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Monuments
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CAMPIDOGLIO
The Capitol was from ancient times a nerve-centre for the... |
PIAZZA NAVONA
It rises on the ancient Domitian Stadium, whose elliptic... |
CIRCO MASSIMO
Circo Massimo was a structure built for people's fun and... |
COLOSSEO
Its true name is Anfiteatro Flavio, everybody knows it by... |
FORI IMPERIALI
The Imperial Forums are composed with: Caesar's Forum,... |
FORO ROMANO
The forum was, for the roman culture, the aggregation point... |
PANTHEON
Pantheon is one of the greatest, the most majestic and best... |
PIAZZA COLONNA
In the middle of Via del Corso is Marco Aurelio's Column,... |
PIAZZA ESEDRA
Piazza della Repubblica, better known as Piazza Esedra,... |
PIAZZA VENEZIA
This famous square stands at the foot of the Capitol and... |
SAN PIETRO
San Peter's Basilica is situated in Città del Vaticano, the... |
SINAGOGA
It's the biggest synagogue in Rome, focal point of the most... |
VIA VENETO
One of the most famous and celebrated streets existing in... |
VIALLA BORGHESE
One of the most beautiful villas in Rome, whose project was... |
CAMPO DE' FIORI
This square is famous to have been for a long time the place... |
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SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE
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Description
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The church built during the IV century underwent several interventions through the years. The building shows different architectural styles, token of many remakings and restorations carried out trough its secular history. The bell tower is the highest in Rome (about 75 m.) and in its interior you can find works by many Italian masters among which there are those by D. Fontana, formerly architect of Pope SistoV, one of the most important pontiffs as for the road network of the city. The works ordered by this Pope are known by the name of "piano sistino" (sistine plan).The plan includes a series of roads mostly straight, that plough Roman hills and mark with obelisks (that's why there are so many in Rome) the most important places. The network linked the major basilicas; Santa Maria Maggiore is just the focal center of it.
As for the history of its building, the legend tells that Pope Liberio dreamt of S. Mary and the Lady told him to build a church in the place where he was going to find the snow. Next day, 5 August 1.352, on the place where the Basilica is located now, it snowed. Every year this event is celebrated with peculiar ceremonies. |
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