The magnificent Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, one of the four Papal Basilicas, is located, as its name suggests, outside the city walls, a stone's throw from the EUR district.
It stands near the site where Saint Paul was beheaded in 64 AD.
It has been part of the Jubilee itinerary for obtaining indulgence since the first Jubilee in 1300, proclaimed by Boniface VIII.
The rite of opening the Holy Door is celebrated here.
The old Basilica was commissioned by Constantine shortly after the edict in 324 and was the second basilica founded by Constantine after Saint John Lateran (previously dedicated to the Holy Savior).
Towards the end of the century, in 390, it was expanded by Theodosius, the last emperor before the division between the Eastern and Western empires, and was completed by Honorius I, his successor, in 395.
Later, Galla Placidia, daughter of Theodosius, commissioned the monumental arch supported by monumental columns, which reads: Theodosius began, Honorius completed the hall consecrated to the body of Paul. Doctor of the World.
The pious mind of Placidia rejoices in the decorum of her father's work in all the splendor due to Pope Leo. This is because the mosaic decorations were commissioned by Pope Leo I.
And it was Leo I himself who commissioned the tondi with portraits of the pontiffs that run along the naves of the Basilica.
In the 8th century, Leo III had the marble floor laid, and at the end of the 13th century, the Basilica was further embellished with the beautiful ciborium designed by the great Arnolfo, which represents a perfect synthesis of the three arts: architecture, sculpture, and painting.
The ciborium is directly above the crypt where the tomb of Saint Paul is located.
Unfortunately, in 1823, a fire broke out inside the church, causing a fire that almost completely destroyed it, including damaging nearly all the portraits.
Fortunately, the arch, the ciborium, and much of the transept, with the splendid 13th-century mosaic in the apse basin, were saved.
In the upper section, it depicts Christ giving a blessing, using the gesture of blessing that follows Greek tradition: the joined ring finger and thumb represent the union between the two natures of the Savior, the human and the divine.
To his right are Saint Paul and Saint Mark the Evangelist; to his left are Saint Peter and Saint Andrew the Apostle.
Below them is a band of vegetation, animals, and fruit, symbolizing the beauty of being in Eden. On the sides are two palm trees, recalling life in the desert.
Below the various apostles and in small print under the right foot, a figure wearing a white chasuble (priestly robe) can be seen. It depicts Pope Honorius III, depicted in small print in the presence of Christ.
The reconstruction was commissioned by Pope Leo X in 1825, who raised funds from across the Christian world. The work was directed by architects Belli and Poletti.
The exterior mosaic was completed in 1874, while the external portico was built in the early 20th century.
Unfortunately, all the portraits of the Popes, restored in the late 19th century with gold-ground mosaics, were also lost in the fire.
A truly stunning basilica, absolutely unmissable.
Simone Molinelli Osteopata- Fisioterapista
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15 Marzo 2026
10,0
Admission is free! I highly recommend visiting this place in Rome. It's not very popular, there are few people, and it features a magnificent colonnade, beautiful mosaics, and a huge variety of marble and granite. There are frescoes with portraits of all the popes, and the remains of old capitals and columns, showing how they were created.
Дмитрий
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14 Marzo 2026
10,0
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