Soaring columns and exquisite marble in the interior of Santa Maria Maggiore church.Credit: iStock
Upon entering, there’s an awful lot fighting for attention. Seemingly every colour of marble under the sun has been used to decorate the floors and walls, while the eyes climb towards the dome that ascends through several levels. Green Corinthian columns, statues in niches, jutting stuccoed rims, fresco panels depicting the birth of Jesus and gracefully curving golden archways provide an excessive visual buffet.
The big picture in this giant chapel, designed by Pope Sixtus V’s trusted architect, Domenico Fontana, is intended to strike awe. But the benefit of having virtually nobody inside it is that you can take in the details at your leisure.
The ciborium in Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica.Credit: Getty Images
The gilded bronze tabernacle, hoisted aloft by four angels, is essentially a miniature model of the chapel itself. The statue of Sixtus V on his funerary monument has him kneeling in adoration, rather than aggrandised on a throne. On the opposite wall, the statue of Saint Pius V sits on a throne, but something altogether more jolting lies beneath it.
The body of Pius V, small and somewhat shrivelled, lies in a glass coffin. It is dressed in his Papal robes, while a silvery mask protects his face.
This isn’t the Sistine Chapel that anyone comes to Rome to see, but it does sum up what makes Rome such a riveting city to visit. There’s a wealth of second and third-tier attractions – basilicas, ancient ruins, castles and catacombs – that are extraordinary in their own right, yet remain largely ignored.
The gold Tabernacle.
Just in case the opulence of the Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore’s Sistine Chapel leaves you feeling cheated of Michelangelo, however, never fear. Elsewhere in the building is the Sforza Chapel, which the Renaissance master started work on at the spritely age of 87. He didn’t live to see it completed, and – surprisingly – it’s relatively drab.
In this case, it’s fine to say you prefer his earlier work and concentrate on the less-celebrated majesty elsewhere.
The details
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Visit
Entry to the Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore is free. See basilicasantamariamaggiore.va
Fly
Etihad, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and Qantas are among the airlines operating one-stop flights to Rome from Sydney and Melbourne.
Stay
The Doria Palace Boutique Hotel, a few steps away from the basilica, offers superior doubles for from €141 ($234), room only. See doriapalace.com
