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BASILICA Di SAN PAOLO FUORI Le MURA
BASILICA of ST PAUL OUTSIDE the WALLS


Basilica di San Paolo fuori le Mura � known in English as the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls or St Paul-without-the-Walls � is one of four churches considered to be the great ancient basilicas of Rome. The Roman Catholic Church counts among them St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, and St. Peter's. Cardinal Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, named in 2005, is the current archpriest of this basilica.

YEAR of Saint PAUL
__________June 2008-June 2009_________

VATICAN CITY, JUNE 28, 2007 - Pope Benedict XVI has declared June 2008-June 2009 the year of St. Paul in celebration of the 2,000th anniversary of the saint's birth.

The Pope decreed the year in a vespers celebration at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.

The Holy Father explained during his homily: "This 'Pauline Year' will take place in a special way in Rome, where for 2,000 years under the papal altar of this basilica, lies the tomb that according to experts and undisputed tradition has conserved the remains of the apostle Paul."

"Also, in every part of the world, similar initiatives will be organized in dioceses, sanctuaries and places of prayer by religious institutions, institutions of study and assistance, which carry the name of St. Paul or which have been inspired by him and his teaching."
Pope Benedict XVI explained that this year must have an important "ecumenical dimension."

"The Apostle of the Gentiles, who dedicated himself to the spreading of the good news to all peoples, spent himself for the unity and harmony of all Christians," the Pope said.
"May he guide us and protect us in this bimillenary celebration," he added, "helping us to advance in the humble and sincere search for the full unity of all the members of the mystical body of Christ."



_____________HISTORY______________

The basilica was founded by the Roman Emperor Constantine I over what was believed to be the burial place of Saint Paul, where it was said that, after the Apostle's execution, his followers erected a memorial, called a cella memoriae, over his grave. This first edifice was expanded under Valentinian I.

In 386, Emperor Theodosius I began the erection of a much larger and more beautiful basilica with a nave and four aisles with a transept; the work including the mosaics was not completed till the pontificate of Leo I. In the 5th century it was even larger than the Old St. Peter's Basilica. As it was dedicated also to Saints Taurinus and Herculanus, martyrs of Ostia in the 5th century, it was called the basilica trium Dominorum, basilica of Three Lords.

Under Gregory the Great (590-604) the basilica was again extensively modified: the pavement was raised, in order to place the altar directly over Paul's tomb. A confession permitted the access to the Apostle's sepulcher. In that period there were two monasteries near the basilica: St. Aristus's for men and St. Stefano's for women. Masses were carried out by a special body of clerics instituted by Pope Simplicius. Pope Saint Gregory II entrusted the monks with the care of the basilica.
The basilica was damaged during the Saracen invasions in the 9th century. In consequence of this Pope John VIII fortified the basilica, the monastery. In 937, when Saint Odo of Cluny came to Rome, Alberic II of Spoleto, Patrician of Rome, entrusted the monastery and basilica to his congregation and Odo placed Balduino of Monte Cassino in charge. Pope Gregory VII was abbot of the monastery and in his time. Pantaleone of Amalfi presented the bronze doors of the basilica, which were executed by Constantinopolitan artists. Pope Martin V entrusted it to the monks of the Congregation of Monte Cassino, extending over the districts of Civitella San Paolo, Leprignano and Nazzano, all of which formed parishes; the parish of San Paolo in Rome, however, is under the jurisdiction of the cardinal vicar.

On July 15, 1823 a fire, started through the negligence of a workman who was repairing the lead of the roof, resulted in the almost total destruction of the basilica. Alone of all the churches of Rome, it had preserved its primitive character for 1435 years. The whole world contributed to its reconstruction. The Viceroy of Egypt sent pillars of alabaster, the Emperor of Russia the precious malachite and lapis lazuli of the tabernacle. The work on the principal facade, looking toward the Tiber, was completed by the Italian Government, which declared the church a national monument.
The basilica was reopened in 1840, but it was reconsecrated only fifteen years later at the presence of Pope Pius IX with 50 cardinals. On April 23, 1891 an explosion at Porta Portese destroyed the stained glasses.

On 31 May 2005 Pope Benedict XVI ordered the Basilica to come under the control of an Archpriest. That same day he named Archbishop Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo as its first archpriest.


_______________PLAN of BASILICA_______________

Architecture and interior
The covered portico that precedes the facade is a Neo-classicist addition of the 19th century design. The 20th century door includes the remains of the leaves of the original portal, designed by Staurachius of Chios around 1070 in Constantinople, with scenes of the New and Old Testament. On the right is the Holy Door, which is opened only during the Jubilees.
The new basilica has maintained the original structure with one nave and four aisles. It is 131.66m Lx 65m Wx 29.70m H, being the second in size in Rome.

The 80 columns of the nave are from the 19th century, as well as the stucco-decorated ceiling. Of the ancient basilica there remain only the interior portion of the apse with the triumphal arch. The mosaics of the apse, work by Pietro Cavallini, mostly lost in 1823; only a few traces left. The 5th century mosaics of the triumphal arch are original: an inscription in the lower section done at the time of Leo I, paid by Galla Placidia. The subject portrays the Apocalypse of John, with the bust of Christ in the middle flanked by the 24 doctors of the church, surmounted by the flying symbols of the four Evangelists. At the right and left of the arch are portrayed St. Peter and St. Paul, the latter pointing downwards, probably to his tomb.

The tabernacle of the confession of Arnolfo di Cambio (1285) belong to the 13th century.
In the old basilica each pope had his portrait in a frieze extending above the columns separating the four aisles and naves. A 19th century version can be seen now. The interior of the walls of the nave were also redecorated with scenes from the life of Saint Paul in two series of mosaics.
The sacristy contains a fine statue of Pope Boniface IX.

South to the transept is the cloister, considered "one of the most beautiful of the Middle Ages". built by Vassalletto in 1205-1241, it has double columns of different shapes. Some columns have inlays with golden and colored glass mosaics; the same decoration can be seen on the architrave and the inner frame of the cloister. Also visible are fragments from the destroyed basilica and ancient sarcophagi, one with scenes of the myth of Apollo.


______________EXCAVATION of THE TOMB OF ST PAUL______________

On 6 December 2006, it was announced that Vatican archaeologists had discovered a sarcophagus beneath the altar perhaps containing the remains of the Apostle. A press conference held on 11 December 2006 gave more details of the work of excavation, which lasted from 2002 to 22 September 2006, and which had been initiated after pilgrims to the basilica expressed disappointment that the Apostle's tomb could not be visited or touched during the Jubilee year of 2000. A decision is pending on whether to examine the inside of the sarcophagus to see if it contains human remains. In fact, the sarcophagus has not yet been extracted from its position, so that only one of its two narrow sides is visible.

A curved line of bricks indicating the outline of the apse of the Constantinian basilica was discovered immediately to the west of the sarcophagus, showing that the original basilica had its entrance to the east, like Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. The larger 386 basilica that replaced it had the Via Ostiense (the road to Ostia) to the east and so was extended westward, towards the river Tiber, changing the orientation diametrically.


Virtual 3D trip of the Basilica from Vatican's
http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_paolo/vr_tour/index-en.html

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