Discover the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore at your own pace with a helpful host who will give you useful information and escort you through the entrance.

This miraculous place was founded through an astonishing event-The apparition of the Virgin Mary in a dream of a roman patrician followed by a snowfall in the middle of summer (month of August).

Considered an absolute masterpiece of early Christian art and architecture with the beauty of its mosaics, frescoes and sculptures. The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore stands on the top of the Esquiline hill that holds several precious relics. It has the relic of the Holy Crib, shards from the Holy Manger, a piece of the True Cross, and the tombs of St. Matthew, St. Jerome, and Pope Pius V.

Marvel by the elegance of the Loggia of Benedictions on the second floor topped with a sculptural group. At the center are Mary and Jesus flanked by popes. And has a ceiling that is unpainted and coffered and has decorative reliefs that show the coat of arms of Pope Paul V.

Explore Bernini’s spiral staircase, a first of its kind. This architectural and engineering feat is an inspiration to the world of art and a model to replicate to the world of engineering.

Discover the Liturgical vestments of the Popes that are also exhibited in the museum together with the historic Liberian museum’s collection consists of the most precious objects of the Basilica, also called the “Bethlehem of the West”, such as holy relics, chalices, ostensories and liturgical vestments.