Introduction
During the pontificate of Liberius, the Roman patrician John and his wife, who were without heirs, made a vow to donate their possessions to the Virgin Mary. They prayed that she might make known to them how they were to dispose of their property in her honour. On 5 August, at the height of the Roman summer, snow fell during the night on the summit of the Esquiline Hill. In obedience to a vision of the Virgin Mary which they had the same night, the couple built a basilica in honour of Mary on the very spot which was covered with snow.
Click on a link to the Vatican website beginning a virtual tour.
| 1. | Apse | |
| 2. | Nave 1 | |
| 3. | Nave 2 | |
| 4. | Baptistery | |
| 5. | Borghese Chapel | |
| 6. | Chapel | |
| 7. | Exterior | |
| 8. | Loggia |
