The Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli, located on top of the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is a building with a rich religious and civil history that began in the sixth century on the ruins of the ancient Temple of Juno Moneta. Its name, “Ara Coeli”, comes from a legend in which a sibyl would have prophesied to Augustus the arrival of the Son of God, inspiring the title “Altar of Heaven”. This basilica acquired civil importance in the Middle Ages, when it became the seat of important meetings of the Council of Rome, and was the scene of events such as the coronation of Petrarch as poet in 1341. In 1348, the famous marble staircase of 124 steps was built, a symbol of devotion, where women prayed for husbands, children or even luck in the lottery.
The church is also famous for the statue of the *Holy Child of Aracoeli*, carved in olive wood from the Mount of Gethsemane and venerated for its alleged miraculous powers, as it was attributed the ability to cure serious illnesses and even resurrect the dead. Stolen in 1994, it was never recovered, and today a replica is displayed in its place. The basilica also houses the tomb of St. Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, and artistic treasures such as frescoes by Pinturicchio in the Bufalini Chapel, the gilded ceiling commissioned in honor of the Madonna after the victory at Lepanto in 1571, and the iconic Madonna Aracoeli, a 10th century Byzantine image.
- Address
Scala dell’Arce Capitolina, 12, Roma, Italy - Web
https://www.diocesidiroma.it/ - Visiting Hours
Everyday from 7:30 to 19:00 - What to see
Tomb of St Helena, Santo Bambino of Aracoeli, Madonna of Aracoeli
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