048.

Basilica di S. Maria Maggiore

The Basilica of S. Maria Maggiore is the last of the four patriarchal basilicas to be built (the others: S. Pietro in Vaticano, S. Giovanni in Laterano, S. Paolo fuori le Mura were all 4th century). This early 5th century church is the only one of the four to have retained its early Christian interior, though its exterior was entirely encased by later buildings. These are what we see in the print: the articulated central facade is by Fuga (1741), while the building on the right of the facade is by Ponzio and dates from the papacy of Paul V (1605-21), while the pendant symmetrical element (4) on the left was built at the same time as the central facade under Benedict XIV (1740-58). The two domed chapels, which act as the transepts of the church, were added under Paul V (left) and Sixtus V (1585-90; right). The building at the left edge of the print (1) no longer exists, but the column and its fountain remain. The column was brought here from the Basilica of Maxentius in the Roman Forum by Paul V. An inscription on its base has the column speak and tell how much happier it is now in this location, bearing the statue of the Madonna, than when it was in its former pagan setting. In this view Vasi includes two distant buildings which he depicts in other prints: the bell tower of the church of S. Prassede (2); see Plate 127A, and the monastery of the Filippine nuns (3), see Plate 158.