The Four Major Basilicas of Rome

I have now officially been to all four major basilicas. These four churches, all located in Rome, are considered "major basilicas" because they have a holy door [porta santa, which is sealed shut from the inside except during holy years, or Jubilees. Jubilees occur every 25 years and date at least back to the 1400s; the last was in 2000. Usually the Pope has to knock down the doors (which have been previously loosened of course), but Pope John Paul II changed it so that he only had to push the doors open (because they fell on Pope Paul VI the time before)], because they are the main destinations during the Jubilee (as appointed by Popes), and because only the Pope or people he appoints may celebrate mass here. 

They're located at these blue dots:

Going clockwise, they are Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano (the Papal Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican), Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore (the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major), Arcibasilica di San Giovanne in Laterano (the Papal Archbasilica of St. John Lateran), and Basilica Papale di San Paolo Fuori le Mura (the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls).

First, St. Peter's.

St. Peter's has the largest interior of any Christian church (it covers 5.7 acres). It's important because Saint Peter was named the first Pope when Jesus handed him the keys to heaven. This basilica is built over the tomb of Saint Peter. It is built over Old St. Peter's in 1505 (or at least that's when Pope Julius II actually decided to demolish the old basilica. The building wasn't finished for the next 120 years). Bramante, Raphael, and Michelangelo all drew plans for the new basilica, but the majority of the final design is usually attributed to Michelangelo. Inside is an altar by Bernini (kind of seen in the lower picture), the Pietá by Michelangelo, and contributions by Bramante.

I live about a fifteen minute walk from Piazza San Pietro. If you get close enough, you can hear the church bells ringing on the hours. It's a giant square that includes post offices, shops, the steps with the Swiss guards, fountains, an obelisk, and the facade of St. Peter's. Right outside are numerous restaurants and tourist shops. It's an awesome place to be able to walk to regularly or ride by on the bus on a daily basis.

Next, St. Mary Major.

St. Mary's, located a few metro stops across the river from where I live, is the largest Catholic church dedicated to Mary in Rome. It's also called Our Lady of the Snow because of a legend that snow fell in the middle of the summer on the place that a temple should be built for Mary. It is also the burial site of St. Jerome, who created the Vulgate, the first Latin translation of the Bible.

The church was built by Pope Sixtus III in the 400s right after a council that proclaimed that Mary was the mother of God. It's been expanded and partially rebuilt since then, however, especially after the earthquake in 1348. 

Before the papal residence was moved to the Papal Palace in Vatican City, it was temporarily in a Papal Palace at St. Mary's.

This basilica has the highest bell tower in Rome, which you can see in the photo. Inside, the elaborate ceilings are decorated with Inca gold. The apse and nave are completely made of mosaic, which contains some of the earliest depictions of Mary, dating back to the 5th century. The nave mosaics mostly contain images of Moses.

To the right you can see the porta santa, which is always available from the outside, but is bricked off from the inside. 

Third, St. John's.

Saint John Lateran is the oldest (consecrated in 324) and highest ranking of the four major basilicas because it is the official seat of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope (which is why it is an arch-basilica), as well as the ecumenical mother church of the whole world for Catholics. As with St. Mary Major, it is part of the Holy See, which is kind of like an extension of Vatican City.

The basilica has been rededicated to Saint John the Baptist and later Saint John the Evangelist, who are now both co-patrons of the church, although it is understood that it is mainly dedicated to Jesus.

The facade was rebuilt in 1735 by Alessandro Galilei, looks like a palace, and was modeled after Michelangelo's palace on the Capitoline Hill, with colossal order columns creating an oversized entryway.

Across the street from the church is an apse that is still standing, even though the rest of its original building is not. Like St. Mary's and the apse inside St. John's, this apse is made entirely of mosaic, and depicts the handing of the keys.

Inside the church is the Papal Throne as well as several Popes' tombs.

Last, St. Paul's Outside the Walls

It has to be specified that this is St. Paul's Basilica Outside the Walls (of Rome) because there is another, lesser, St. Paul's inside the walls of Rome.

This basilica was founded by the Emperor Constantine in the 4th century, and is built over the burial site of Saint Paul (relatively recently, they did testing on a tomb found beneath the church and found that the body dated back to the 1st or 2nd century).  Other emperors worked to improve it, and by the 5th century it was monumental because it was larger than Old St. Peter's Basilica at the time, and is still the second largest of the four great basilicas in Rome.

It has been rebuilt after the earthquake in 1348 and a fire in 1823, and was reopened in the 1800s. During the second rebuilding, all different countries contributed--Egypt sent alabaster, Russia sent lapis lazuli. 

This basilica is unique, surrounded by a large colonnade and eclectic, with pieces from all different countries and time periods. The interior is unique because of the simple rectangular layout with no chairs or decorations, which gives it a very open and clean feel. It contains ancient mosaics, a Medieval tabernacle, and even some 20th century additions.

It's interesting to note the similarities and differences between the four basilicas. St. John's, St. Mary's, and St. Peter's all have similar facades with statues across the top. St. John's and St. Paul's both have statues of all the disciples along the walls. St. Peter's and St. Paul's have similar uses of ornamental gold in the ceilings and mosaics. However, they also all have their unique meanings and stories which makes them each fascinating and beautiful.