Its construction started in 432, on top of a previously existing church. It was concieved by Pope Sixtus III who dedicated it to the Virgin Mary.

Inside the basilica there are some peculiarities that make it unique: the aisle mosaics, the Triumphal Arch and the apse, the Cosmatesque pavement, the ceiling made of gold wooden coffers designed by Giuliani Giamberti da Sangallo, the crib of the XIII century, the Borghese Chapel, the Sistine Chapel, the Sforza Chapel, the Cesi Chapel, the Chapel del Crocifisso and the almost disappearing one of San Michele; the altar, which is the most important piece of Ferrinando Fuga, was later restored by the talented Giuseppe Valadier; the Relish of the Sacred Cot and the Battistero.

Each column, each painting, each sculpture, every single particle of this basilica, bleeds history and religious sentiment.

The many treasures it contains make the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore a place where art and spirituality are joined in a perfect combination, giving visitors unique emotions which originate only from incredible works of art made by man but inspired by God.