Rome: St Mary Major Basilica Catholic Pilgrim Tour｜Italy

Visit St Mary Major, one of Rome’s four Major Papal Basilicas and the city’s great Marian shrine, on a focused one-hour Catholic pilgrimage tour.

Discover a basilica whose history reaches back to early Christian Rome and whose sacred art continues to proclaim the mystery of Christ and the dignity of His Mother. With an expert Catholic guide, learn the traditions behind the basilica’s several names and its enduring importance to pilgrims.

Venerate the relics of the Holy Crib, fragments traditionally associated with the manger of the Child Jesus and preserved beneath the papal altar. See the Salus Populi Romani, the revered image of Our Lady attributed by Catholic tradition to St Luke the Evangelist, and learn about its place in the devotional life of Rome.

Visit the tomb of Pope St Pius V and discover the saints, popes and Catholic traditions connected with the basilica. Marvel at the fifth-century biblical mosaics of the nave and triumphal arch, among the oldest surviving Christian mosaics in Rome, together with the later apse mosaic.

See the Holy Door and learn its meaning within Catholic Jubilee pilgrimages. Your guide brings together the basilica’s relics, sacred art and history from a distinctly Catholic perspective.

The tour lasts one hour and ends at St Mary Major, close to Termini and Metro Lines A and B. Shoulders and knees must be covered. As this is an active place of worship, access to particular chapels or areas may occasionally change without notice.