The Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls on the Via Ostiense

With the promulgation of the Edict of Milan in 313, Emperor Constantine granted freedom of worship to Christians, ending a long period of persecution. In this new era of tolerance, the emperor launched a series of initiatives aimed at rediscovering the places associated with the first Christian martyrs, the apostles Peter and Paul. As part of this effort, he initiated excavations at the site where the memory of St. Paul, who was beheaded between 64 and 67, was honored and built a basilica on his tomb, located on the Via Ostiense.

At the end of the 4ᵗʰ century, under emperors Theodosius, Valentinian II, and Arcadius, the Constantinian building was renovated and expanded to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims who came to venerate the saint's tomb. This second grand basilica, facing west, was consecrated by Pope Siricius in 390 and completed five years later by Emperor Honorius, as an inscription on the triumphal arch attests. Designed by the architect Ciriade, the new structure featured five naves divided by eighty columns and was later adorned with an exquisite mosaic cycle depicting scenes from both the Old and New Testaments, as well as the famous series of papal portraits.

Over the following centuries, numerous interventions added sumptuous pictorial, mosaic, and sculptural decorations, which further enhanced the basilica’s material and symbolic significance. In addition to the Byzantine door, these included the paschal candle candelabrum by Nicola D'Angelo and Pietro Vassalletto, the ciborium by Arnolfo di Cambio above the altar, and the pictorial and mosaic cycles by Pietro Cavallini.

The fire of 1823 caused severe damage to the basilica’s magnificent decorative elements, and most of the artworks were irreparably lost. Rebuilt almost identically using fragments salvaged from the flames, the new basilica was consecrated by Pope Pius IX in 1854. During the Jubilee, St. Paul’s Outside the Walls remains a revered pilgrimage site for Christians, who - by passing through the Holy Door - can symbolically embark on a passage to salvation.