Description of the attraction
The basilica, built under Constantine the Great on the site of the tomb of the Apostle Paul, stood until 1823, when it was badly damaged by fire. And only in 1854 it was consecrated again. Of the few surviving fragments of the burnt basilica, the cloister (courtyard) (mid-13th century) with colored inlaid double columns should be distinguished.
Currently, the facade of the basilica is preceded by a majestic square portico supported by 146 columns. In the center of the space, surrounded by a portico, stands the statue of the Apostle Paul by Pietro Canonica. The part of the facade, located above the portico, is richly decorated with mosaics, including the tympanum, on which the composition "Christ blessing between Saints Peter and Paul" is presented. Below, on the frieze, there is a plot called "Agnus Dei" - "The Lamb of God reclining on a hill between the two holy cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem." Even below, four huge figures of the Prophets frame the windows.
The richly decorated interior of the basilica consists of five naves. The central nave is separated from the lateral by eighty granite columns. A long ribbon of a frieze with portraits of 236 popes runs along the naves and transept. Above the frieze, Corinthian wall pilasters alternate rhythmically with huge windows replacing the old stained glass windows shattered in an explosion in 1893. The coffered ceiling is decorated with gilded panels. Among the relics stored in the basilica, one can name the tabernacle by Arnolfo di Cambio, made by him in 1285 together with Pietro Cavallini. Under the beautiful canopy of the tabernacle there is an altar that rises above the tomb of St. Paul with a traditional confessional window through which you can see the epitaph, carved in stone: "Paolo Apostolo Mart." ("Paul the Apostle Martyr"), dating back to the 4th century.
