Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls, Rome

History

Tradition holds that the Apostle Paul was buried beside the road to Ostia, outside the city walls — hence the name. A church was built over the grave under Constantine in the 4th century and later enlarged; until the 16th century it was the largest church in Rome. In the 19th century the basilica had to be almost entirely rebuilt, and the new one, faithful to the old plan, was consecrated in 1854.

It's one of the four papal basilicas, with St Peter's, the Lateran and Santa Maria Maggiore, and its grounds belong to the Holy See even though they're far from the Vatican.

Inside the basilica

You enter through a quadriportico — a courtyard of 150 columns, palms and a statue of Paul holding his sword — under a façade of glittering 19th-century gold mosaics. Inside, 80 granite columns march down five aisles beneath a gilded coffered ceiling.

Around the top of the walls runs a band of mosaic medallions showing every pope, from Peter to the present; the current pope's portrait is lit. Over the high altar stands Arnolfo di Cambio's ciborium of 1285, and below it, behind a grille, you can see the tomb of St Paul. The apse has a 13th-century mosaic of Christ enthroned.

Highlights

• Quadriportico — the colonnaded courtyard and statue of St Paul.
• Bronze Holy Door — opened only in Jubilee years.
• Papal portraits — a medallion for every pontiff.
• Tomb of St Paul — beneath the high altar, visible through a grille.
• Arnolfo di Cambio's ciborium — a Gothic canopy over the altar.
• Paschal candlestick — a carved 12th-century marble column.
• Cloister — a 13th-century courtyard of twisted columns inlaid with mosaic by the Vassalletto workshop.

Best time to visit

It's rarely crowded — fewer visitors make the trip out than to the centre. Come in the morning, when sun streams through the high windows, or in the afternoon on the way to Testaccio. On 25 January, the feast of the Conversion of St Paul, the pope usually celebrates a solemn service here.

Is it worth the trip?

Yes, if you want to see all four papal basilicas, or simply a vast, bright, peaceful church with no queue. It's 15 minutes from the Colosseum on Metro B. The papal portraits and the mosaic cloister are unlike anything in Rome's other basilicas.

Rome's churches: compare and choose

Churches and basilicas in Rome rated by YesGo. Click a column header to sort.

Nearby and on the way

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Testaccio

Rome, Italy

2 h · Free · 34 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Testaccio

52

Pyramid of Cestius

Rome, Italy

20 min · Free outside · 35 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Pyramid of Cestius

How to do it right

• Hardly ever a queue.
• The current pope's medallion is lit up.
• The mosaic cloister is Rome's finest medieval courtyard.
• 15 minutes from the Colosseum on Metro B.

Questions