Embark on a fascinating 2-hour journey through the heart of Rome with our exclusive small-group tour. Led by an expert guide, you’ll visit the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the most important and historic churches in the city. Admire its breathtaking mosaics and sacred art that narrate the story of Christianity, and the final resting place of Pope Francis.
Highlights
Hidden Gems
- The Hall of Popes
- Piero della Francesca fresco
Tour Includes
- In-Depth visit to Santa Maria Maggiore
- Access to Hidden Areas
- Expert English-speaking guide
Create Your Custom Journey
Our dedicated team is here to help you design the perfect trip. We’re happy to assist every step of the way.
We’ve Got You Covered!
Can’t make your trip? Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, minus any ticket costs.
ITINERARY
What To Expect On Your Tour
Visit Rome's Most Important Church Dedicated to the Virgin Mary
One of the four papal basilicas of Rome, Santa Maria Maggiore is the most important church in the city dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and boasts a fascinating history stretching back more than a millennium. Be transported back in time all the way to the 4th century AD as you learn how a sacred vision and miraculous summer snowfall led to the construction of the first church here by Pope Liberius. Whilst no trace of the Liberian basilica remains, the church we see today is still pretty venerable: dating from the 430s, it was constructed to mark the official church declaration of Mary as Mother of God in the Council of Ephesus.
Admire Masterful Mosaics
Our tour begins in the basilica’s spectacular interior, where an endlessly absorbing mix of styles captures the story of Rome in miniature. On our tour of Santa Maria Maggiore we’ll take a detailed look at the church’s many artistic treasures, including a cycle of ancient mosaics portraying scenes from the Old Testament and the life of Mary that are amongst the oldest Christian images in the city. No less impressive are the medieval mosaics that grace the church’s apse, sparkling gems that speak to the spiritual and creative flourishing of Rome in the 13th century. Gaze on the stunning gilded ceiling, adorned with gold that, according to legend, was transported back from the Americas by Christopher Columbus and gifted to the Borgia Pope Alexander VI.
Uncover Bernini’s Hidden Baroque Masterpiece
From St. Peter’s Basilica to Piazza Navona, few figures have done more to shape the beauty of Rome than Gianlorenzo Bernini. But did you know that Santa Maria Maggiore is home to a hidden architectural gem by the master that few visitors to the Eternal City get to see?
On this itinerary we’ll have the chance to climb the superb spiral staircase that Bernini created here to link the New Sacristy to the imposing Hall of Popes, which we’ll also get to explore on this tour. The hall is named for its series of papal portraits topped with a magnificent wooden ceiling centred around the Borghese coat of arms.
Shaped like a spiraling seashell, Bernini’s stairwell is a masterpiece of design and powerful evocation of humankind’s journey toward salvation. Fittingly, Bernini himself is buried in Santa Maria Maggiore – we will be sure to pay our respects to the great man on this tour!
Discover Rome’s “Other” Sistine Chapel
Did you know that there’s more than one Sistine Chapel in Rome? It’s a safe bet that you’re familiar with the Pope’s chapel in the Vatican, where Michelangelo’s jaw-dropping frescoes reign supreme. But far less well known is this glorious namesake chapel commissioned by Pope Sixtus V just over a century later in Santa Maria Maggiore. On this tour you’ll have the opportunity to explore this highlight of early Baroque art and architecture.
Our art-historian guide will help bring the turbulent world of late 16th century Rome to life as we gaze on the various sculptures, paintings and relics that helped transform this soaring chapel into a premier showpiece of Counter-Reformation ideology. At the center of everything is a majestic tabernacle decorated with precious gems and stones.
Facing the Sistine Chapel on the other side of the church is the equally impressive Pauline Chapel, where Pietro Bernini’s dynamic sculptures frame one of the most revered sacred objects in Rome: the Salus Populi Romani, an intriguing portrait of the Virgin Mary that Christian tradition attributes to Saint Luke himself.
Create Your Custom Journey
Our dedicated team is here to help you design the perfect trip. We’re happy to assist every step of the way.
What Our Guests Are Saying
Other Tours You May Like…
