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Anchor 1 ▼ ◀ Tomb of Pius VIII • The doorway in the center of the Tomb of Pius VIII is the entrance to the Sacristy and Treasury

Anchor 1 ▼ Chapel of the Holy Trinity Artist: Durante Alberti • The lunette is Eternal Father with Angels • The pendentives have putti ▲ ▶

Anchor 1 ▼ ▲ Gregorian Room Artist: Unknown Date: 1800s • The bust is Luigi Poletti. He was the main architect for the reconstruction after the fire. He is buried in the church in the Oratory of St. Julian

Anchor 1 ▼ Calidarium • Paul Bril painted the landscape frescoes • Niccolò Circignani painted the frescoes of events from St. Cecilia's life

Anchor 1 ▼ ▲ St. Madeleine-Sophie Barat • St. Madeleine-Sophie Barat lived from 1779-1865

Anchor 1 ▼ S. Teresiae ab Infante Jesu •

Anchor 1 ▶ ▲ ◀ Entrance

Anchor 1 ▲ St. Sebastian Altar • This is a reliquary with a skull of St. Sebastian. • St. Sebastian was an officer in the Praetorian Guard under Diocletian (284-305). Sentenced to death for being a Christian, the archers were ordered to shoot him. A widow Irene nursed him back to health and he again went before the emperor and was clubbed to death • Cardinal Giovanni Garzia Mellini was titular (1608-1627) and benefactor for the apse renovations. During the crypt renovations, he was said to have found the reliquary ▼

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ ◀ Monument of Michele Bonelli Date: 1604 ca. • The monument is Funeral Monument of Michele Bonelli (1604 d.). Bonelli was the grandnephew of Pope Saint Pius V (1504-1572)

Anchor 1 ▼ Gregorian Room • Almost all of the original apse mosaic of 1220, in the main church, has been removed due to the 1747 renovation and later fire. Parts of the original work can be found in this room ▶ ◀

Anchor 1 S. Sebastiano Original church: 337-352 ca. Renovation: 1200 Current church: 1609 • In 257 emperor Valerian forbade Christian gatherings in Rome. Thus the bodies of St. Peter and St. Paul were moved to this cemetery where Christians could pray. Later when Constantine (306-337) ended persecution, he built churches for St. Peter and St. Paul and the bodies were returned. • Eventually, the church became associated with St. Sebastian who was buried in the cemetery. Sebastian was a Praetorian Guard killed by Diocletian (284-305) for being Christian. His popularity grew after prayers during the Roman plague of 680 • With the old church falling into disrepair, Cardinal Borghese (1576-1633) in 1609 had Flaminio Ponzio design a new church. It was completed by Giovanni Vasanzio ◀

Anchor 1 ▼ ◀ ▶ Baldachin Artist: Arnolfo di Cambio Date: 1283 • The baldachin sits on columns of black and white marble and is in an Italian Gothic style

Anchor 1 ▶ ◀ Interior

Anchor 1 ▼ Papal Throne • On the walls are six panels containing a list of 187 cardinals and bishops who were present with Pope Pius IX on December 10, 1854 for the reconsecration of the basilica after the fire

Anchor 1 ▼ Portico ▶

Anchor 1 ▼ Pavement Date: 1000s • The winged creatures are of the original mosaic but the rest was destroyed during the World War II bombing of 1943 • The new inscription reads: "This temple to Lawrence, destroyed by war on July 19, 1943 was, with divine aid, happily restored"

Anchor 1 ▶ ◀ St. Sylvester Chapel Date: 1246 • The upper nave of the chapel is decorated with events from the Acts of Blessed Sylvester (460 ca). The Acts is an embellished history on the relationship between Pope Sylvester I (314-335) and Emperor Constantine (306-337) • The lower nave has various prophets in the medallions Date: 1570 • The guild of the Sculptors and Stonecutters were later given this chapel and built the apse ▼

Anchor 1 ▼ ▲ ▶ Crucifix Chapel Artist: Pietro Labruzzi Date: 1790 • The painting is Pentecost • Below the painting there is a memorial to the painter Raphael (1483-1520). Raphael is buried in the next chapel to the left

Anchor 1 ▶ ◀ Interior

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ ◀ Corsini Chapel