Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ S. Paolo fuori le Mura • The memorial shrine over the tomb of St. Paul was replaced on November 18, 324 by a small basilica built by Emperor Constantine. Around this time Paul's body was moved into a bronze sarcophagus • Because of the number of visitors a larger basilica was needed so in 386 Emperor Valentinian II (375-392) made plans for a new building. Emperor Theodosius (379-395) began the project and Emperor Honorius (395-423) completed it in 395. Galla Placidia, sister of Honorius, financed the triumphal arch and the inscription on it records the event. The basilica was consecrated in 390 by Pope Siricius. Over the years it became greatly embellished • The basilica was pillaged in the 700s by the Lombards and in the 800s by the Saracens. Pope John VIII (872-882) thus surrounded it in 883 with a walled town called Johannipolis which lasted until 1348 when it was destroyed by an earthquake • In the late hours of July 15, 1823 the church burst into flame and was mostly destroyed. Workers had been fixing the roof and may have inadvertently dropped a coal. Pope Pius VII (1800-1823) was near death at the time and was not told of the disaster. Pope Leo XII (1823-1829) was elected and wrote Ad plurimas to encourage the world to donate to the rebuilding. Architect Pasquale Belli and, later, Luigi Poletti rebuilt the basilica as similar to possible to the 4th century church. Pope Gregory XVI (1831-1846) consecrated the transept on October 5, 1840. The construction was completed in 1854 and consecrated by Pope Pius IX (1846-1878) on December 10, 1854 with bishops and cardinals from around the world • On April 23, 1821 a nearby gunpowder explosion destroyed the stained glass windows. King Faud I of Egypt donated the current alabaster panes ◀

Anchor 1 ▼ S. Sebastiano •

Anchor 1 ▼ Presbytery Artist: Baciccia Date: 1683 ca. • The fresco is Angelic Concert. This was Baciccia's fifth work in the church ▲

Anchor 1 ▼ ◀ Main Altar Artist: Bernardino Cametti Date: 1725 • The statue is St. Rasius • St. Anastasius and St. Rasius, the statues on either side of the altar, were Roman martyrs. They are both wearing priestly vestments although little is known of their lives • In 1675 it was determined that of all the bones of the saints that were originally brought to the pagan pantheon to reconsecrate it as a Christian church, only the bones of these saints were identifiable because they were in a unique casket. Pope Clement X (1670-1676) placed them in the main altar and gave these aedicules to honor them

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ ◀ Cesi Chapel Date: Before 1568 • The tomb is of Cardinal Paolo Emilio Cesi • Cardinal Paolo Cesi lived 1481-1537

Anchor 1 ▼ Left Aisle

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ ◀ Cesi Chapel Date: Before 1568 • The Tomb of Cardinal Federico Cesi • Cardinal Federico Cesi (1500-1565) was the benefactor for this chapel

Anchor 1 Cesi Chapel ▲ ▶ ◀

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ ◀ Tomb of Raphael Artist: Lorenzo Lotti (Lorenzetto) Date: 1523-1524 • The statue is Madonna del Sasso (Madonna of the Rock). The name refers to her foot pressing on a rock • In his will Raphael asked his friend Lorenzetto to make the statue for his tomb

Anchor 1

Anchor 1 ▼ ▲ ◀ St. Wenceslaus • The right oval is St. Methodius. St. Cyril (826-869 ca.) and St. Methodius ((815-885 ca.) were missionaries to the Slavs who even created an alphabet for them. They are consider co-patrons of Europe

Anchor 1 ▼ ◀ Blessed Sacrament Chapel Artist: Unknown Date: 1300-1400s • The wooden statue is of St. Paul. The damaged face is from pilgrims taking splinters as mementos

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ ◀ Far Left Aisle

Anchor 1 ▼ Holy Year Door Artist: Ludovico Consorti Date: 1949 • The top panels on the left are Adam and Eve Expelled from Paradise. The top panels on the right are Annunciation • The bottom panels, from the left, are Jesus' Baptism, Finding the Lost Sheep, Prodigal Son, Christ Cures the Paralytic

Anchor 1 ▼ Chapel of the Relics of the Passion ▶

Anchor 1 ▼ ▲ ▶ ◀ Interior

Anchor 1 ▼ ◀ Chapel of St. Gregory the Great Artist: Francesco Nappi; Girolamo Nanni Date: 1640 ca • The frescoes are of St. Bernard of Clairvaux. They tell the story of St. Bernard who, while saying Mass at Tre Fontane, had a vision of souls going by ladder into heaven

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ ◀ Chapel of the Relics

Anchor 1 ▼ S. Sebastiano Artist: Annibale Carracci Date: • The painting is of St. Philip Neri visiting the catacombs

Anchor 1 ▼ Altar of St. Charles Borromeo ▶ ◀