Altar of the Heavens, Rome

Basilica di Santa Maria in Aracoeli (Italian) or  Basilica of Saint Mary of the Altar of Heaven (English), constructed during the 13th century  is still designated as the church of the city council of Rome and roman people.  It is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, built over the shrine of the patron goddess of Rome - Juno Moneta . It has 124 steps and located on the highest summit of the Capitol or Campidoglio (the seat of Rome's municipal government).  As you can see from the first photo, there are two staircases, one climbing steeply to the basilica and  the other leading to the Capitol or Campidoglio. 

The exterior of the basilica is pretty plain, as you can see it is just made out of bricks. But its interior is something else..

Like all Roman churches,the basilica is a storage place of so many art and architectural treasures from every period and style. 

the amazing ceiling

The basilica is also famous for the wooden statue of the infant Jesus (Santissimo Bambino), carved in the 15th century of olive wood , sadly the  statue was stolen in February 1994, and never recovered. Nowadays, they are using a copy. According to  Romans,  the statue if the infant Jesus is not the most beautiful of statues, but many miraculous cures have been attributed to it. 

Address :    Piazza del Campidoglio 4
Phone:        06 679 81 55
Hours:         9am-12.30pm & 3-6pm

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