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Church of the Great Mother of God in Rome: the Ponte Milvio dome that few people notice
The Church of the Gran Madre di Dio is located at Via Cassia 1, in Rome, in Ponte Milvio square. This place is bound to the memory of the battle between Constantine and Maxentius in 312, which ushered in a new era for the Catholic Church. Designed by Cesare Bazzani and built by Clemente Busiri Vici, it is a monumental temple from the 1930s.
A church born for an anniversary
The idea came from Pope Pius XI in 1931. It was to celebrate the 1,500th anniversary of the Council of Ephesus, which established the dogmas of the divine motherhood and perpetual virginity of Mary. Built between 1931 and 1933, the church was consecrated in 1937 by Bishop Francesco Beretti. It is the seat of the parish of the same name, which Pius XI established on December 1, 1933, the year of the extraordinary Jubilee of Redemption, with the apostolic constitution Quo perennius. Since 1965, the church has held the cardinal title of Gran Madre di Dio.
Greek cross plan and octagonal dome
The plan is a Greek cross. The entrance features a pronaos with a triangular pediment, two columns with Corinthian capitals, and the coat of arms of Pius XI inside the pediment. The dome rests on an octagonal drum, featuring eight large windows, and is topped by a lantern, which is also octagonal. In the apse, there are five round-arched windows and the inscription Sancta Maria Mater Dei ora pro nobis. The fresco in the apse basin is by Federico Morgante.
