Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls

An extremely beautiful and less touristy among the 4 basilicas with the holy doors. Well adorned with a mixture of white and gold which gives it a clean and rich aesthetic along with the many frescos you can see. Being able to pass through the holy doors with minimal to zero traffic was a such a breather as you can take your time to appreciate the walk. There is also a mini museum where you can pay 3 euro to see some of the artifacts and ancient carvings stored there with a modern souvenir store and cafe too. My favourite basilica among the 4 basilicas with the holy doors which is highly underrated and should not be slept on!

Gorgeous Papal Basilica. One of the four. Like the name say's, it's not in the city center but when you arrive, you'll see it was well worth the detour. It's gorgeous outside and inside. The unsual configuration of a small garden before the main door gives it such a nice vibe and the interior is very beautiful. Small line to pass security and then quick entrance. Please visit!

Located outside Rome’s ancient city walls, this major basilica is one of the most sacred sites in Christianity. Built in the 4th century over the tomb of the Apostle Paul, it impresses visitors with its vast interior, rows of marble columns, and magnificent golden mosaics. Destroyed by a fire in 1823 and later rebuilt, the basilica retains its grand and peaceful atmosphere. Highlights include the 13th-century Gothic canopy (ciborium), the Apostle Paul’s tomb beneath the main altar, and the portraits of all popes since Saint Peter. Don’t miss the beautiful medieval cloister, a masterpiece of elegance and calm. Easily accessible by metro (Line B, San Paolo station), this basilica is well worth a visit for both its artistic beauty and deep spiritual significance.

Papal Basilica of St Paul is my most recent discovery here in Rome. I spent a few minutes of prayer before Mass. The choir was incredible. The most special place is the St Paul tomb: please pray here. Keep yourself in silence and donate to the charities of the Basilica. They do an incredible work!

Nestled amidst the historic grandeur of Rome, the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls stands as a testament to the city's rich spiritual heritage and architectural brilliance. This basilica, one of the four major papal basilicas in Rome, offers visitors a serene and awe-inspiring experience that complements the bustling energy of the city. Easy to book online and got lucky to witness the Holy Doors 🚪 open every 25 years.

One of the greatest churches in Rome is the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. It is one of the four papal basilicas of the Holy See, a place closely connected with the Apostle Paul himself. Here you can see the chains that once bound the Apostle and truly touch history. The basilica impresses with its beauty: magnificent mosaics, majestic architecture, and a solemn atmosphere. There is also a separate entrance to the museum where you can view the sacred relics of this basilica. This is truly a unique place that everyone should visit. Highly recommended!

​Absolutely awe-inspiring and feels wonderfully serene. Visiting during Jubilee 2025 makes it even more special as you can enter through the magnificent Holy Door here. The sheer scale and shimmering golden mosaics are breathtaking, and standing before the tomb of St. Paul is a powerful moment. For another tangible connection to history, see the chains said to have bound the Apostle. The peaceful cloister is a beautiful gem!

A beautiful church, and one of the 4 papal basilicas in Rome. Huge scale, striking gold, ornate ceiling with circular portraits of all past Popes lining the wall. At the time of writing, Leo still awaits his portrait. Aside from the incredible basilica itself, and the entrance courtyard, there is a quiet cloister one can visit for €3, which includes a small museum space where one can look at relics and artifacts dating back many hundreds of years. Nice cafe and shop too. Easy public transport links, or a straightforward stroll from Trastevere Station for the more athletic.

The Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls (Italian: Basilica di San Paolo Fuori le Mura) is definitely a must-see if ever in Rome because this basilica is special for so many reasons! My hubby and I visited during our 1st trip to Rome (on September 30, 2023) while celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary (yep, love was in the air! ;) I came across this basilica when researching attractions located near/around the Airbnb that we were staying at in the Ostiense neighborhood and after reading about it, I just had to add it to our Rome itinerary. See the many pics and videos included w/ this review from our visit on 09/30/2023 -- just know that despite my best efforts, they don't fully capture just how beautiful and impressive this basilica is in person. And these pics & videos definitely couldn't capture what I felt when I 1st walked inside and saw the beautiful, gold ceiling that looked like it was glowing! (Brief History) This basilica was built above the tomb of St. Paul in Rome and is one of the 4 major basilicas of Rome. It was consecrated AD 4th century. It's also the 2nd largest church in the Italian capital after St. Peter's. Located inside is the sarcophagus of St. Paul. (Special-ness Specs) -- Gallery of The Popes -- (see the pics & videos included w/ this review) Inside the basilica there are 5 rooms w/ the central one having 80 granite and marble columns and there you will see the portraits of every past pope since St. Peter -- 266 total (awesome display) -- Doors at St. Peter's -- (see pics & videos) 1. The Holy Door - one of the four holy doors is located here, holy doors are only opened every 25 yrs during Jubilee (2025 is the next Jubilee in Rome) 2. The Byzantine Door--the door dates back to the 11th century has 54 panels 3. Outdoor courtyard w/ the beautiful St. Paul monument (Additional helpful info) -- Free to visit but bring some cash so you can leave an offering -- There is a dress code - no knees, stomach, or shoulders can be shown. During our visit there were plastic, disposable shawls at the front door once you entered into the basilica that visitors were asked to use if they were wearing shorts that had their knees showing or if they had on a sleeveless top on. -- not as crowded/busy as St. Peter's basilica so you're able to take your time during your visit Rome has so many beautiful and historic basilica's and during our time in Rome, we did get to experience so many of them and yes, while each of them were special in their own way, the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside The Walls was my favorite and I'm so very grateful that I was able to experience such historic beauty. Till next time, Rebecca visiting from Austin, Texas (United States) on 09/30/2023

This is definitely a must-see. It is quite a bit less busy, and less crowded than other Basilicas on our tour, and was a welcome respite. We especially appreciated the deli at the end of our tour that offered sandwiches and drinks, and a quiet patio.

This place is FANTASTIC! After the chaos and the hulking, sweating and heaving crowds of St. Peter's and Vatican City, jumping on a bus and coming here was the perfect antidote. The energy here is off the charts I think mostly because it's only real Christian and spiritual pilgrims coming here given that this Church is a bit a way off from the regular tourist hot spots of central Rome. There were no annoying as hell Chinese, Russian and American tourists here. I also did not see any disrespectful tourists who just show up, take a stupid photo and selfie and then promptly leave. People who show up here know that St. Paul the Apostle is buried here and come here reverently. there is a reverent and spiritual attitude here. I did see a lot of Italian and German christian pilgrims and given the vastness of this place, it felt almost like having the entire place to yourself. Another thing I noticed, every single pilgrim walking out of the Basilica had a smile on their face. Even if you are not a Catholic like me, but are someone who is into soaking up pure spiritual energy and taking in the atmosphere and ethos of such places, then come here. This place has it in spades. The energy here is still very pure and has not been ruined by mass tourism like St. Peter's has.

I found the Basilica San Paolo Fuori Le Mura to be absolutely breathtaking and very peaceful. Though a bit of a ways outside of Rome proper, it's easy to get to if you take the metro. Though not as well known as St. Peter's Cathedral, the church is no less an important landmark or beautiful in its own right. The interior is very spacious and very grand and there is so much to see as you wander throughout. The gardens outside the building aren't very big but they are nice to take a walk through and everything is beautifully maintained. Make sure to wear long pants or a skirt as they will not allow you to enter the church if you are wearing shorts though they do give out large pieces of felt so you can tie it like a pareo or wrap it around your legs (which is uncomfortable and I do not recommend having to resort to that, just come prepared if anything your own very large pashmina or scarf to cover up of you must wear shorts). The church is considered part of Vatican city which you will notice if you buy anything from the gift shop and if you'd like to mail something out from there.

The Basilica San Paolo was the third site my friend and I visited along our pilgrimage of the four major Roman Catholic Basilicas following stops at Saint Mary and Saint John the Lateran. We had to hop on the Metro to visit St. Paul Outside the Walls. After visiting the Lateran and Saint Mary, we weren't expecting opulent exteriors, so Saint Paul seemed to fit the bill when we unknowingly entered through the back entrance. Constantine I founded the basilica in the 4th century over the burial place of St. Paul. Made by Venetian artists, the apse mosaic displays Jesus with the Apostles Peter, Paul, Andrew, and Luke, and dates from 1220. The triumphal arch and the interior portion of the apse are all that remain from the original basilica. Above the columns are portraits of every Pope since Peter. The basilica suffered some damage during the Saracen raid in the 9th century, but maintained most of its primitive character until 1823 when a fire started through the negligence of a careless worker nearly destroyed it. The reconstructed basilica has maintained the original structure of one nave and four aisles and is the second largest in Rome. Although St. Paul Outside the Walls is a short ride on the Metro, it was surprisingly sparse, which offered a perfect opportunity for photos untainted with other tourists. Just when we thought we'd seen everything this magnificent basilica had to offer, we realized we had not entered through the main entrance, which turned out to be far more intricate than the Lateran and Mary basilicas. St. Paul is in the same city, but looks entirely different than Lateran and Mary with its colorful exterior mosaics, courtyard style enclosing, and palm trees. Like the other basilicas, entry was free and there was security at the entrance. If you've got a Metro card, it's worth the trip. We visited in December 2015.

It's painful for me to give a church 2 stars, especially a Papal Basilica. I made a point of visiting as this is one of the 4 "major" pilgrimage basilicas and I was a pilgrim. Unless you have a great devotion to S. Paul, don't waste your time. The original basilica burnt down in the 1800's and was reconstructed. It's an empty shell for the most part and has little inside to see or experience. You can see a sliver of the apostles tomb below the altar though. In addition, it's a good way outside Rome proper so be sure the Metro isn't on strike or you'll be paying rather expensive cab fares (as I did). There isn't a good bus link and there's no taxi stand anywhere near. If the metro is running, there is a stop about 1/2mi. from the exit. The reason this church gets two stars is the lovely gardens out front and the very nice gift shop selling abbey made products (vs the same tourist postcards at other churches). My major rub with this Basilica is that it felt actively unfriendly to the pilgrim or visitor. It's a cold space to start with, and the people staffing it were just plain mean. One verger gave me directions to a taxi stand...except in the exact opposite direction (even pointed it out on my map!) Another, when asked where the Metro stop was replied "outside the church". Really? Because I was looking for the turnstiles next to the altar....thank goodness you were here to tell me otherwise. I hate to sound petty where a church is concerned but let's face it, WWJD? He wouldn't be jerky to people visiting His house, that's for sure.

It might be a newer church and not ancient like the other churches due to being destroyed in a fire from a worker in 1800s, but I loved this church. It is very beautiful and without all the throngs and masses at St. Peter's Basilica, you can breathe and walk around in peace. We actually spent a good 2.5 hours there. It was cool to see all the portraits of each Pope lining the walls as well as climbing down the stairs to see part of the tomb of St. Paul and his alleged chains he was locked up in. This Church has a lot of cool details, that you might not have noticed or read about if there were throngs of people in the way. In addition, it has a beautiful garden in the front as well as spacious green grounds on the backside of the Church leading to a playground for children. We saw a lot of couples and families just sitting out in the sun, enjoying the weather with the trees flowering their spring blossoms. There's an extra part of the Church where you have to pay 4 euros. I think it was to look at more exhibits of an archaeological dig and cloisters. Also a nice gift shop. Would truly like to return here and take a tour next time! In addition, the subway stop is right next to a Mc Donald's, where you can take a lunch break away from the pizza and pasta and a cheap pit stop. These Mc Donald's have Mc Cafe where you can get a thick chocolate drink, cappucino, and tasty Europen pastries/desserts.

Definitely my favorite church in Rome. I love to visit it when it's quiet, that is on a random summer day or on a sunday afternoon. If you enter from the front you arrive in this small beautiful blooming garden surrounded by big towering white columns. Then you get inside and are overwhelmed by the majesty of the building, a feeling of solemnity that increases with every step you make. Takes my breath away every time I enter it.

Definitely worth the trip a little south of the city. We stopped in our way home from Ostia Antica. Beautiful, very large church. Go before you go to St. Peter's basilica.

My wife and I saw this as part of the "Major Basilicas & Holy Stairs" tour. It was one of the best tours we have had. Our tour was on 9/16 at 2:00 pm. Before the tour we were hesitant on wither it was right for us. It was very hot that day and after walking around the Vatican our feet were tired. However, this tour with the guide we had is a must do for Rome. We had an amazing time and the guide was full of information for all areas including the history, legends, and rumors. He mentioned he was a history history major, however I am not good with names. I wish I was able to remember so we could thank him by name. The tour was of three churches by bus.