S. Maria Maggiore

The Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore; 'Basilica of Saint Mary Major, or church of Santa Maria Maggiore, is a Papal major basilica and the largest Catholic church in Rome, Italy, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, from which size it receives the appellation "major". The Basilica is located at 34 Piazza del Esquilino, some five blocks southwest of Stazione Termini. The original structure was constructed in the 12th century then later renovated in 1743.

S. Maria Maggiore Basilica has undergone many renovations throughout its long history of use, and is still in use today as it frequently hosts catholic mass. Its original design, by Ferdinando Fuga was classical and traditionally Roman. Margret R. Miles states in her work, “Santa Maria Maggiore's Fifth-Century Mosaics: Triumphal Christianity and the Jews:” ‘Santa Maria Maggiore so closely resembles a second-century imperial basilica that it has sometimes been thought to have been adapted from a basilica for use as a Christian church. Its plan was based on Hellenistic principles stated by Vitruvius at the time of Augustus.
The design of the basilica was a typical one during this time in Rome: a tall and wide nave; an aisle on either side; and a semicircular apse at the end of the nave. What could be noted as slightly out of the norm, but certainly not unusual, is the basilica’s immense area. The original site was home to a previous Basilica. It is uncertain which aspects of the foundation were reused in the design and construction of S. Maria Maggiore.
The interior Athenian marble columns supporting the nave likely come from the first basilica, or from various other Roman building. Fun-fact: when materials of older buildings are salvaged and reused in new buildings(of this time) the salvaged materials can be referred to as spolia.  Of the forty columns, thirty-six are marble and four granite. Many of the columns were pared shortened to make them all identical, and although the interior has undergone many renovations, each appeasing the new styles of each century, the columns along with the entire structural system remains true to the original design. The haphazardly placed campanile is the highest in Rome, at 240 feet, and constructed in the fourteenth century. The campanile’s design is typical example of a Roman Bell tower, and it has not seen any reconstruction in its lifetime. 

At the time of construction, S. Maria Maggiore was nearly at the edge of the populated area of Rome. Yet, today the basilica has surfaced the consequence of a modern city functioning and keeping up with the advances of human progress while living on top of thousand of years of history; the construction of Stazione Termini only a few blocks away has turned the area into a heavily trafficked area and the base of the basilica has become a host to an enormous roundabout

On a final note, Bernini lived very near S. Maria Maggiore, during a portion of his life, and he desired to be buried there. Visitors are told that a staircase inside the bell tower was designed by him, however most art historians do not include it among Bernini's works.

Miles, Margaret Ruth. Rereading Historical Theology Before, During, and after Augustine. Eugene, Or.: Cascade, 2008. Print.Romeartlover. "Rome in the Footsteps of an XVIIIth Century Traveller." S. Maria Maggiore. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2016.