The Four Major Papal Basilicas in Rome

Most visitors to Rome make a pilgrimage to Saint Peter’s Basilica, but did you know that this is only one of the four major papal basilicas in Rome? The Italian capital is home to four major Roman Catholic churches spread throughout the Eternal City. 

Cross the River Tiber to the Vatican and you’ll find Saint Peter’s Basilica, the most famous landmark in the Christian world, built on the site where Peter the Apostle was executed. Venture south, outside the city walls and towards Rome’s ancient port city of Ostia, and you’ll reach Saint Paul outside the Walls. Explore the centre within them and you’ll come across Saint John in Lateran and Saint Mary Major.

Where are Rome's Papal Basilicas?

What makes a major papal basilica?

Rome’s papal basilicas set themselves apart from other churches because of their history and tradition. Most were founded during the reign of the emperor Constantine (306 - 337 AD) when Christianity became recognised as the Roman Empire’s official religion. 

Some, like Saint Mary Major and Saint Peter’s Basilica, have served as official residences of the pope. Others, like Saint John in Lateran, still serve as his official seat as Bishop of Rome. What unites each of the four major papal basilicas is its Holy Door, which opens on Jubilee years designated by the pope. Curious to learn more about the four major basilicas in Rome? Read on!

Saint Peter’s Basilica

Built on the site of Peter the Apostle's martyrdom, Saint Peter’s Basilica stands at the centre of the Christian world. It is a monument of extremes: the world’s largest church, situated within the world’s smallest state, exhibiting the artistic and architectural legacy of such of history’s greatest artists, like Michelangelo, Bramante, and Bernini.

Saint Peter’s Basilica – the most famous of the Four Major Basilicas in Rome

The original 4th-century basilica was built by the emperor Constantine the Great (and presumably a fair few builders) towards the beginning of the 4th century. It was consecrated on the site of a former circus racing track, built during the reigns of Caligula and Nero, and the ancients tell us that Saint Peter was crucified upside down on the central barrier of this track. 

Constantine’s basilica gradually fell into disrepair, and in 1505 Pope Julius II had it demolished. You can see what it looked like inside on a fresco within the Vatican’s Raphael Rooms, but suffice to say it had nothing on today’s basilica. 

Raphael’s Fire in the Borgo in the Vatican Museums

Completed in just 120 years, with much of its facade consisting of stone from the Colosseum, Saint Peter’s Basilica is the most iconic of the four papal basilicas in Rome, if not in the world. Its dome, designed by Michelangelo, is visible throughout the Eternal City while its most famous resident, the pope, can be seen from time to time giving addresses from its balcony. 

Basilica of Saint Paul outside the Walls

The original basilica was built by Rome’s first Christian emperor Constantine in 313 AD. Situated outside the city walls on the site of Saint Paul's tomb, the basilica stood over the shrine of the apostle and provided a focal point for the celebration of his cult.

Saint Paul outside the Walls – the least known of the Four Major Basilicas in Rome

With a growing stream of pilgrims flowing into the city, it soon became clear that Constantine's basilica was too small for the purpose, leading to the consecration of a much larger basilica in 390. At the time of its consecration, Saint Paul’s was the largest basilica in Rome, dwarfing the old Saint Peter's Basilica, Saint John in Lateran, and Santa Maria Maggiore. It remained so until the 19th century - the early hours of July 16, 1823, to be exact - when a fire reduced it to rubble.

Today’s basilica was consecrated in 1859 by Pope Pius IX. By Rome’s standards, it’s relatively modern. But it still houses a wealth of ancient and medieval treasures. As well as a series of stunning mosaics from the 12th and 13th centuries, the basilica contains a 1st or 2nd-century sarcophagus. What’s most interesting is that radiocarbon dating carried out in 2009 has led experts to believe that its sarcophagus does indeed contain the bones of Saint Paul.

Basilica of Saint John in Lateran

You might be surprised to learn that Rome’s official church is the Basilica of Saint John in Lateran, and not Saint Peter's Basilica. Saint John's is also the oldest basilica in Rome and the seat of the pope. Its historical pedigree is matched only by the length of its name - ‘The Sacrosanct Papal Cathedral Greater Roman Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist in the Lateran, the Mother and Head of all the Churches of the City and the World’.

Saint John in Lateran – the oldest of the Four Major Basilicas in Rome

Constantine first came into possession of the territory on which the basilica stands by marrying the sister of his defeated rival, Maxentius (a smart move, you’ll agree). He constructed the basilica and palace beside it in the early 4th century, gifting the Lateran Palace to the popes as their official residence. It remained so until 1309 when the popes emigrated to France on a 67-year sabbatical known as the Great Schism. 

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The return of the pope saw Saint Peter’s Basilica supplant Saint John in Lateran in order of supremacy when, following a brief stint in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, the pope set up residence in the Vatican. But Saint John in Lateran maintained its ritualistic importance. 

The Basilica you visit today dates from the 16th - 17th centuries following fire-induced restoration work. But like any good Roman monument, it’s a medley of components spanning many centuries. Its bronze central doors originally belonged to the Curia Julia (Senate House) in the Roman Forum. It houses relics (pieces of, or items used by, a particular saint or holy person), which attract Catholic pilgrims year-round.

Many believe that these relics even include the heads of Peter and Paul, and wood from the table used in the Last Supper.

Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore

The Basilica of Saint Mary Major was built in the 5th century, during the papacy of Sixtus III, following the Church’s official proclamation that Mary was the Mother of God. The Italians know this basilica as Santa Maria Maggiore - a name we prefer to its English equivalent, which misleadingly conveys the idea that the Virgin held military rank.

Santa Maria Maggiore – one of the Four Major Papal Basilicas in Rome

Although situated on Italian territory at the summit of the Esquiline Hill, the basilica belongs to the Holy See and so it is administered by the Vatican. It is the largest of the city’s Marian churches, of which there are dozens, and one of the largest churches overall, of which there are over 900. 

The fifth-century mosaics that adorn the triumphal arch and nave of Santa Maria Maggiore are among the earliest and best-preserved depictions of the Virgin Mary. Its collection of relics is no less impressive: the Crypt of the Nativity beneath the high altar is believed to contain wood from Christ’s crib.   

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