• home
  • rooms
  • restaurant
  • ceremonies
  • meetings
  • surroundings
  • experiences
  • offers
  • location & contacts
  • BEST GUEST APP
  • Simon Hotel Aprilia
en
it
simonhotelpomezia en basilica-of-saint-paul-outside-the-walls 001
Contact us
+39 06/98372778
Whatsapp
+39 335 5804532
info
Book
menu
call
chat
info
  • home
  • rooms
  • restaurant
  • ceremonies
  • meetings
  • surroundings
  • experiences
  • offers
  • location & contacts
  • BEST GUEST APP
  • Simon Hotel Aprilia
en
it

simonhotelpomezia en basilica-of-saint-paul-outside-the-walls 002
simonhotelpomezia en basilica-of-saint-paul-outside-the-walls 003

BASILICA OF SAINT PAUL OUTSIDE THE WALLS

One of the four papal basilicas in Rome

With its imposing Byzantine structure, the Basilica of San Paolo fuori le Mura is one of the four papal basilicas of Rome, the second largest after that of San Pietro. The church stands on the site where, according to tradition, the apostle Paul was buried.

Here, the first Christians erected a sepulchral chapel, later transformed into a basilica by Constantine and consecrated, again according to tradition, by Pope Sylvester I in 324.

In 385, the reconstruction of the temple in larger forms was started, ending in 395 under the emperor Honorius. Having become one of the most important stages of the pilgrimage to Rome, the current form of the basilica is due to Pasquale Belli who, in collaboration with other architects, rebuilt it between 1825 and 1854, after the devastating fire that occurred in 1823.

The facade, decorated in the upper band with nineteenth- century mosaics , is the work of Luigi Poletti - who also designed the bell tower and the pronaos on the northern side, the latter created by reusing twelve columns already in the nave of the previous church - and is preceded by a large quadriportico , designed at the end of the nineteenth century by Virginio Vespignani, in the center of which stands the statue of Saint Paul by Giuseppe Obici.

The interior is divided into five naves by eighty monolithic granite columns (the six in the entrance wall donated by the Viceroy of Egypt to Gregory XVI are noteworthy). The central nave, which is wider, has mosaics on the walls with portraits of popes, which also continue in the side naves, and frescoes with stories from the life of Saint Paul.

The central altar, below which is the confession and the tomb of the apostle , is surmounted by the famous Gothic ciborium by Arnolfo di Cambio (1285). To the right of the altar, the large candelabrum for the paschal candle , made in marble by Nicola D'Angelo and Pietro Vassalletto in 1170.

The apse is dominated by the majestic mosaic , commissioned by Innocent III (1198-1216) and completed in the time of Honorius III. Numerous architectural fragments from the ancient basilica and archaeological finds from the nearby Ostiense burial ground are conserved in the cloister.

The cloister of the basilica, the work of Jacopo and Pietro Vassalletto, from which it takes its name, is one of the wonders of thirteenth-century Rome. It has marble columns in pairs, of different types and shapes, decorated with mosaics and colored marbles that support the arches on which stands the epistyle adorned with magnificent mosaics and limited at the top by a white marble frame with lions' heads, oxen , goats and other animals, from whose mouths rainwater flows.

The Benedictine monks of the Abbey of San Paolo who have been the custodians of the tomb of the Apostle Paul for centuries, created the monastic garden in which they grow herbs and trees mentioned in the Bible.

A splendid oasis that ideally reproduces the biblical Eden , a timeless place in which to meditate and reflect on the Christian and monastic vision of nature, immersed in an eternal spring. A botanical-scientific path but also theological, philosophical and literary . Among the different environments you can admire the Garden of Simples (hortus simplicium ) where, according to the millenary Benedictine tradition, the medicinal plants used in the creation of the phytotherapeutic remedies available at the Monastic Spezieria are grown.

In 2007, some excavations in the garden led to the identification of ancient structures, including the base of a small bell tower - the oldest example of this type of construction preserved in Rome - of the buildings relating to the "poor houses" dating back to late 5th century, and the remains of a colonnaded portico.

For information and reservations at the Simon Hotel Pomezia, use the form below
[FORM_REQUEST_INFORMATION]

 
view them all

what is being said about us

Words of our happy guests

The reputation of our brand is by far the best in the Pomezia market!
4,5 Excellent
9,0 Fabulous
No comments entered
Modern building with parking and private terraces, clear sky.

News

SIMON HOTEL DIRECTORY

All the useful information about our facility
find out more
Trevi Fountain lit up at night, crowded with tourists.

News

FREE TOURS AND EXCURSIONS WITH CIVITATIS

Free Rome Tours & 84 Activities!!!
find out more
Interior of St. Peter's Basilica, featuring Bernini's baldachin.

News

GUIDED TOUR OF ST. PETER'S BASILICA AND DOME

Delve into the beating heart of the Catholic Church with this guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica
find out more
The Colosseum illuminated at night with the moon in the background.

News

COLISEUM ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK

If you want to visit the Colosseum, you cannot miss the Roman Forum, the Palatine Hill, the Arch of Constantine, the Domus Area
find out more
Papal residence in Castel Gandolfo, overlooking the lake.

News

FROM POMEZIA TO CASTEL GANDOLFO

A visit not to be missed if you stay in Pomezia
find out more
Spiral staircase with elaborate decorations and people descending.

News

VATICAN MUSEUMS AND SISTINE CHAPEL

A visit that takes you to the highest peaks of art of all time, where Beauty and Faith meet in a unique union.
find out more
simonhotelpomezia en basilica-of-saint-paul-outside-the-walls 010

News

THE COAST BETWEEN POMEZIA AND NEPTUNE

Discover the southern part of the Lazio coast
find out more
Relaxed couple on loungers in a spa with pool.

News

VALEAS WELLNESS CLUB IN POMEZIA

The intimate and welcoming Valeas Spa is the ideal setting to treat yourself to a moment of relaxation and well-being cradled by the pleasant embrace of the senses
find out more
view them all

Newsletter

Subscribe now and stay up-to-date on all our latest news and offers
view them all
simonhotelpomezia en basilica-of-saint-paul-outside-the-walls 011
Pomezia - Via Calvi, 9 00071 (Rm) - IT
Tel. +39 06/98372778 - Whatsapp +39 335 5804532
info@simonhotelpomezia.it
Come join us
also here
simonhotelpomezia en basilica-of-saint-paul-outside-the-walls 012
P.Iva 13198941000 - Privacy & Cookie Policy - Cookie preferences
Credits TITANKA! Spa © 2024
book