Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major

Beyond its’ miraculous beginnings, the Basilica holds the most important Marian icon known as the Salus Populi Romani. Tradition holds it was created by Saint Luke and it marks the antiquity of this first Marian church. Buried inside are a number of Popes as well as Saint Jerome and famed artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Arching above these treasures, the golden ceiling features the first of the gold brought back by Columbus from America.  In the crypt, one can visit the alleged relic of the manger or bed Jesus was laid in. 

Visitors to the Basilica on August 5th can witness the remembrance of Our Lady of the Snows, when white rose petals fall from the ceiling during the Mass on the feast day.