Basilicas of Rome
- July 2001
This is my second visit in Rome and this time we hired
a guide and a small bus to take us around. Being a non-catholic, I
learned so much about Christianity. There are
four major basilicas (a Roman
Catholic church given ceremonial privileges) in Rome that you absolutely have
to visit.
-
1-
San Giovanni in Laterano (St. John in
Lateran). Built during the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great, and renovated
many times over the centuries, San Giovanni is the "Mother
Church" in Christian history, and is the first of the four major
Basilicas of Rome. The Lateran Palace was the Papal residence for close to
1500 years and was the "Vatican" of the Middle Ages. The
basilica still remains today as the Pope's titular church, and along with St.
Peter's, St. Mary Major and St. Paul outside the Wall contains a
"Porta Santa" (Holy Door) which is opened by the Pope to
inaugurate a Holy Year.
-
Across
the street from San Giovanni in Laterano
is the "Scale
Santa" (Holy Stairs) which are said to be the stairs that Jesus
descended after his trial before Pontius Pilate. On the bottom steps and the
upper last two steps you can find a few drops of blood from Jesus (now enclosed in a
circular see through glass). Here, during July of JUBILEE 2000, pilgrims
climb the stairs on their knees saying the rosary, as is the tradition. Once
at the top, they will exit from side stairs. According to legend, St.
Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, had her son bring the
stairs back from Jerusalem to Rome when he built the Basilica of St. John in
Lateran. The stairs lead to a small 4th Century chapel at the top known as the
"Sanctum Sanctorum" (The Holy of Holies), which served as the Popes'
private chapel during the Middle Ages. It was, in effect, the Sistine Chapel
before the Sistine Chapel existed.
"Scale
Sancti" (Holy Stairs)
My personal
experience: when our guide
told us that we can not walk up the stairs, we had to climb the stairs on our knees,
I thought she was crazy and opted not to do so. But once there, I saw an old man with some physical
disabilities climbing the steps on his knees with great pain but he has so
much faith and conviction that I decided I should do the same. It was an
ordeal, physically my knees almost gave up but I persevered. The hardest
thing is having to stay on each step at least a few minutes before
moving to the next step . Each passing minute was excruciating, I
could feel the weight of my whole body on my knees, the rough surface of each
steps rubbing against my raw skin. When I almost reached the last
step in a moment of inspiration I bend down and kissed the spot where a
few drops of Jesus' blood was now permanently inlaid. It was a triumphant
moment! and I am not even a Catholic!
-
2-
St.
Peter's Basilica is the second major basilicas of Rome. It was built
on the site of the original basilica erected by Constantine the Great over
the spot where pilgrims and Roman Christians had traditionally venerated
the remains of the first Apostle of Christ and first Bishop of Rome --
Simon Peter -- who was crucified upside down atop this spot on Vatican
hill, according to tradition, under the Emperor Nero. By the beginning of
the 16th Century, the first basilica was badly in need of repair, and so
Pope Julius II della Rovere commissioned a new basilica that was finally
completed in 1606 during the pontificate of Pope Paul V Borghese. Like all
churches erected by Constantine, it faces the rising sun in the tradition
of pagan temples.
The square, with the Egyptian obelisk at center,
along with the flanking
colonnades, was designed and executed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The dome,
copied throughout the world atop buildings of state, was designed by
Michelangelo and modeled on the dome of the Pantheon.
After Michelangelo's death, it was finally executed by Giacomo della Porta.
|
Egyptian obelisk |
The Dome |
|
The Altar and the
Baldachin.
When you look at
the altar (29 meters high) you can see the cupola (dome). This
is huge dome measuring 71 meters in perimeter.
Michelangelo worked on
the construction of the dome from 1546 until his death in 1564.
The work was finally done in 1590. It took 44 years to finish
it.
|
La
Pietà (1498-1500).
One
of the most famous works of art, La Pieta , still in its original place in
Saint Peter's Basilica, was probably finished before Michelangelo was 25
years old. The youthful Mary is shown seated majestically, holding the
dead Christ across her lap, a theme borrowed from northern European art.
Instead of revealing extreme grief, Mary is restrained, and her
expression is one of resignation.
|
-
3-
The
third major basilica of Rome, San Paolo Fuori Le Mure (St. Paul outside
the Walls). The "walls" refers to the Aurelian Wall, built by
Marcus Aurelius in the 3rd Century as a bulwark against barbarian
invasion. The place where the basilica is situated is called, "Tre
Fontane" (The Three Fountains). Legend has it that three springs
emerged from the spot where St. Paul's head hit the ground after he was
beheaded during the First Great Persecution under the emperor Nero. The
statue depicts St. Paul holding the sword with which he was beheaded.
Inside
the Basilica, mounted on the wall is the
remaining of the cross when Jesus was crucified.
Look
at the cross, you'll see two small elongated swords (bottom of cross). The first one was the
sword that pierced Jesus' heart and the second sword is the coup de
grace (last blow) that was inflicted to the side of his body. You can also find the original nails (3 nails all
together) that
binds Jesus to the cross and are now stored in one of the container. In the
middle display, you'll find a piece of the
original head piece that Jesus wore when he was crucified..
|
The "campanile" ( bell tower) is dated from the early Renaissance |
Intricate
ceiling adorned with beautiful design. |
Next
Stop..The
Pantheon
