3 BASILICAS of THE POPE

Description
Useful Information

Description

• 3 Basilicas •

You’ve probably already heard about the Jubilee and also about the Anno Santo, the Holy year. This is a tradition that began in the 1300, when it became possible to obtain plenary indulgences, absolution, by visiting at least 4 of the largest Roman basilicas. Through walking miles and miles from one place of martyrdom and penance to another, pilgrims would visit these churches seeking the pardoning of their sins.

Inspired by these long pilgrimages of devotion, in the second half of the 16th century, Saint Phillip Neri decided to organise the famous Seven Churches in Rome pilgrimage: a total of 25 kilometres by foot in two days. Apart from the 4 patriarchal basilicas (Saint Peters, Saint Paul Outside the Walls, Saint John of Laterano and Saint Mary Major), another three churches with celebrated reliqueries were added: Saint Laurence Outside the Walls, Santa Croce in Jerusalem and Saint Sebastian Outside the Walls.

Now this is what we are talking about! Not just a tour but a trip into the past – following in the footsteps of these early pilgrims! Of course these days the path is less difficult and tiring than in was back then, yet it is still an experience filled with profound significance and interest.

A visit to the most important churches was once an obligation to anyone who arrived in Rome. Today this is still one of the more thought-provoking explorations of the city and not for purely religious motives. This is one of the best ways to discover and enjoy the artistic and archaeological beauty of Rome, each of these churches is a masterpiece.

Which of Rome’s famous “Seven Churches” will we go to on the tour?

We have chosen three. The most significant, Saint Peter’s Basilica, we have left out because it is generally included in our tours of the Vatican, and it truly does deserve a dedicated tour.

Here are the churches for this tour:

Useful Information

• Tour Useful Information and Prices •

Skip the Line access

Duration: 3 hrs approx.
Runs: Daily Except for the Saturday and Sunday
Start Time: 2.30PM – 5.30PM

This tour includes the Basilicas of:

St. JOHN
ST. PAUL OUTSIDE THE WALLS
ST. MARIA MAGGIORE

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Religious sites are subject to occasional closures for religious ceremonies. In those cases we will provide guests with an extended tour of other basilicas, or appropriate alternative. When it occurres we are unable to provide refunds or discounts. Dress code is required for entries on this tour. Knees, shoulders and backs must be covered. Due to increased security measures at many attractions some lines may form on tours with ‘Skip the Line’ or ‘No Wait’ access.

Note:

ONLY PRIVATE

The Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano
(Saint John Lateran)

The first basilica in Rome constructed under Constantine. Yes, that’s right! The first church constructed in Rome was not Saint Peter’s but Saint John in Lateran which is why it’s considered the cathedral of Rome, the Pope’s church in his role as Bishop of Rome. The palace behind the church was the Pope’s residence before it was moved to the Vatican City. This alone is enough for you to understand why we have included it on our tour, but there are many more reasons:

The masterpieces within the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano:

When Pope Innocent X decided to modernise the basilica, he trusted the works to the great talents of Francesco Borromini! Just like that, the most famous rival of Gian Lorenzo Bernini and one of the greatest geniuses of all time, was responsible for evocative arrangement of the church’s internal space. The artist was bound to certain pre-existing architectural elements, such as the ceiling, the cosmatesque flooring, which he restored and integrated into his designs. He created an extraordinary masterpiece, using the fantastical spaces and lighting as only his skills could manage. We are sure that you won’t be able to stop yourself when taking photos these creatively reinvented spaces. Here’s an example of Borromini’s artistry – although the columns of the original nave were enclosed in new pillars, the ancient walls of Constantine’s original basilica remain visible in some areas, like relics of the past. Then within the niches of the nave you will discover the grand sculptures of the apostles.

The not to be masterpieces outside of the church:

The first is already in the portico – the antique bronze doors of Curia Iulia (the Roman Senate) were reused for the new entrance of the basilica in 1660! This is an amazing example of modern constructions re-purposing materials from ancient Rome, don’t you think?
On the right side of the basilica stands one of the tallest and oldest Egyptian obelisks ever brought to Rome: just imagine, it dates from the 2000 B.C.!
If you’re not already impressed, a little further along you will find the building which holds the Holy Stairs, 28 marble steps protected by wood. Jesus climbed these steps to a room where he was interrogated by Pontius Pilate before the crucifixion. Impressive, right?

Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore
(Saint Mary Major)

We like everything about this basilica: its location, history, the architecture and its ornamentation. This is not to be missed! The church was built on one of the seven hills of Rome, Esquilino, and you’ll notice it from a distance. Why is it here? Because of an amazing miracle! During the night of August 4 in the year 352 a wealthy Roman patrician named Giovanni saw the Virgin Mary in a dream. She told him to build a church on the place where, the next day, he would find … fresh snow! In the morning, Giovanni ran to Pope Liberio to tell him of his dream and about the miracle that had occurred on the hill of Esquilino. The Pope decided to begin construction of the church immediately. If you’ve ever been in Rome on August 5 you will know that every year the “miracle of the snow” is commemorated. During the evocative celebration you will see a cascade of white petals falling from the basilica’s cupola … a snowfall in the height of summer!

The masterpieces inside Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore:

For a start, this is the only one of the four churches that has preserved the original structure of the early Christian church. It is also one of the few that has a series of mosaics conserved intact in the apse and along the nave. Together with your guide you will “read” the mosaic and see the stories they tell! Another interesting piece of art preserved in the Basilica is the little sister to the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, made for a different Pope Sisto. Michelangelo’s most famous work was commissioned by Pope Sisto IV, this one was commissioned by Sisto V. So after this visit you’ll be able to say that you’ve seen both the Sistine Chapels of Rome! Finally, within Santa Maria Maggiore is the tomb of Gian Lorenzo Bernini and his family and we’ll definitely find the time to pay our respects to one of the most famous artists of the 17th century.

The great works of art not to be missed outside the church:

The façade is the magnificent work of Ferdinando Fuga (1741), with the beautiful mosaics of the upper loggia of the portico created by Filippo Rusuti. The story they tell is that of the miracle of the snow and the creation of the Basilica. Behind the church is the great obelisk, 14.75 metres tall and without any trace of hieroglyphs showing its date or place of origin, which are still a mystery …

Basilica of San Paolo fuori le Mura
(Saint Paul Outside the Walls)

The story of the apostle Saint Paul, along with that of Saint Peter, is one of the most important in Christian history, which is why this Basilica is dedicated to him. This basilica was also founded under Constantine, as were San Giovanni in Laterano and San Pietro. Saint Paul is the second largest patriarchal Basilica in Rome after that of the Vatican.

The journey to the church is, we think, enough to merit the visit. We’ll go along Via Ostiense and pass through the Aurelian wall at the Porta San Paolo – a part of the ancient city!

Just as with Saint Peter’s, this Basilica was constructed near where Saint Paul was martyred and buried (that’s why it is outside the walls, not inside the walls). This soon became an important place of pilgrimage and so it’s not to be missed on our tour.

The masterpieces within the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls:

We’ll start by saying that what you see today is not the original church. On the night of 15 July 1823 a fire began that lasted around 5 hours doing irreparable damage to the Basilica. The only part of the church that didn’t collapse was the transept along with one of the jewels of the church: the ciborium of Arnolfo di Cambio! What is a ciborium and who was Arnolfo di Cambio? And why is this such an important object? Discover the answers on our tour!

The reconstruction sought to retain the architectural elements of Constantine’s original, ancient Basilica. The result is absolutely breathtaking! The new basilica Pope Leo XII aimed to rebuild had great support from across the Christian world. Generous offers of assistance came from the likes of Tsar Nicholas I, who donated blocks of malachite for the two altars of the transept, and the viceroy of Egypt sent alabaster columns. The King of Sardinia and the Two Sicilies, the king of France, and the sovereigns of the Netherlands also made donations.

The things we like outside the church:

This is the only basilica entrance that welcomes you with a beautiful atrium (quadriportico) with the statue of Saint Paul at its centre. Even more precious is the peaceful, medieval cloister. Walking between the splendid columns carved by the Vassalletto family and walls decorated with ancient relics, it’s possible to have a taste of the monastic life led within the basilica’s abbey. Take a moment among the monks who still walk these paths on their way to celebrate the liturgy around the tomb of Saint Paul the Apostle. The Cloister of Saint Paul is one of the marvels of the 13th century and the price to enter its peace and silence is €4.

Curious to note: There is also a Saint Paul’s Inside the Walls which is the Anglican Church of Rome and it’s on via Nazionale. The mosaic that decorates the apse was designed by Edward Burne-Jones. If you look closely you can see that some of the figures depicted resemble famous figures of the 19th century. For example, Saint James has the face of Giuseppe Garibaldi, Saint Andrew resembles Abraham Lincoln, and Saint Patrick looks like General Grant, principal characters in the American Civil War!

That’s what people say about us…

  This was my second tour with Joy of Rome and Francesca maintained the very high standard of their guides. All the organisational details were very clear, which was really... read more

kmsc_1
1/19/2020
  We took our Colosseum and Vatican tours with Grace, from Joy of Rome Tours.

She was a very experienced, knowledgeable, funny and courteous guide, willing to answer all... read more

467jurgens
1/09/2020
  All 4 of our tours were incredible. We did the "Highlights of Rome Tour" with Jeanette, and the rest with Francesca. Both guides were phenomenal, especially Francesca whose passion for... read more

MojoMole55
1/08/2020
  We booked 2 days of tour. Meeting point was easy to find, instructions given was clear.
This is possibly one of the best tours we have done. Francesca is so... read more

jessicasee
1/07/2020
  I didn’t think I was much a fan of tours, until my partner and I had these two tours from our amazingly talented guide, Francesca!

She was prompt,... read more

Kim M
1/04/2020
  We toured the Vatican today with Francesca, and she was absolutely outstanding! We had our two young children with us (ages 5 and 8), and she was excellent at engaging... read more

ally7204
12/30/2019
  Excellent tour with Grace! She was so full of knowledge- answered all questions so well, and we so great with our 3 younger kids. Can’t rave enough about her!

keriw753
12/28/2019
  We spent a delightful morning at the Museums with our guide, Nicole. The Museums have a magnificent collection that documents the history of Rome and our guide could not have... read more

saabdriver-dc
12/20/2019
  This was the very first tour that we did on our trip and Cristiano was an excellent guide. We met in Campo de' Fiori after a quick breakfast in... read more

bc350z
12/17/2019
  We were setup with this tour by Beach Bum Vacations and wow did it not disappoint. The focus for this tour was the Coliseum and I really wanted to... read more

bc350z
12/17/2019
  Our family enjoyed our tour with Francesca very much. It was way above our expectations! Francesca made Rome history come alive and there was never a dull moment throughout... read more

google128
12/15/2019
  Due giornate piacevolissime al Colosseo e ai Musei Vaticani con Francesca che è una guida preparata, entusiasta e coinvolgente; una esperienza bellissima

Giancarlo R
12/12/2019
  We have the pleasure of doing two tours with Joy of Rome. We did the kids Vatican tour with Francesca and the Colosseum tour with Nicole. Both tours were... read more

Coastal70881
12/08/2019
  Grace brought her passion and excitement as soon as we see her from a distance. She was aware of the kids attention span and knew when to re-engage or change... read more

stefanit2018
12/05/2019
  Francesca was fabulous. Super enthusiastic and very very knowledgeable! The whole process from booking to communication about meeting point etc were wonderful and very organized. I highly recommend Joy of... read more Rome tours and Francesca specifically!

kathryn c
12/03/2019
  We absolutely loved our tours! Francesca was incredible with our two boys, ages 5 & 8. We did two tours with her, the Vatican and the Colosseum. She was... read more

Angela C
11/30/2019
  The tour guide was super children friendly. She took her time to answer all the kid’s questions even silly ones.

wlegler
11/28/2019
  Great tour Perfect for family with teens Very engaging and kept the children’s attention throughout. Very informative for adults as well

pulinppatel
11/28/2019
  Our three children and two grandparents absolutely loved this tour. Our kids were engaged from the start and the history was conveyed on their level. My husband also said that... read more

charra22
11/25/2019
  La nostra guida Marta è riuscita ad incantare grandi e piccini! Marta è una guida di grande competenza e squisita pazienza e garbo. Speriamo di poter tornare presto a... read more

viaggiatoreespertofs
10/22/2019
  Abbiamo visitato i Musei Vaticani, la Cappella Sistina e la Basilica di S. Pietro. Ilaria preparatissima e disponibile. E'stato in tour davvero interessante...lo consigliamo!!!

noraratti1970
10/13/2019
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ciprianigianna11
9/15/2019
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Enrico A
8/02/2019
  Abbiamo partecipato al tour di due ore per bambini al Colosseo e non avremmo potuto fare scelta migliore!! Francesca la nostra guida è stata semplicemente fantastica!! Paziente soprattutto con i... read more

bettamax
5/30/2019
  Tour di Roma antica il 27 aprile 2019. Tour meraviglioso!!!!! lo staff di Francesca è stato spettacolare sia per tutto il supporto organizzativo nel sedare i nostri dubbi sia nel... read more

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4/28/2019
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Vitamia59
2/01/2019
  Tour eccellente con Arianna Mura: guida competente e con un linguaggio esperto ma facilmente comprensibile. Attraverso le sue esposizioni, si percepisce chiaramente la passione posta sugli argomenti da lei... read more

rosanna1105
1/27/2019
Arianna Mura è una guida dotata di alta competenza, esaustiva, comunicativa e di facile comprensione. Abbiamo vissuto un'esperienza più che soddisfacente nel seguirla attraverso la mostra sulle donne e l'arte... read more

anchovy1
1/27/2019