Aficionados of sacred vestments and other objects of liturgical art are reasonably familiar with the fact that if you proceed into the subterranean levels of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome (accessed through the baptistery and ultimately through the adjacent gift shop for those who are not familiar with how to access it) one can find numerous objects of liturgical art that are worthy of your attention.
The lower museum -- which is free to access incidentally -- contains some of the most important vestments on display in the collection, including vestments worn by St. Pius V, St. Charles Borromeo and the Barberini pope, Urban VIII. (Regrettably, photographs of the vestments found in particular section are notoriously difficult to get good photographs of due to the poor nature of the lighting as well as the highly reflective glass.) This lower museum also contains various other impressive objects of liturgical art, including altar candlesticks and crosses, reliquaries and so on. Here is a small taste of some of what you can find in the lower treasury museum.
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| Candlesticks and, seen behind, the Solemn Mass set of vestments attributed to St. Charles Borromeo with the popular 'pigna' (pine cone) motif of his era. |
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| Vestments of the Barberini Pope, Urban VIII, which include his iconic heraldic bee motif |
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| Mitra pretiosa - a precious mitre |
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| Sandalia (pontifical sandals) of St. Pius V |
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| Various reliquaries |
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| Cassock of Bl. Pope Pius IX |
Unbeknownst to many however, there is also an upper museum found within the basilica. The upper museum is accessed by way of the Information Desk found within the narthex of the basilica and can be accessed for a modest ticket of 7€ per person (about $8 USD) -- and it is well worth your time to go up there.
First, it gives you access to the earlier medieval facade of the basilica as well as the four sculptural angels that used to be atop the ciborium magnum -- and the facade alone is worth the price of admission.
In addition to this, however, one will also see yet further examples of precious vestments from the basilica's sacristy, ancient sarcophogi, illuminated liturgical books, stunning paintings related to the founding of the basilica,, and even the metallic covers and crowns that were designed to ornament the Madonna Salus Populi Romani icon.
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| An illuminated antiphonary |
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| Jacopo Zucchi's "Procession of St. Gregory the Great" from the later 1500's or early 1600's |
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| Metal case and covering for the Madonna Salus Populi Romani icon from 1613 and 1615 respectively, commissioned by Pope Paul V. |
One thing is for certain, and I think you'll agree, while the museum found at the subterranean level is both free and particularly noteworthy, you surely will not want to miss he upper treasury museum the next time your find yourself in Rome and Santa Maria Maggiore.
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