The largest Catholic Marian Church of Rome is located on the summit of the Esquiline Hill. The classical structure was built under Pope Sixtus III between 432 and 440, following the 431 proclamation that Mary was indeed Mother of God. The “Crypt of the Nativity,” or “Bethlehem Crypt,” located beneath the high altar, boasts a crystal reliquary which is said to contain wood from the Holy Crib of Jesus Christ.

Athenian marble columns support the nave, where a triumphal arch can be found, as well as mosaics, which are considered to be the oldest representations of the Virgin Mary in Late Christian Antiquity. The 14th-century bell tower, reaching 246 feet in height, is the tallest in Rome.