St Paul's Basilica, Rome
- Chris Rosa-Marie
- Apr 30, 2024
- 9 min read
Updated: Feb 22
Well, I have had the privilege of visiting this Basilica and I was not disappointed
We drove from the airport in Rome to our first site... the magnificent St. Paul's Basilica. The history, the structure, and the Christian roots make this Basilica a must-see when you are in Rome. There are so many parts of this church that left me amazed. I could not wait to get back and relive memories in the pictures I captured and go to the history books.
Much of what I have written here is from our guide. I picked up information from sites, including Wikipedia pages and information available on the Basilica sites. Trying to comprehend our guide's accent in some parts was challenging, so I had to read a bit to understand more. You will notice that in some of my videos, it was quiet. Well, that's because we had earpieces on and had to listen to the guide through the devices he provided. To maintain decorum in these places of worship, guides are not allowed to speak loudly or address groups without one of these.
The guide arranged for the units and earpieces to be delivered to us just as we got off the bus at St. Paul. After instructions, we were on our way inside the Basilica. As we got used to these devices, it became clear that there are some limitations which is like 'jumping while playing a record.' These devices work perfectly within a specific range, and once the speaker moves away from you, you can either hear a break in the voice, or it gets completely cut off like a cell phone in a dead zone. I got so engrossed with getting pics and videos that I kept getting left behind, and each time the speaker (our guide) moved away, he moved out of range, and I had to rush to get back within earshot.
St Paul's is the Papal Basilica called Saint Paul Outside the Walls and is one of Rome's four major papal basilicas. The 'Outside the Walls' is also known as 'Basilica Ostiense' because it is located on the Ostian Way. I visited 3 of them: This was one, Saint John the Lateran and Saint Peter’s at the Vatican.
As you enter, the grandeur of the edifice will leave you in awe. Getting closer and inside, you get your first view of the stunning mosaic facade, I was trying to capture everything I saw and at the same time listen to the commentary. The facade done between 1854 and 1874 has 3 sections. The section at the bottom shows the four major prophets of the Old Testament - Isiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel standing. This symbolises the centuries that preceded the coming of the Messiah. The middle section has the sacrificial lamb and streams of water flowing to four-quarters of the world, indicating that Christ's mercy is poured out for everyone as a redemption. It also symbolises the four Gospels, and the lambs represent the twelve Apostles. The upper section shows Christ in the middle, St. Peter on the right and St. Paul on the left.
The History
The Basilica's history goes back to the Roman Emperor Constantine, who is said to have built it over the burial place of St. Paul (Saul of Tarsus), who was beheaded in 67 AD.
The basilica has withstood a great deal of damage in its lifetime due to the collapse of the roof, earthquakes (29 April 801 and 1348), fires (the major one being in 1823) and even invasions. It has taken generations of popes to build, re-build, modify, restore, repair and maintain it. The stunning mosaic work was completed during Leo I's pontificate (440–461).
The transept, the area around Paul's tomb, was elevated by Leo I and Pope Gregory the Great (590–604). The underground tomb now has an elevated altar protecting the site, which was raised and positioned directly over Saint Paul's Sarcophagus.
A fire devastated the basilica in July 1823. The black smoke enveloped the place, the beams were partially burnt, and the column shafts were shattered. The marble salvaged from the fire-damaged structure was repurposed during its reconstruction.
In 1825, Leo XII made a plea to the faithful for donations for the reconstruction. He also wanted the medieval mosaics and tabernacle to be repaired and retained. What we saw was a mere resemblance to the original. The reconstruction was initially entrusted to the architect Pasquale Belli, who died in 1833. Luigi Poletti took over and completed a huge share of the project until he died in 1869.
Here are some of the must-see's if you visit St Paul's Basilica
The Holy Door
On the right is the golden bronze 'Holy Door.' It was created by the sculptor Enrico Manfrini and erected for the Jubilee of the year 2000. The inside is a second door, also known as the Byzantine door. The Holy Door or 'Porta Sancta' is only open during a Holy Year or Jubilee Year, which occurs every 25 years. The last one was in 2000, and the next will be in 2025. The Pope strikes the brick wall with a silver hammer, opening it to the pilgrims on the first day of the holy year. It will be sealed again as soon as the Jubilee year is ended.
The Holy Doors (In the basilicas) are normally sealed with mortar and cement from the inside so they cannot be opened. They are ceremoniously opened during the Jubilee years designated by the Pope. Pilgrims who enter through those doors may piously gain the 'plenary indulgences' attached to the Jubilee year celebrations. The ritual of passing over the threshold of the holy door symbolises the passing into the presence of God. A remission of the temporal punishment for the pilgrims' sins is granted, known as an indulgence.
The Central Door was made between 1929 and 1931. It is a bronze double door weighing approximately 8 tons. Scenes from the lives of St. Peter and St. Paul are portrayed on the two doors.
The Popes
Looking up at the ceiling, the 19th-century gold-painted wood or stucco-crafted surface was indeed a sight to behold. The intricate gold-decorated ceiling was just stunning. I am sure every piece of work on the ceiling had some significance, but being pressed for time, our guide had to be very brief as we breezed in and out of the basilica.
The nave's 80 monolithic granite (or marble) columns stand tall, carrying the beauty of this elegant structure, its grandeur and most importantly, its history. I realised what it was missing after I read an article by someone who mentioned the irony of its emptiness (no pews.) But as you walk into the Nave, you realise how tiny you are (me more than the tall people around me).
A medallion of each pope adorned the space just above the columns around the nave and in the aisles on either side of the nave. Medallions of the 266 popes, starting from St. Peter to the current Pope Francis, stand as a visible testament to their tenure through the centuries with ample space for future popes. A spotlight on the current pope with no death date indicates that he is still an active pope. We were also told that the windows above, which appeared to be glass, were actually translucent alabaster. (Our guide spoke a lot about mosaics and alabaster.)
Triumphal Arc
This Mosaic Arc is just above the St. Paul Tomb. The arc shows Christ in the centre surrounded by living creatures representing the four evangelists and the twenty-four elders in Revelation 4. The 5th-century mosaics of the triumphal arch are original but reworked due to the earlier damage.
Tomb of Saint Paul
St. Paul was decapitated and was buried not far from the place where he was martyred in the sepulchral area along the Ostiense Way, owned by a devout Christian woman named Lucina, which was part of a pre-existent burial place. During the 4th century, Paul's remains, excluding the head, were moved into a sarcophagus. His skull is kept at St. John the Lateran Basilica, also in Rome.
The 1285 Gothic ciborium of Arnolfo di Cambio stands in the main nave above the papal altar over the tombstone of St. Paul in the basilica's crypt. The sarcophagus, although not accessible, can be viewed partially. Mortar covers a small space and a glass panel encloses the area through which you can see a hole in the ground.
Before the end of the recent excavations under the current basilica’s main altar, pilgrims could only stick their heads in a small opening and look down a vertical hole toward the mortar that covered the tomb. In 2009, the Pope announced that radiocarbon dating confirmed that the bones in the tomb date from the 1st or 2nd century, suggesting that they are indeed Paul's.
Another relic placed just above the tomb is the chain that held St. Paul when he was imprisoned.
The Exterior, Quadriportico
A neatly lined colonnade with evenly distributed white columns (my guess is marble or granite) surrounds the courtyard and was completed in 1235. The courtyard looked like the ones you see on most church grounds but had a touch of elegance that cannot be ignored. 150 columns surround the four equally sized well-tended gardens, with spaces between each forming walkways leading to the centre, forming a cross. Each square-like space of lush greenery holds a palm tree. The meeting point of these four walkways leads to the centre of the atrium, which exhibits a towering statue of St. Paul clasping a book in the left hand and a double-edged sword in the right. The book indicates his epistles and the sword because he was beheaded with one, the instrument of his martyrdom. The double-edged sword also signifies the 'Word of God' which St Paul preached till the end of his life.
The four corners of the garden (quadriportico) have pedestals. Three are empty, and one has a statue of St. Luke.
Easter / Paschal Candlestick
This 12th-century piece of art is a marble paschal candlestick said to have survived the fire of 1823 and is still used today. Crafted by Nichola dell'Angelo and Pietro Vassalletto, it stands approximately 5 meters tall and has carved scenes of the Passion and Resurrection of Christ.
I found this site with a close-up view of the paschal candlestick: https://www.christianiconography.info/Wikimedia%20Commons/easterCandleSPOutsideWalls.main.html
Hover on the view links to see the carvings.
Altar of Malachite
Malachite is a green opaque, precious, and rare stone. It is said that the Czar of Russia donated malachite stone after the church burnt down in 1823. The signboard also refers to this altar as the Altar of the Assumption, which is said to be decorated with emerald green malachite and lapis lazuli. The artwork above the altar is a mosaic copy of the famous painting, 'Assumption of the Madonna'. Here, I had the chance to light a candle and say a brief prayer.
The Apse
I have posted a link at the bottom of this post, which will give you an idea of what an apse is. I wish I had a better pic of this part of the basilica. Behind the papal altar is another altar behind the crossing. I guess this is where the regular services occur because there were some seating arrangements here. The Apse Mosaic was made by Venetian artists. Christ is flanked by the Apostles Peter, Paul, Andrew and Luke. The small figure near Christ's feet is Pope Honorius III, who ordered the mosaic. Pope Honorius III (1148 – 1227) The apse ending the main nave is also decorated with a Byzantine-style mosaic.
We were pressed for time and had to move on to our next stop so we did not visit the museum and the cloister. As we left, we got a glimpse of portions of the original columns that were saved after the fire damage of 1823, along with information boards on the structure and some of the history.
The exit of the Basilica has the original sculpture of 'When I Was in Prison and You Visited Me' created by Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz. It is an image of an inmate's hands resting on bars and with wounds. (Matthew 25)
We were off to our next site of the evening - Trevi Fountain.
References and Acknowledgements
Wikipedia
This site had the best virtual view of the basilica - https://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_paolo/vr_tour/index-en.html
I found this picture on a website which tells you what each part of a basilica is called and where it is situated on the layout of the plan. Here is the link to this site
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