accounting system was involved in the papal chancery; and a budget was apparently prepared, one part of the income going to the papal administration, another to the needs of the clergy, a third to the maintenance of church buildings, a fourth to charity. These fines enabled the papacy to carry out through the 5th century an ambitious building program, including Santa Maria Maggiore.”^[13]

[edit] Mary as Imperial Symbol

Additionally, some scholars believe another factor in the building of the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is that Mary was seen as a character that could represent the imperial ideals of classical Rome. Consequentially bringing together the old Rome and New Christian Rome, or as one scholar puts it, “In Rome, the city of martyrs, if no longer of emperors, Mary was a figure that could credibly carry imperial memories and representations.”^[14]

[edit] Santa Maria Maggiore’s Founding Legend: Liberian Basilica

Santa Maria Maggiore is also known as the Liberian Basilica and this derives from a legend dating back as early as the 13th century. Many times this legend is confused with the actual history of the basilica, mainly for it being so well known traditionally and Pope Liberius is synonymous with the founder of Santa Maria Maggiore.

As the story goes; during the peak of summer in Rome in the year 358 CE a couple was visited by the Virgin in their sleep and were asked to build a church in honor of her with their saving since they were without children or heirs. The site where the church was supposed to be built, according to the apparition of the Virgin, would be revealed by snowfall on the spot, even though it was the peak of summer in August. The couple tells Pope Liberius of this vision that they had and to their surprise Pope Liberius had had the same exact dream. The very next day it snowed a top the Esquiline Hill and Pope Liberius built the basilica with the funds donated by the couple.^[15]

Some of the sources scholars believe show the development of this legend are the “Liber Pontificalis”, (Latin for Book of the Popes) and also a 15th century painting Masaccio and Masolino’s Miracle of the Snow which depicts the legend of the Liberian basilica.^[16] The Liber Pontificalis gives reference to Pope Liberius and the basilica he built; “He built the basilica of his own name near the Macellum of Libia and held two ordinations.” and since most scholars agree that the ‘‘Liber Pontificalis’’ dates back to the early 13th century it shows us the development of the Legend of the Liberian basilica. (Loomis 1916 p 77) Even though a majority of scholars agree that the legend of the founding of Santa Maria Maggiore is just that; a mere legend, people still hold it close to the tradition of the basilica.^[16]

[edit] History Cont.

The church has had many names over the years: first Santa Maria della Neve (English: St. Mary of the Snow) after the snowfall, then Santa Maria Liberiana after Pope Liberius. After the basilica obtained a relic of the Holy Crib, it was called Santa Maria Del Presepe (St. Mary of the Crib). It was finally named Santa Maria Maggiore (St. Mary Major) because it is the largest of the 26 churches in Rome dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Santa Maria Maggiore was fully restored and renovated in the 18th century; the façade and most of the interior decorations date from this period. Today, the basilica is served by Redemptorist and Dominican fathers and remains very popular with pilgrims and tourists alike.

The legendary Miracle of the Snow was depicted by Masaccio and Masolino around 1423 in a triptych commissioned for the basilica by a member of the Colonna family; it is now conserved in the Museo di Capodimonte, Naples.^[17] In it is depicted the witnessing of the miracle by a crowd of holy men and women, Jesus and the Virgin Mary observing from above. Local Roman Catholics commemorate the miracle on each anniversary by dropping white rose petals from the dome during the mass of the feast.

[edit] Architecture

The original architecture of Santa Maria Maggiore was classical and traditionally Roman perhaps to convey the idea that Santa Maria Maggiore represented old imperial Rome as well as its Christian future. As one scholar puts it, “Santa Maria Maggiore so closely resembles a second-century imperial basilica that it has sometimes been thought to have been adapted from a basilica for use as a Christian church. Its plan was based on Hellenistic principles stated by Vitruvius at the time of Augustus.”^[18]

Even Though Santa Maria Maggiore is immense in its area, it was built to plan. The design of the basilica was a typical one during this time in Rome: “a tall and wide nave; an aisle on either side; and a semicircular apse at the end of the nave.”^[19] The key aspect that made Santa Maria Maggiore such a significant cornerstone in church building during the early 5th century were the beautiful mosaics found on the triumphal arch and nave.

The Athenian marble columns supporting the nave are even older, and either come from the first basilica, or from another antique Roman building; thirty-six are marble and four granite, pared down, or shortened to make them identical by Ferdinando Fuga, who provided them with identical gilt-bronze capitals.^[20] The 14th century campanile, or bell tower, is the highest in Rome, at 240 feet, (about 75 m.). The basilica's 16th-century coffered ceiling, to a design by Giuliano da Sangallo, is said to be gilded with Inca gold presented by Ferdinand and Isabella to the Spanish pope, initially brought by Christopher Columbus^{[citation needed]}, Alexander VI (something which factually is erroneous, since the Inca empire was conquered during the reign of Charles V). The apse mosaic, the Coronation of the Virgin, is from 1295, signed by the Franciscan friar, Jacopo Torriti. The Basilica also contains frescoes by Giovanni Baglione, in the Cappella Borghese.

The 12th-century façade has been masked by a reconstruction, with a screening loggia, that were added by Pope Benedict XIV in 1743, to designs by Ferdinando Fuga that did not damage the mosaics of the façade. The wing of the canonica (sacristy) to its left and a matching wing to the right (designed by Flaminio Ponzio) give the basilica's front the aspect of a palace facing Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore. To the right of the Basilica's façade is a memorial representing a column in the form of an up-ended cannon barrel topped with a cross: it was erected by Pope Clement VIII immediately after the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre of Protestants, though today it is reputed to celebrate the end of the French Wars of Religion [1].

The Marian column erected in 1614, to designs of Carlo Maderno is the model for numerous Marian columns erected in Catholic countries in thanksgiving for remission of the plague during the Baroque era. (An example is the Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc, the Czech Republic). The column itself is the sole remaining from Constantine's Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine in Campo Vaccino, as the Roman Forum was called until the 18th century [2]; Maderno's fountain at the base combines the armorial eagles and dragons of Paul V.

[edit] Restoration

In the centuries that have passed, the weather has been Santa Maria Maggiore's biggest rival. The pollution of a modern city combined with humidity puts at risk the old churches and the artwork they hold. Centuries before the first vehicle spewed exhaust into the city, during the late 16th century, a number of the Vatican's churches were renovated and redecorated. The basilica itself was restored and extended by various popes, including Eugene III (1145–1153), Nicholas IV (1288–92), Clement X (1670–76), and Benedict XIV (1740–58), who in the 1740s commissioned Ferdinando Fuga to build the present façade and to modify the interior. The interior of the Santa Maria Maggiore underwent a broad renovation encompassing all of its altars between the years 1575 and 1630.

[edit] Treasures

[edit] Fifth Century Mosaics

The Mosaics found in Santa Maria Maggiore are not just incredibly beautiful works of Late Antique art; they are also one of the oldest representations of the Virgin Mary in Christian Late Antiquity. As one scholar puts it, “This is well demonstrated by the decoration of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome,... where the iconographic depiction of the Virgin Mary was chosen at least in part to celebrate the affirmation of Mary as Theotokos (bearer of God) by the third ecumenical Council of Ephesus in 431 CE.”^[21] The mosaics of the triumphal arch and the nave in Santa Maria Maggiore were the definition of impressionistic art during the time period and gave a model for the future representations of the Virgin Mary. The influences of these mosaics are rooted in late antique impressionism that could be seen in frescoes, manuscript paintings and many pavement mosaics across villas in Africa, Syria and Sicily during the 5th century.^[22]

These mosaics gave historians insight into artistic, religious, and social movements during this time. As one scholar explains that mosaics in Santa Maria Maggiore had two goals: one to glorify the Virgin Mary as Theotokos, (God-Bearer); and the other as the scholar puts is “a systematic and comprehensive articulation of the relationship of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian scriptures as one in which the Hebrew bible foreshadows Christianity.”^[23] This is explained by the dual images of Old Testament and New Testament events depicted in the mosaics of the triumphal arch and the nave. The mosaics also show the range of artistic expertise and refute the theory that mosaic technique during the time was based on copying from model books. The mosaics found in Santa Maria Maggiore are combinations of different styles of mosaic art during the time. As one scholar puts it “the range of artistic expertise and the actual complexities of production can hardly be reduced to a mentality of copying. A test case is given by the mosaics of S. Maria Maggiore in Rome”^[24]

[edit] Triumphal Arch

The Triumphal Arch at the head of the nave was at first referred to as the apse arch, but was later it became known as the triumphal arch.^[25] The triumphal arch is illustrated with magnificent mosaics depicting different scenes of Christ and the Virgin Mary. There was a difference in the styles used in the triumphal arch mosaics compared to those of the nave; the style of the triumphal arch was much more linear and flat as one scholar describes it, not nearly as much action, emotion and movement in them as there were in the Old Testament mosaics of the nave.^[26] One of the first scenes that were visible on the triumphal arch was a panel of Christ’s enthronement with a group of angels as his court. As one historian describes it: “On the apse arch Christ is enthroned, a young emperor attended by four chamberlains, angels of course”,^[27] this is a perfect example of mosaic art in the 5th century. Another panel found on the triumphal arch is of the Virgin, she is crowned and dressed in a colorful veil, her wardrobe subtly brings to mind that of a Roman empress and in this panel she has her divine son walking with her and a suite of angles and Joseph ready to greet her; “The Virgin...shows to perfection the impressionistic character of mosaics.”^[28] Another panel is known as the Adoration of the Magi and this mosaic depicts Infant Christ and The Virgin and the arrival of the three wise men, “mosaics illustrating Christ’s first coming and his youth covered the triumphal arch.”^[28] The other panel depicts the Virgin accompanied by five martyrs.^[22]

[edit] Nave

The nave of the Santa Maria Maggiore was covered in mosaics representing Old Testament events most vividly of Moses leading the Jews out of Egypt across the Red Sea. “The nave mosaics (which represents stories of Old Testament history and accordingly offered Christians in Rome a new ‘past’) are illusionistic in a colorful and impressionist manner”^[29] as this scholar puts it the scene was filled with movement, emotion, and it was to inspire thinking of Rome’s “new” past; the past of the Old Testament. The detail used in creating the scene was magnificent as one scholar describes it: “Moses strikes the waters of the Red Sea in a heroic gesture, his toga in light and dark grays and blues, but lined in black, the folds white lines, the tunic underneath light blue; the man next to him wears a deep blue toga over a gray and white tunic.”^[22] Another panel shows the demise of the Egyptians in the Red Sea. A observer describes the mosaic: “The Egyptians, clad in blue armor with gold bands and scarlet cloaks wildly flying, drown in the greenish blue waters; the horses, white or light brown shaded with darker browns, highlighted in white, the accoutrements a bright red.”^[28]

[edit] List of major works of art in the basilica

• Early Christian mosaic cycle depicting Old Testament events, 5th century
• The Salus Populi Romani, a much venerated early icon of the Virgin and Child.
• Funerary monument of Clement IX (1671) by Carlo Rainaldi with the papal bust is by Domenico Guidi.
• Temporary catafalque for Philip IV of Spain designed in 1665 by Rainaldi
• Funerary monument of Pope Nicholas IV, designed by Domenico Fontana in 1574.
• Bust of Costanzo Patrizi by Algardi.
• Sacristy frescoes by Passignano and Giuseppe Puglia,
• Saint Cajetan holding the Holy Child, by Bernini.
• High altar sculpture by Pietro Bracci, (c. 1750).
• Bust of Pius IX (1880) by Ignazio Jacometti.
• Pauline Chapel frescoes, by Guido Reni
• Frescoes for the monument of Clement VIII, Lanfranco
• Cesi Chapel tombs by Guglielmo della Porta
• Altar, confessio and Presepio (crib) sculptures by Arnolfo di Cambio, about 1290

[edit] The Capella Sistina and the Crypt of the Nativity

Below the sanctuary of Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore is the Crypt of the Nativity or the Bethlehem Crypt, which is the burial place for prominent Catholics, including Saint Jerome, the 4th century Doctor of the Church who translated the Bible into the Latin language (the Vulgate); popes; and Gianlorenzo Bernini. Saint Ignatius of Loyola celebrated his first Mass as a priest on this altar on 25 December 1538 (previously below the central main altar).

The decoration of the Sistine chapel of Santa Maria Maggiore, which should not be confused with the more famous Sistine chapel of the Vatican, was commissioned by the administration of Pope Sixtus V. The architect Domenico Fontana was called to design the chapel to house the presumptive relics of the Nativity crib. The original Nativity Oratory, with the presepe built in the 13th century by Arnolfo di Cambio, is below the chapel. The chapel contains the tombs of Sixtus V and his early patron Pius V (design by Fontana and statue by Leonardo Sarzana). The statue of Sixtus V was sculpted by Giovanni Antonio Paracca, called il Valsoldo. The main altar in the Chapel has four gilded bronze angels by Sebastiano Torregiani, along the ciborium.

The Mannerist interior decoration was completed (1587-9) by a large team of artists, directed by Cesare Nebbia and Giovanni Guerra. While the art biographer, Giovanni Baglione allocates specific works to individual artists, recent scholarship finds that the hand of Nebbia drew preliminary sketches for many, if not all, of the frescoes. Baglione also concedes the roles of Nebbia and Guerra could be summarized as "Nebbia drew, and Guerra supervised the teams".

Painter	Work
Giovanni Battista Pozzo	Angelic Glory, Visitation, Annunciation, Joseph’s dream, St. Paul & John Evangelist, St. Peter enters Rome,& Massacre of infants
Lattanzio Mainardi	Tamar, Fares, Zara, Solomon, & Boaz
Hendrick van den Broeck (Arrigo Fiammingo)	Esrom, Aram, Aminabad & Naassom
Paris Nogari	Ruth, Jesse, David, Solomon & Roboam; & the Holy Family
Giacomo Stella	Jehoshaphat & Jehoram, Jacob, Judah & his brothers, Sacrifice of Isacc
Angiolo Nebbia	Ozias & Jonathan, Abiud and Eliacim, Manassah and Amon, Josiah and Jechonia, Salatiele & Zorobabel
Salvatore Fontana	Jacob, Eli, Eliezer and Nathan, Herod orders massacre of the innocents, Annunciation
Cesare Nebbia	Chaziel & Ezekias, Sadoch, Achim, Amoz
Ercole from Bologna	Flight from Egypt" and "Mary visits Elisabeth's house
Andrea Lilio	Magi before Herod

Others include Ferdinando Sermei, Giacomo Stella, Paul Bril, and Ferraù Fenzoni.^[30]

[edit] Burials

A series of articles on Roman Catholic Mariology
General articles Overview of Mariology • Veneration of the Blessed Virgin • History of Mariology
Expressions of devotion Art • Hymns • Music • Architecture
Specific articles Apparitions • Saints • Popes • Societies • Hearts of Jesus & Mary • Consecration to Mary

• Gian Lorenzo Bernini
• Pauline Bonaparte
• Archbishop Domenico Caloyera O.P.
• Pope Clement VIII
• Pope Honorius III (no longer extant)
• Pope Clement IX
• Saint Jerome, relics
• Pope Nicholas IV
• Saint Pope Pius V
• Cardinal Ugo Poletti
• Gigi Sabani
• Pope Sixtus V
• Guido Ascanio Sforza di Santa Fiora

[edit] Salus Populi Romani

The column in the Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore celebrates the famous icon of the Virgin Mary in the Borghese or Pauline Chapel of the Basilica. It is known as Salus Populi Romani, or Health of the Roman People, due to a miracle in which the icon helped keep plague from the city. The icon is at least a thousand years old, and tradition holds that it was painted from life by St Luke the Evangelist. (According to published material^{[citation needed]} at the Basilica, radiocarbon dating establishes the age of the icon to be approximately 2,000 years, thus reinforcing its sacred tradition.)

The Salus Populi Romani has been a favourite of several popes and acted as a key Mariological symbol. Roman born Pope Pius XII (Eugenio Pacelli) celebrated his first Holy Mass there on 1 April 1899. In 1953, the icon was carried through Rome to initiate the first Marian year in Church history. In 1954, the icon was crowned by Pope Pius XII as he introduced a new Marian feast Queenship of Mary. Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI all honoured the Salus Populi Romani with personal visits and liturgical celebrations.

[edit] Papal basilica

Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	Italy and Holy See
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, ii, iii, iv, vi
Reference	91
Region**	Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription	1980  (4th Session)
Extensions	1990
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. ** Region as classified by UNESCO.

As papal basilica, Santa Maria Maggiore is often used by the pope. Most notably, the pope presides over the annual Feast of the Assumption of Mary, celebrated on 15 August each year at the basilica. The canopied high altar is used by the pope alone — except for a few priests including the archpriest. The pope gives charge of Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore to an archpriest, usually an archbishop made cardinal in consistory. The archpriest was formerly the titular Latin Patriarch of Antioch, a title abolished in 1964.

The current archpriest of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore is Cardinal Bernard Francis Law; John Paul II assigned Law to this position after his resignation as Archbishop of Boston on 13 December 2002.

In addition to the archpriest and his assistant priests, a chapter of canons is resident in the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. In addition, Redemptorist and Dominican priests serve the church daily — hearing confessions, celebrating the Eucharist and other sacraments such as baptism and matrimony.

The King of Spain, currently Juan Carlos I, is ex officio the "first honorary canon" of the basilica.^[31]

[edit] Archpriests of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore since 1127

List of archpriests of the Liberian Basilica since 1127.^[32] Initially not all archpriests were cardinals

Rainiero (attested 1127–1130) Matteo (attested 1153) Paolo Scolari (attested 1176–1187) Rolando (attested 1189–1193) Pietro Sasso (attested 1212)[33] Romano (attested 1222) Astor (attested 1244) Pietro Capocci (?) (named in 1245?)[34] Romano (attested 1258) Ottobono Fieschi (1262–1276) Giacomo Colonna (1288–1297) Francesco Napoleone Orsini (administrator 1298–1306) Giacomo Colonna (again) (1306–1318) Pietro Colonna (1318–1326) Nicola Capocci (after 1350–1368) Pierre Roger de Beaufort (1368–1370) Marino Giudice (ca.1383–1385) Marino Bulcani (1385–1394) Stefano Palosio (1394–1396) Enrico Minutoli (1396–1412) Rinaldo Brancaccio (1412–1427) Francesco Lando (1427) Jean de la Rochetaillée (1428–1437) Antonio Casini (1437–1439) Giovanni Viteleschi (1439–1440) Nicola Albergati (1440–1443) Guillaume d'Estouteville (1443–1483) Rodrigo Borgia (1483–1492) Giovanni Battista Savelli (1492–1498) Giovanni Battista Orsini (1498–1503) Giuliano Cesarini iuniore (1503–1510) Pedro Luis Borja Lanzol de Romani (1510–1511) Robert Guibe (1511) Francisco de Remolins (1511–1518) Leonardo Grosso della Rovere (1518–1520) Andrea della Valle (1520–1534) Paolo Emilio Cesi (1534–1537) Alessandro Farnese (1537–1543) Guido Ascanio Sforza (1543–1564) Carlo Borromeo (1564–1572) Alessandro Sforza (1572–1581) Filippo Boncompagni (1581–1586) Decio Azzolini (1586–1587) Domenico Pinelli (1587–1611) Michalangelo Tonti (1611–1622)

Giovanni Garzia Millini (1622–1629) Antonio Barberini (1629–1671) Giacomo Rospigliosi (1671–1684) Felice Rospigliosi (1684–1688) Philip Thomas Howard (1689–1694) Benedetto Pamphili (1694–1699) Giacomo Antonio Morigia (1699–1701) Pietro Ottoboni (1702–1730) Ludovico Pico de Mirandola (1730–1743) Girolamo Colonna di Sciarra (1743–1763) Marcantonio Colonna (1763–1793) Giovanni Francesco Albani (1793–1803) Antonio Despuig y Dameto (28 December 1803 – 2 May 1813) Giovanni Gallarati Scotti (1814 – 6 October 1819) Annibale Francesco Della Genga (10 February 1821 – 28 September 1823) Benedetto Naro (1 January 1824 – 6 October 1832) Carlo Odescalchi (1832 – 21 November 1834) Giuseppe Sala (11 December 1838 – 23 August 1839) Luigi del Drago (29 August 1839 – 28 April 1845) Costantino Patrizi Naro (24 April 1845 – 21 September 1867) Gustav Adolf Hohenlohe (15 July 1878 – 30 October 1896) Vincenzo Vannutelli (16 December 1896 – 9 July 1930) Bonaventura Cerretti (16 July 1930 – 8 May 1933) Angelo Dolci (22 May 1933 – 13 September 1939) Alessandro Verde (11 October 1939 – 29 March 1958) Carlo Confalonieri (16 November 1959 – 25 February 1973) Luigi Dadaglio (15 December 1986 – 22 August 1990) Ugo Poletti (17 January 1991 – 25 February 1997) Carlo Furno (29 September 1997 – 27 May 2004) Bernard Francis Law (27 May 2004–present)

[edit] See also

• Roman Catholic Marian churches
• Dedication of Saint Mary Major

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

Wikisource has the text of the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia article Our Lady of the Snow.

• A video on the early building history of the church.
• A look at the restoration
• Devotion to Our Lady of the Snows from the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows website of The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
• Eternal Word Television Network, Global Catholic Network (EWTN) Profile of Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore.
• Images and Links Further Information on Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
• Kunsthistorie.com gallery
• Roberto Piperno, "S. Maria Maggiore"
• Satellite Photo of St. Mary's Major Basilica
• The Papal Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore from The Vatican

v · d · eMonuments of Rome Basilicas of Rome Catacombs of Rome · San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane · Basilica di San Clemente · Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore · Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls · Basilica of St. John Lateran · Chiesa del Gesù · The Roman Ghetto · Santa Croce in Gerusalemme · Santa Maria degli Angeli · Santa Maria in Aracoeli · Santa Maria in Cosmedin · Santa Maria in Trastevere · Santa Prassede · Santa Sabina · St. Peter's Basilica · Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza · Sistine Chapel Roman villas Villa Ada · Villa Borghese · Villa Doria Pamphili · Villa Medici Roman temples Pantheon · Temple of Castor and Pollux · Temple of Portunus · Temple of Hercules Victor · Temple of Jupiter (Capitoline Hill) · Temple of Saturn · Temple of Vesta Roman architecture Ara Pacis · Castel Sant'Angelo · Circus Maximus · Colosseum · Column of Marcus Aurelius · Largo di Torre Argentina · Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II · Obelisks · Palazzo Barberini · Theatre of Marcellus · Theatre of Pompey · Tiber Island · Trajan's Column · Mausoleum of Augustus · Trevi Fountain · Baths of Caracalla · Aurelian Walls · Servian Wall · Palazzo Farnese · Piazza Navona · Pyramid of Cestius · Spanish Steps · Torre delle Milizie · Comitium · Roman forum · Trajan's Market Roman art Apollo Belvedere · Augustus of Prima Porta · La Bocca della Verità · Laocoön and His Sons Seven hills of Rome Aventine Hill · Caelian Hill · Capitoline Hill · Esquiline Hill · Palatine Hill · Quirinal Hill · Viminal Hill