The Basilica of Saint Mary Major
When planning my trip to Rome, I decided to spend five days touring the city. Many asked why I was spending so much time in Rome. Most people visit for a three day stay. But my list of things to see in Rome was very long and I knew I couldn’t see all I wanted in less than five days.
Today is the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. This basilica was one of the many churches I wanted to see in Rome. The history, architecture, and legend of this basilica kept my attention for hours as I walked through this beautiful structure.
The Basilica of Saint Mary Major is one of four major basilicas in Rome. The other three major basilicas are the Basilica of Saint Peter, the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, and the Arch-Basilica of Saint John Lateran. All four of these basilicas were on my list and YES, I visited them all!
The Basilica of Saint Mary Major is the largest Catholic Marian church in Rome and was one of the first churches built in honor of the Virgin Mary.
At the Council of Ephesus in 431, it was proclaimed that the Virgin Mary was in fact, the Mother of God. Because Jesus is God and the Virgin Mary gave birth to Him, then it only makes sense that she is truly the Mother of God. In observance of this realization, Pope Sixtus III built this church in honor of the Blessed Mother and the acknowledgement of her role as the Mother of God.
The dedication of this basilica is a feast day in the General Roman Calendar, however, prior to the 1960s, the feast was known as the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Snows. The legend that accompanies this title is described in the Catholic Encyclopedia as one “without any historical basis.” It seems that a Roman patrician and his wife were without heirs and wanted to donate their possessions to the Virgin Mary. They prayed for guidance and on August 5, at the height of the Roman summer, snow fell during the night on the Esquiline Hill. It was on the site where the snow fell that the couple had the basilica built in honor of the Blessed Mother.
Although there was no historical evidence to support this miracle, the legend circulated throughout the region resulting in paintings depicting the event and churches being dedicated to Our Lady of the Snows. The name of the dedication did not change until 1969. Today the name of this feast is the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major without any reference to the miraculous snow event. Perhaps there was a small church on this site built by Pope Sixtus during his reign between 432 and 440 and the Roman patrician and his wife (from the legend) provided the funds to renovate it at a later date into a larger place of worship.
We may never know how this legend plays into the facts of this beautiful basilica. We cannot deny, however, the architectural genius of this structure. I am amazed that people built these structures before there were power tools!
The bell tower of this basilica is the highest in Rome and the 16th century ceiling is “said to be,” according to Wikipedia, “gilded in gold, initially brought by Christopher Columbus, presented by Ferdinand and Isabella to the Spanish pope, Alexander VI.” It is amazing how all of that gets connected!
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