Following the passing of Pope Francis at the age of 88, it has been confirmed that he will be laid to rest at Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome — a significant departure from the traditional burial site at St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.

Deeply devoted to the Virgin Mary, Pope Francis visited the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica over 100 times during his 12-year papacy, especially before and after his international trips.

Here’s everything you need to know about this historic basilica:

1. Santa Maria Maggiore — officially known as the Papal Basilica of St Mary Major — is the oldest and most important Marian sanctuary in Western Christianity.
2. According to tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared in a dream to Pope Liberius and a Roman patrician named John, instructing them to build a church where snow would fall. Miraculously, snow appeared on Rome’s Esquiline Hill on 5 August 358, outlining the location of the future basilica.
3. The basilica is home to the Salus Populi Romani (Our Lady, Saviour of the Roman People), considered the most important Marian icon in the Catholic Church.
4. It is one of the four major papal basilicas in Rome.
5. The stunning fourth-century structure sits atop the Esquiline Hill, near the Colosseum and Termini Train Station, an area that once served as a Roman burial ground for slaves.
6. Located just two-and-a-half miles from Vatican City, Pope Francis frequently visited the basilica for private prayer, including a special visit on 23 March, after recovering from a life-threatening case of pneumonia.
7. In April 2023, Francis revealed to Spanish journalist Javier Martínez-Brocal that he had chosen Santa Maria Maggiore as his final resting place.
8. The last pope buried there was Pope Clement IX in 1669.
9. Inside the basilica, visitors will find a central nave lined with 40 Ionic columns and breathtaking mosaics that have survived from early Christianity.
10. Santa Maria Maggiore also houses sacred relics — including fragments of wood believed to be from the crib of Jesus Christ — authenticated by recent studies as dating back to the time of His birth.

NaijaBlogDaily# is visible on all social media platforms, and we bring you the latest Nigerian news on politics and economy, entertainment, and celebrity updates, including sports across Nigeria and beyond…

Keep visiting and following up with us on any social media platform you are using to keep you updated 💯
Remember (information brings knowledge and power).
STAY TUNED!!!