BASILICA OF SAINT PAUL OUTSIDE THE WALLS

Description

Essentials about the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in brief

Rome is a city of churches. Among the most impressive places of worship in the city is certainly San Paolo fuori le Mura (“Saint Paul Outside the Walls”). On the one hand, the church is one of the four papal basilicas (the other three are St. Peter’s Basilica, St. John Lateran Basilica and Santa Maria Maggiore) and one of the seven pilgrimage churches in Rome. On the other hand, Saint Paul Outside the Walls is a monumental structure and was the largest church in Rome until the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica. The tomb of the Apostle Paul is believed to be in the church.

The tomb of Saint Paul

The name of the church derives from the presumed burial place of St. Paul, which is located outside the still preserved ancient Aurelian city wall. The Apostle Paul, as a Roman citizen, was supposedly beheaded outside the city around 67 AD. The apostle’s body is then said to have been buried further into the city on the Via Ostiense in a Roman necropolis. The burial site was venerated as early as the first century, when a small memorial was erected in its place.

The history of the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls

A first basilica, commissioned by the Roman Emperor Constantine I, was built on the site of the memorial in 324. In 386 this basilica was already considered too small and Emperor Valentinian II ordered the demolition of the building. It was to be replaced by a new, much larger structure. Built eventually was a monumental church with five naves resting on eighty columns. As was common with most basilicas at that time, there was a large atrium with a fountain in the center in front. The church was consecrated by Pope Siricius in 390, but it was not completed until five years later during the reign of Emperor Honorius.

Further extensions followed in the next centuries and from the 9th century Saint Paul Outside the Walls was the largest church in Rome. It held this title until the present St. Peter’s Basilica was completed in 1626. After being sacked by the Saracens in 846, the church was quickly restored and extensions and restorations continued until the 18th century.

Disaster struck in 1823 when negligent roofers spilled burning tar on the wooden beams supporting the lead roof. The church was soon engulfed in fire and burned down almost completely. Only the apse, the cloister, the triumphal arch, the apostle’s tomb and the south wall survived the fire. A faithful reconstruction began soon after the disaster, which was financed by donations from all over the world. The church was rededicated in 1854.

The architecture and interior of the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls

At 131 meters long, 65 meters wide and 29 meters high, the church is an imposing structure. The huge interior is particularly impressive and gives visitors a good impression of what ancient Roman basilicas must have looked like. Four rows of twenty granite columns separate the central nave from its aisles. The columns are new – the originals were all taken from ancient Roman temples. They support arcaded entablatures on which a long band of medallions with portraits of the popes extends. All 260-plus popes, beginning with St. Peter, are depicted.

By the way, the portraits of popes before the 16th century are fantasy representations. It was not until the 16th century that realistic portraits formed the model. According to a legend, Christ comes again when there is no more room for another medallion. When, under John Paul II, there were only three vacancies, 25 more places were created. So Christ’s return is still delayed a bit.

A significant work of art near the altar is the monumental, columnar paschal chandelier, which supports the bowl for the paschal candle at the top. Its rich relief decoration features mythological and Christian references. His resurrection and ascension are depicted above scenes of the Passion of Christ. The work was made in the late 12th century by Pietro Vassalletto and Niccolò di Angelo.

Also noteworthy is the triumphal arch, which rests on Ionic columns above the nave and is embellished with a fifth-century mosaic that was restored after the fire. In a circle in the center of the arch is a stern looking Christ, birds (representing the four evangelists), angels, twenty-four elders, and below, Saints Peter and Paul, flank the image of Christ.

The Venetian mosaic in the apse is another highlight. It was created in 1226 for Honorius III and replaced the original 5th century mosaic. Here you can see Christ on a throne accompanied by Peter, Paul, Andrew and Luke.

The discovery of Paul’s tomb

Last but not least, it should be mentioned that in December 2006 the Vatican announced that the tomb of the Apostle Paul had been rediscovered in the church. During excavations, an unusually large sarcophagus, about 2.4 meters long, was found under a late antique epitaph with the inscription “Paulo Apostolo Mart” (“to the Apostle and Martyr Paul”) at the base of the main altar of the basilica. Whether Paul really lies in the sarcophagus remains uncertain, since it is no longer scientifically possible to prove that the person buried here is actually the apostle.