Santa Maria Maggiore

Located on the Esquiline Hill, Santa Maria Maggiore was founded in 432, just after the Council of Ephesus in 431, which upheld the belief that Mary truly was the mother of God; it was thus the first great church of Mary in Rome. Behind its Neoclassic facade (1741–43), the original basilica has resisted change. Most of the mosaics, lining the walls and bursting with blue and gold around the altar, date from the time it was built. When a new apse was added in the 13th century, it was also decorated with mosaics. Although the ceiling is Renaissance, the slabs of fine marble and the Classical columns are pieces of original plunder from other buildings. The great treasure of the church is the Crib of Christ relic, five pieces of wood connected by bits of metal. According to tradition, Pope Liberius (reigned 352–366) had a vision of Mary, who told him to erect a church where snow would fall, miraculously, on the night of August 5. In remembrance, it “snows” white flower petals from the roof of the Pope Paul V chapel in Santa Maria Maggiore every August 5. In 1993 the basilica suffered some damage from a bomb.

https://www.britannica.com/place/Rome/Santa-Maria-Maggiore

Photo: Dnalor 01