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Of all the great Roman Churches and
basilicas the Church of St Mary Major Rome enjoys the
most successful blend of different architectural styles.
Its colonnaded triple nave is part of the original 5th
Century building.
The Cosmatesque marble floor and delightful
Romanesque bell tower, with its blue ceramic roundels,
are from the medieval period. The Renaissance saw a
new coffered ceiling, and the baroque gave the church
twin domes and its most imposing front and rear facades.
The mosaics are St Mary Major's most
famous feature. From the 5th century come the biblical
scenes in the nave and the spectacular mosaics on the
triumphal arch. Medieval highlights include a 13th century
enthroned Christ in the loggia.
The church of Santa Maria Maggiore
is also famous for its' excesses and instigated some
violent demonstrations by the protestants who vehemently
opposed the decoration of the entire ceiling with gold
leaf when thousands were starving. Today, the church
remains one of Rome's most fascinating churches and
is well worth a visit.
The whole of the ceiling above the
nave and loggia was completely covered in gold and gold
leaf. This caused consternation amongst christian groups
and events like this and others gave rise to the protestant
faith who "protested" against the excesses
of the Catholic Church in Rome.
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