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Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ ◀ Inscription of Gregory II • The inscription of Pope Gregory II (715-731) notes his donation of 56 olive trees which are to supply the oil in the lamps for St. Peter's tomb under the main altar

Anchor 1 Portico • The inscription above the arches notes the completion of the doorways was in the fourteenth year of the reign of Pope Paul V (1605-1621). Thus 1619. The portico itself had been completed in 1612 • Under the central three arches of the entryway can be seen lists with the names of clergy that were present for the declaration of Mary's Assumption into Heaven by Pope Pius XII (1939-1958) on November 1, 1950 ▲ ▶ ◀

Anchor 1 ▼ Ponziani Chapel • This chapel is tied to St. Francis of Rome (1384-1440) • The husband of St. Francis of Rome was of the Ponziani family • The children of St. Francis of Rome, Evangelista and Agnes, are buried in the chapel

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ ◀ St. Processus and St. Martinian

Anchor 1 ▼ Baptistery Artist: Francesco Trevisani (cartoons) • The cupola mosaics are of the baptisms of water, desire, and blood Artist: Francesco Trevisani (cartoons) • The pendentives have figures which represent, from the top left clockwise, Africa, Asia, America, and Europe. At the time, these were the only known continents ▶ ◀

Anchor 1 ▼ Monument to St. Pius X • Artist: Florestano Di Fausto (design); Pier Enrico Astorri (statue) • Date: 1923 The left relief recalls Pius X's lowering the age for receiving the Eucharist The right relief recalls the learned accepting the church's teaching The left door panel recalls Pius X's reorganizing the Vatican Pinacoteca The right door panel recalls Pius X's reorganizing of liturgical music

Anchor 1 ▼ St. Mary Magdalene Altar Artist: Attributed to Giovanni Baglione • Altar painting is of St. Mary Magdalene

Anchor 1 ▼ Capranica Chapel ▲ ◀

Anchor 1 ▼ Aisle ▲ ▶ ◀

Anchor 1 ▼ S. Maria Maggiore Artist: Giuliano da Sangallo (started); Antonio da Sangallo the Elder (finished) Date: 1455-1503 ca. • Pope Callistus III (1455-1458) was the benefactor for starting the gold coffered ceiling. It was finished with the later assistance of Pope Alexander VI (1492-1503) • It is said that the gold in the ceiling was a gift to Pope Alexander from Ferdinand and Isabella who obtained it from the newly discovered Americas • Callistus' coat of arms appears 2 times. Alexander's coat of arms appears 3 times. As both Popes were of the Borgia family, the image is of a bull

Anchor 1 ▲ ▼ Pavement • The general pattern of white and grey-blue bardiglio marble is by Mattia De Rossi, an assistant of Bernini, in 1670-1671

Anchor 1 ▼ ▲ ▶ Apse Mosaic Artist: Iacopo Torriti Date: 1295 • At the sides of the inner arch, from Revelation, there are 24 elders, 7 candlesticks, and also the 4 gospel writers. They worship the lamb at the top center of the inner arch • At the base of the inner arch is St. Jerome Explains the Scriptures to Paola and Eustochia. The relics of St. Jerome were brought to this church from the East • At the base of the apse mosaic is the Annunciation • Torriti's signature can be seen near the feet of St. Francis of Assisi • This part of the mosaic was covered in 1593 for a renovation but restored in 1933 by Pope Pius XI based on sketches

Anchor 1 ▼ Dome ▶

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ Altar of St. Francis of Assisi ◀

Anchor 1 Clementine Chapel Artist: Roncalli (design) • The pendentives, from top left clockwise(?), are Ambrose, Augustine, Athanasius, and John Chrysostom. These saints are all doctors of the church • The cupola mosaics have the coat of arms of Clement VIII (1592-1605). The Clementine chapel is named after him because it was finished during his reign ◀ ▼

Anchor 1 ▼ Coronation of the Virgin Aedicule Artist: Unknown Date: 1400s • The painting is Coronation of the Virgin

Anchor 1 ▲ ◀ Gregorian Portico • As part of the rebuilding project after the fire, Pope Gregory XVI (1831-1846) asked the main architect Luigi Poletti to make a portico. It was thus named after Pope Gregory • The 12 columns used in the design were part of the original basilica before the fire. One of the columns has an inscription from the original consecration in 390 by Pope Siricius

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ ◀ Chapel of the Crucifix • The image is the crucifixion of Jesus

Anchor 1 ▼ ▲ Right Transept • The coat of arms in the ceiling is of Pope Clement VIII (1592-1605). Pope Clement VIII who was the benefactor for the renovations in the transept • The statue in the ceiling of the left transept is St. John the Evangelist. Next to it is a large bust of St. Peter

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ ◀ Vault Artist: Baciccia Date: 1676-1679 • The fresco is Triumph of the Name of Jesus. This was Baciccia's third work in the church • The IHS is the Latin monogram"Iesus Hominum Salvator" which means Jesus Savior of Humanity. The light around the IHS seems to, at the same time, invite the blessed into the frame and push the unworthy outside of the frame