CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE, Exterior Interior

Before entering the church, take a last glance at its beautiful eighteenth-century façade that perfectly mirrors the sober taste of Pope Benedict XIV Lambertini; this façade marks the end of the long Baroque age in Rome. Look how elegant the shining multicolored and golden tiles of the ancient mosaics are as they shimmer through the loggia! The bell tower, which dates back to the 14th century, is also noteworthy because it is the tallest in the city and has remarkable decorations.

Look closely at the late-thirteenth-century mosaics of the façade: they already show a profound understanding of Giotto's innovations and his way of rendering depth in three-dimensional spaces and architectures. The mosaics depict episodes from the life of Pope Liberius, who founded the basilica.

And now go ahead and enter the church.

As I mentioned in the previous file, the spacious and solemn interior still reflects the architectural layout of the early centuries of Christianity. The lively mosaic panels depicting scenes of Christ's life that you can see at the top of the walls in the central nave are from the same, early-Christian period....