Updated 20 August 2026
The four Major Basilicas of Rome are St Peter’s Basilica, the Archbasilica of St John Lateran, St Mary Major and St Paul Outside the Walls. Together they stand at the heart of Catholic Rome, joining the tombs of the Apostles, the Cathedral of the Pope, the Church’s devotion to Our Lady and the living pilgrimage tradition of the Eternal City.
For Catholic pilgrims, these are not simply four famous churches to place on a sightseeing list. Each basilica expresses a distinct part of the Church’s history and identity. Visiting all four creates a coherent pilgrimage through apostolic memory, sacred relics, Catholic worship, mosaics, architecture and the continuity of the Church in Rome.