In most European cities, Santa Maria Maggiore ( Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore ) would be the most famous and most visited church in the city.

Statue of King Philip IV of Spain by Girolamo Lucenti in the portico of Santa Maria Maggiore basilica, Rome Italy.

In Rome, Santa Maria Maggiore is likely the third most visited church in the city, and is nowhere as famous as other more popular and famous churches of Rome, Italy. Rome features possibly the most famous and amazing church in the world, that being St. Peter’s Basilica. Rome’s other more famous and quite older famous church is the Pantheon.

Construction on the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore started in 435 AD, and it is one of the four major Basilicas in Rome.

Now days after you pass through security and enter the portico, to the right is the statue of King Phillip IV of Spain, one of the basilicas benefactors. The reason this statue is associated with Gian Bernini is that he sculpted the clay model it’s based on. The finished bronze statue however was done by Girolamo Lucenti in 1692.

Piazza di S. Maria Maggiore, 42, 00100
Roma RM, Italy