Exploring Basilicas and Churches in Rome

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Exploring Basilicas and Churches in Rome Rome is the home of one of the largest cathedrals in the world, St. Peter's; however, it is also the home of many other beautiful churches and basilicas. Some of these include basilicas such as: Santa Maria Maggiore, St. Giovanni in Lateran, and St. Peter in Chains and churches like St. Peter Outside the Walls and San Giuseppe del Falegnami/ Mamertine Prison. These churches and basilicas through their history, art, architecture, and relics or tombs of saints create a rich and intriguing history of ancient Rome. Santa Maria Maggiore HISTORY: Santa Maria Maggiore was created in 350 AD by Pope Liberius and was constructed because of two miraculous and unusual events. First, legend holds that Pope Liberius had a dream that Mary the mother of Jesus came to him and told him to build her church wherever snow fell the next day. The next day it snowed on the spot of the current basilica. Also, each year on August 5, the supposed day of the snowfall, it is remembered with a festal Mass and rose petals being thrown on the site. This legend is called the Legend of the Snow, and forms another common name for the basilica, Santa Maria della Neve (Our Lady of the Snow) (Virtual Tour- Santa Maria Maggiore 1). Also, the basilica was built under the patronage and financial support of a Roman couple that also dreamt that the Lady Mary asked them to build her church. Since the couple could not have children, they left all their fortune to Mary and built Santa Maria Maggiore. Other names for the basilica include: Basilica Liberiana (which was named after Pope Liberius) and Santa Maria ad Praesepem (after the relics it holds including some of the wood from Jesus' cradle) (Santa Maria Magg... ... middle of paper ... ... "The Carcer--Mamertine Prison." 30 Dec, 2003. . "The Church of St Peter in Chains, Rome Michaelangelo's Moses." 23 Dec, 2003. . "The Church of St Peter in Chains, Rome." 30 Dec, 2003. The Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy (FCEI).? 31 Dec, 2003. . "Up Come the Protestants." Let's Go: Rome 2003. Let's Go Online. 30 Dec, 2003. . Virtual Tour Santa Maria Maggiore.? 23 Dec, 2003. . Wild, Fiona, et al., eds. Dorling Kindersley Travel Guides: Italy. 1996. London, UK: Dorling Kindersley, 2000.

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