Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore Rome | Basilica St. Mary of the Angels | Tour in Rome. Visit the most important Basilicas and Churches of Rome.
Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore – This Column is the best-preserved hall of Diocletian’s Bath, converted into a church by Michelangelo in 1563. With the transformation of this building, the great artist, aged 88, accomplished the last work of his long artistic career. Official Rome Guide: Rome is a walking city Tour.
Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore—The round hall we see on entering does not form part of the church of Michelangelo but was another hall of the Baths (probably a Calidarium) added by Vanvitelli in 1740 when he altered the church to its present form. The artist adapted this circular hall as a vestibule and added the tribune and choir on the other side, thus converting the large central hall, the nave in Michelangelo’s church, into a transept.
On each side of the entrance are the tombs of Salvator Rosa and Carlo Maratta, two famous 17th-century painters. Against the pier, on the right, is the beautiful statue of St. Bruno, the founder of the Carthusian order, by Houdon, so much admired by Pope Clement XIV, who used to say: “He would speak if the rules of his order would allow him to do so.”
Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore—A little further, we can enjoy the view of the large vaulted hall of the Baths of Diocletian, perfectly preserved and the only hall in Rome that gives us an idea of the magnificence of the Roman baths, as Michelangelo left it nearly intact. Guide of Rome.
The only modification in this hall, a testament to its historical significance, is the raising of the floor and the bases of the columns, the originals being buried seven feet lower down.
The bases we see now are modern and made in two pieces around the shaft. Of the sixteen large columns that ornament the church, only the eight in the transept are original granite. Vanvitelli built the others in bricks and stucco, imitating the old ones.
This hall is a gallery of large pictures; most of them were removed here from the church of St Peter when they were replaced there by mosaic copies. Official Rome Guide | Rome, walking city Tours.
Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore Rome Churches—The bronze rosettes visible on the roof, fixed in each vault compartment, are original and probably serve as supporting hanging lamps. These audacious and enormous vaults, springing up from very high walls and pilasters, are an example of Roman thermal architecture’s skill and perfection and the strength of Roman cement. They are a Roman creation in which the Romans show great superiority over the Greeks.
Rooted in ancient Christian tradition, the baths were believed to have been constructed by the forced labor of forty thousand Christians, who were later martyred. This tradition, perhaps, is the reason for the preservation of this beautiful edifice, underscoring its historical significance.(Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore).
Frescoes also removed from the church of St. Peter are on the walls on each side of the high altar. At the end of the tribune is a beautiful Madonna surrounded by a glory of angels by Perugino.
On the left is the tomb of Pope Pius IV of the Medici family, who had the building transformed into a church—professional, expert, official tour guides of Rome.
Astronomer Bianchini traced the meridian line on the floor in 1701 to fix the date of Easter’s celebration, which had sometimes been erroneously calculated.
Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore—In the center of Pope Clements XI’s arms coat, high up in the right transept, is a hole through which the sun’s ray passes, striking on the meridian line traced underneath. This unique feature, along with the signs of the constellations, designed by Carlo Maratta, makes this a must-see.
In the right transept is the tomb of General Diaz, the commander in chief of the Italian army during the war of 1915-1918. Guide of Rome.
Turning to the right, beyond the Hotel St Regis in Rome, we see Moses’ fountain.
Churches in Rome Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore – Rome Private Tours, Rome Private Guided Tours, Skip the Line, Rome Guided Tours VIP Service, Personalized Tours Rome Itineraries Official Tours, Rome – Italy
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