Rome Shot 85

Photo by Bree Dail.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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6 Comments

  1. Sid Cundiff in NC says:

    St. Mary Major?

  2. teomatteo says:

    When I see that ceiling… can’t get the FarSide outta my mind. “Although history has long forgotten them, Lambini & Sons are generally credited with the Sistine Chapel floor.”
    P.S. i come from a long line of Terrazzo/Tile Layers

  3. ThePapalCount says:

    St Mary Major is a beautiful church which honors Our Lady and the largest in Rome -hence the title “major”– that is dedicated to her. Part of the gold in the ceiling was gifted in the early 1500s by King Philip of Spain from a portion of gold brought from the Americas by Columbus. To this day the King of Spain is an honorary canon of this basilica. The columns are from the ancient Roman forum and the biblical mosaics above them are among the oldest in the world.
    The great architect Bernini is buried here to the right of the main altar and St Jerome is entombed here under the floor – but no one knows where exactly. Pope Pius XII, as a newly ordained priest, celebrated his first Mass here in the Borgehese side chapel to the left of the main altar beneath the famous Marian paintin/icon of the “Salus Populi”. The basilica also houses, under the main altar, what tradition says are the wooden sections of the manager crib from Bethlehem.
    On Sundays at 10AM the priests of the basilica offer a solemn high Mass in Latin using the Ordinary Form, with a schola, which is truly very beautiful.
    The late Cardinal Law, once of Boston, was archpriest of this basilica following his resignation from the Archdiocese of Boston.
    A couple of minutes walk will take you to the smaller Basilica of St Praxedes, an ancient church, which is so beautifully decorated with mosaics. Its stunning. Seriously, stunning. It also holds the relic of the Pillar at which Our Lord scourged.

  4. VForr says:

    That ceiling! Wow! Thank you, Ms. Dail, for these beautiful photos.

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