The Feastday of the Dedication of Santa Maria Maggiore

Today is the feastday of the founding of the Patriarchal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. On August 4 of 352, during the reign of Pope Liberius (352-366), Mary appeared in a dream to the Roman Patrician Johannus, and asked him to build a church for her at the summit of the Esquiline hill, she told him that he would find in the morning a field of new snow marking the location for him.Johannus hurried to the pope on the following morning to tell him of his vision, only to find that the pope too had been visited by the Virgin, who had asked him to summon Johannus to the Esquiline to mark out the location for a new church.

The two went to the Esquiline in haste and found the field of snow as the Virgin had promised, and they promptly erected a church for Mary.This first church was called the Liberiana, shortly thereafter renamed Santa Maria ad Nives.

My photos show the Maggiore at night, look closely and through the portico you will see mosaics that depict the dream of the Pope and the Miracle of the Snow.