Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls

The papal basilica raised over the tomb traditionally venerated as the burial place of the Apostle Paul, on the ancient Ostian Way south of the Aurelian Walls. One of the four major basilicas of Rome and the apostolic counterpart to Saint Peter's.

ITALY · ROME 41.8588° N · 12.4770° E
Location
Rome, Italy 41.8588° N · 12.4770° E
Type
Papal basilica, served by Benedictines Early Christian five-aisle basilica, rebuilt in the 19th century on the Theodosian plan
Dedication
Saint Paul the Apostle, traditionally venerated as buried beneath the papal altar
Time Needed
1 hour to half a day Cloister adds about 20 minutes
Why Go

The Apostle's Tomb on the Ostian Way

Come here for the apostolic counterpart to Saint Peter's. The basilica is built over the tomb traditionally venerated as the burial place of the Apostle Paul, with the marble sarcophagus beneath the confessio bearing the ancient inscription PAULO APOSTOLO MART. It is one of the four papal basilicas of Rome and one of the seven traditional pilgrim churches of the city. A serious Roman pilgrimage reads Peter and Paul together, and Saint Paul Outside the Walls gives the basilica over the Apostle's tomb a quieter, more spacious counterpoint to the crowds of the Vatican.

From the Apostle's Tomb to the Papal Basilica

Catholics have long venerated the burial place of the Apostle Paul beside the Ostian Way, near the road to the traditional site of his martyrdom at the Tre Fontane. Constantine's first basilica was enlarged in the late fourth century into a great Theodosian church with five aisles and a transept set across the tomb. The Benedictines were established at the adjoining abbey in the 10th century. After the fire of 1823, the basilica was rebuilt on the same plan and reconsecrated by Pope Pius IX in 1854.

The building holds ancient memory inside a 19th-century rebuilding. The confessio, triumphal arch, apse mosaic, Arnolfo di Cambio's ciborium, and the orientation of the nave keep the Theodosian plan legible. The rebuilt five-aisle basilica restores the long procession toward the Apostle's tomb, while the Cosmati cloister preserves a major medieval space beside it.

Inside The Confessio and the Apostle's Tomb Read the transept toward the papal altar. The ciborium of Arnolfo di Cambio of 1285 rises over the confessio and the marble sarcophagus traditionally venerated as the tomb of the Apostle Paul. The basilica is built around this point.

Saint Paul is traditionally venerated beneath the papal altar, where the basilica has gathered pilgrimage since late antiquity.

The fire of 1823 destroyed much of the ancient basilica, but the rebuilt church preserves the Theodosian plan around the Apostle's tomb.

The Series Pontificum along the nave reads the basilica as a visible memory of apostolic succession.

Spiritual Significance

What gives the basilica its weight is the tomb of the Apostle at its centre. The five-aisle plan, the long transept, and the great triumphal arch all open toward the confessio, and the Series Pontificum reads the whole nave as the visible memory of the apostolic succession that follows from Paul's witness. A Catholic visit reads the basilica inward: from the quadriportico and the colossal statue of Saint Paul, through the nave under the gaze of the popes, to the papal altar and the marble grille over the Apostle's sarcophagus. The basilica is also a serious place of liturgy. The Benedictine community keeps daily Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours, the chapter of the basilica celebrates the great feasts of Saint Paul, and the closing liturgy of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity each January is celebrated here in the presence of representatives of other Christian communions.

Nave The Series Pontificum The five-aisle nave was rebuilt after the fire of 1823 on the Theodosian plan. The continuous frieze of mosaic portrait medallions along the upper walls gathers every pope from Saint Peter to the present, reading the basilica as the visible memory of apostolic succession around the Apostle's tomb.
Do Not Miss · 6 stops

What to notice.

  1. The confessio and the Apostle's tomb

    Approach the marble grille over the sarcophagus beneath the papal altar. The grille shows the ancient inscription PAULO APOSTOLO MART and the chains traditionally associated with the imprisonment of Saint Paul. This is the spiritual centre of the basilica.

  2. The ciborium of Arnolfo di Cambio

    Completed in 1285 and signed by the sculptor, the Gothic baldachin over the papal altar is one of the few medieval works to survive the fire of 1823. Read it as the canopy that has framed the Apostle's tomb for more than seven centuries.

  3. The 13th-century apse mosaic

    Commissioned by Pope Honorius III in 1220, with Christ enthroned between Saints Peter, Paul, Andrew, and Luke and the small figure of the pope at the Lord's feet. The mosaic survived the fire and was restored in the 19th-century rebuilding.

  4. The Series Pontificum

    The continuous frieze of mosaic portrait medallions along the nave gathers every bishop of Rome from Saint Peter to the present. Walk the nave slowly and read the basilica as the visible memory of apostolic succession around the Apostle's tomb.

  5. The medieval Cosmati cloister

    The cloister of the adjoining Benedictine abbey is one of the most refined examples of the Cosmati style in Rome, with paired colonettes, mosaic inlay, and a surrounding lapidarium of inscriptions from the older basilica. Reached through the ticketed entrance.

  6. The Chapel of the Crucifix

    Saint Ignatius of Loyola and his first companions pronounced their vows in this chapel on 22 April 1541, before the foundation of the Society of Jesus. A small inscription marks the place.

What to notice
  • That the basilica stands beside the ancient Ostian Way, outside the Aurelian Walls of Rome, on the route from the city to the traditional site of the Apostle's martyrdom at the Tre Fontane. The setting is the reason for the dedication.
  • How the rebuilt basilica preserves the Theodosian plan beneath the 19th-century nave. The five aisles, the eighty columns, and the long transept oriented across the confessio all point toward the tomb of the Apostle, exactly as the 4th-century basilica did.
  • The Series Pontificum running continuously along the upper walls of the nave. The medallions gather every pope from Saint Peter to the present and read the basilica as the visible memory of apostolic succession around the Apostle's tomb.
  • That the fire of 1823 substantially destroyed the Theodosian basilica but spared the ciborium of Arnolfo di Cambio, the 13th-century apse mosaic, the triumphal arch, and the Cosmati cloister. The rebuilt nave should be read together with what survived the fire.
  • That the basilica is a papal basilica administered through the Pontifical Commission for the Holy See in Rome and served by the adjoining Benedictine community. Access to the confessio is open during normal hours, while the cloister, archaeological area, and pinacoteca are ticketed.
Visit Plans · 3 plans · save to My Journey

How much time, and what to do with it.

  • 1 h Time-pressed pilgrims

    The focused visit

    The quadriportico and the statue of Saint Paul, the nave under the Series Pontificum, the confessio at the papal altar, and a first reading of the apse mosaic.

    1. Quadriportico and the statue of Saint Paul
    2. Nave under the Series Pontificum
    3. Confessio at the papal altar
    4. The 13th-century apse mosaic
  • 2 h First-time pilgrims

    The pilgrim's visit

    As above, plus the Chapel of the Crucifix, the transept chapels, and an unhurried turn through the medieval Cosmati cloister and its lapidarium.

    1. Confessio at the papal altar
    2. Apse mosaic and the throne of Honorius III
    3. Chapel of the Crucifix
    4. Transept chapels
    5. Cosmati cloister and lapidarium
  • Half day Pilgrims reading apostolic Rome

    Paul with the wider city

    Pair the basilica with the Ostiense neighbourhood, or read it together with Saint Peter's as the two apostolic shrines of the Church of Rome.

    1. Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls
    2. Cosmati cloister and lapidarium
    3. Ostiense neighbourhood, or Saint Peter's as the paired apostolic shrine

Saint Paul Outside the Walls rewards a slower visit than the Vatican basilica. Enter through the quadriportico, walk the nave under the gaze of the Series Pontificum, and approach the confessio at the papal altar. Pause at the grille over the Apostle's sarcophagus before moving to the apse mosaic and the throne of Honorius III. Visit the Chapel of the Crucifix and the transept chapels, then end in the medieval Cosmati cloister of the adjoining abbey. If a Mass is offered while you are there, join it; the liturgy celebrated at the papal altar over the Apostle's tomb is itself the reason the basilica exists.

How to Visit

Entering as a pilgrim, not a tourist.

Entry to the basilica is free for prayer year-round, and pilgrim access to the confessio is open during normal opening hours. The cloister, archaeological area, and pinacoteca require a ticket and are administered through the Pontifical Commission for the Holy See in Rome. Confirm current opening days, ticket arrangements, Mass times, and liturgical schedule on the official basilica site before planning around the visit. The basilica is reached from central Rome by Metro Line B (Basilica San Paolo station, a short walk from the entrance) and combines naturally with a wider Ostiense or Garbatella walk.

  • When to Arrive Mid-morning on a weekday is quietest, when the alabaster windows light the nave and the crowds of the Vatican are across the city. The basilica is rarely pressed the way Saint Peter's is.
  • Where to Begin Enter through the quadriportico and pause beneath the colossal statue of Saint Paul before stepping inside. Read the five-aisle nave as a single axis toward the confessio rather than wandering the columns at random.
  • Where to Pause Pray at the papal altar and the confessio, at the marble grille over the sarcophagus traditionally venerated as the tomb of the Apostle Paul. This is the centre the whole basilica is built around.
  • Liturgy and Confession The Benedictine community of the adjoining abbey keeps daily Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours, and Reconciliation is offered in several languages. The closing liturgy of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is celebrated here each January.
  • Cloister and Tickets Entry to the basilica is free for prayer. The medieval Cosmati cloister, the archaeological area, and the pinacoteca are ticketed and administered through the Pontifical Commission for the Holy See in Rome.
  • Reverence and Dress Shoulders and knees covered, with reverent dress for the liturgies. Photography is permitted without flash in the basilica, with restrictions during liturgies and in the archaeological area.
  • Getting There Metro Line B to Basilica San Paolo station leaves a short walk to the entrance, about fifteen minutes from Termini. The visit combines naturally with a wider Ostiense or Garbatella walk.
Relics, Tombs, Sacred Objects

What pilgrims come to venerate here.

Tomb of Saint Paul

Apostolic burial site

Yes, at the confessio over the tomb

Basilica of Saint Paul · Pontifical Commission for the Holy See
Documented

Venerated since the earliest centuries as the burial place of the Apostle Paul; the sarcophagus beneath the confessio was examined for the Pauline Year of 2008 to 2009, and bone fragments within it were reported carbon-dated to the first or second century, consistent with the tradition and not put forward as proven beyond dispute.

Marble slab inscribed PAULO APOSTOLO MART

Ancient tomb inscription

Visible through the confessio grille

Pontifical Commission · basilica documentation
Documented

The marble slab set over the sarcophagus bears the early inscription PAULO APOSTOLO MART, to Paul, Apostle and Martyr, marking the tomb identified by the Christian community of Rome.

Confessio of Saint Paul

Tomb shrine, liturgical focal point

Yes, the focus of pilgrim prayer at the tomb

Basilica tradition
Documented

The confessio at the papal altar is the liturgical and architectural centre of the basilica, oriented across the Apostle's tomb.

Chains traditionally associated with Saint Paul's imprisonment

Relic of tradition

Yes, in a reliquary at the confessio

Basilica tradition
Traditional

Venerated by long-standing tradition in a reliquary at the confessio; the complementary chains are venerated at San Paolo alle Tre Fontane on the traditional site of the martyrdom.

Relics traditionally associated with Saint Timothy

Relic of tradition

Within the basilica

Basilica tradition
Traditional

Saint Timothy, the companion of Saint Paul, is traditionally venerated as preserved in the basilica near the Apostle.

Source note Traditional attributions are presented as tradition, with documentation named where it exists.

Connected Saints

How this place gathers the saints.

Saint Paul the Apostle Tomb and burial tradition The papal basilica on the Ostian Way raised over the place traditionally venerated as Paul's tomb, the primary site of his Roman devotion. Saint Peter the Apostle Apostolic pairing in Rome The basilica over Paul's tomb, completing the pairing Rome keeps between its two founding apostles, joined in the feast of June 29.
Continue Your Pilgrimage · Across the wider city

Across apostolic Rome.

Map · Rome, Italy

Plan around this place.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Editorial sources

Saint Paul Outside the Walls is a papal basilica administered through the Pontifical Commission for the Holy See in Rome, with the adjoining Benedictine community serving the daily liturgical life of the basilica. The basilica is open for prayer year-round and entry is free; the cloister, archaeological area, and pinacoteca are ticketed and have separate opening arrangements. The tomb beneath the papal altar is venerated by long-standing Catholic tradition as the burial place of the Apostle Paul, and the investigations announced for the Pauline Year of 2008 to 2009 reported bone fragments within the sarcophagus carbon-dated to the first or second century, consistent with the tradition. The basilica suffered a substantial fire on the night of 15 to 16 July 1823 and was rebuilt on the same Theodosian plan, preserving the ciborium of Arnolfo di Cambio, the 13th-century apse mosaic, the triumphal arch, and the Cosmati cloister; the present nave was reconsecrated by Pope Pius IX in 1854.

Official

basilicasanpaolo.org

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Last reviewed

June 12, 2026