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Of all the great Roman Churches and
basilicas the Church of St Mary Major Rome enjoys the
most successful blend of different architectural styles.
Its colonnaded triple nave is part of the original 5th
Century building. The Cosmatesque marble floor and delightful
Romanesque bell tower, with its blue ceramic roundels,
are from the medieval period. The Renaissance saw a
new coffered ceiling, and the baroque gave the church
twin domes and its most imposing front and rear facades.
The mosaics are St Mary Major's most famous feature.
From the 5th century come the biblical scenes in the
nave and the spectacular mosaics on the triumphal arch.
Medieval highlights include a 13th century enthroned
Christ in the loggia. The church of Santa Maria Maggiore
is also famous for its' excesses and instigated some
violent demonstrations by the protestants who vehemently
opposed the decoration of the entire ceiling with gold
leaf when thousands were starving... Today, the church
remains one of Rome's most fascinating churches and
is well worth a visit.
Did you Know? The
whole of the ceiling above the nave and loggia was completely
covered in gold and gold leaf. This caused consternation
amongst christian groups and events like this and others
gave rise to the protestant faith who "protested"
against the excesses of the Catholic Church in Rome.
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