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Piazzale de Verano
Rome
Italy
Diocese of Rome
The Basilica of St. Lawrence is one
of the five patriarchal basilicas in Rome, each of which is assigned to
a patriarchate. St. Lawrence is assigned to the
Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
The Basilica is also one of the seven traditional pilgrimage churches in
Rome.
In 303, Emperor Constantine honoured
the Roman deacon martyr St. Lawrence of Rome by building a large basilica
near the saint's tomb. The basilica was flanked by the church of
Pope Pelagius II (579-590),
built directly over that martyr's tomb, which also contained the remains
of the proto-martyr St. Stephen.
The present structure was built by
Pope Honorious III
(1216-1227), who incorporated the early church into its presbytery. A bombing
in 1943 destroyed a large part of the church, but it was rebuilt using the
original stones. The basilica contains the tomb of
Blessed Pope Pius IX.
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Exterior of the basilica |
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The high altar in front of
the episcopal throne, towards the back of the church
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The high altar and the canopy,
built in 1148, are a fine example of Romanesque marble work. |
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The interior face of the
triumphal arch contains a mosaic showing Christ enthroned between
saints that comes from the church of Pelagius II, done in the sixth
century.
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An altar in the catacomb |
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