Shrines of Italy: Basilica of Saint Mary Major
The Basilica of Saint Chrysogonus is said to be one of the first parish churches ever built in the eternal city of Rome. Like many Roman churches, it is essentially a newer church built on top of an older church, which was then renovated multiple times over the centuries, with the most recent renovations having been completed in the mid-1860’s.
The adjacent bell tower dates back to the 12th Century, and is the oldest feature of this church that can be viewed from the outside. Upon entering the basilica, you will immediately notice the wide-open interior combined with the array of marble columns; a characteristic design which has come to define the essence of what a basilica is. The wooden ceiling inlaid with gold, is a unique element which tends to repeat itself throughout many of the major and minor basilicas of Rome.
While this church in particular does contain a few devotional displays that are worth mentioning, such as those dedicated to Our Lady, Saint Joseph, and the Sacred Heart, it is most frequently visited on account of one, unexpected side-chapel, located directly left of the main altar.
This tiny side chapel is home to the remains of Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, an Italian mystic, mother of seven, and tertiary member of the Trinitarian Order who lived from 1769 to 1837. She is best known among the traditionalist community for her predictions concerning the Three Days of Darkness; predictions which are generally taken seriously given her impressive track record.
It is said that she correctly predicted the date and time of Napoleon’s death, the election of Pope Gregory XVI, and the outbreak of the Roman Cholera Epidemic in 1837, among many other things. Her visions and associated predictions were recorded by Msgr. Raffaele Natali for more than 25 years until her death, resulting in a 4,000 page document which would later become instrumental to her beatification in 1920.
The status of her incorruptibility is a somewhat vague, with early reports claiming that she was incorrupt, and later reports stating that her body began to exhibit the signs of natural decay several decades after her death, at which point a layer of wax was added to her remains in order to preserve to her likeness.
Apart from this little chapel, the basilica does feature one other point of interest that’s worth exploring; in the form of an excavation underneath the main church. Accessible through the sacristy in the back, there is a tight stairwell which leads down into the ruins of what is believed to be original church from the 4th century.
Discovered 1907, the ruins contain brickwork from the 2nd century, leading scholars to believe that this was once a private Roman house which was converted into a church sometime during the reign of Constantine. Fragments of the original artwork can still be seen on some of the walls today. A basin located at the far end of the complex is thought to have been used for baptisms at one point. Additionally, there are several sarcophagi scattered throughout the excavation, some of which contain bones that are at least as old as the ruins themselves.
Altogether, it reminds me of the archeological sites I’ve been to before in the city of Lucca, albeit much larger. Having finally begun my exploration of the Eternal City itself, I imagine I will encounter more of these excavations in the days and weeks to come.