Pope Pius IX
This magnificent interior features a grand staircase leading down to a crypt beneath the main altar of the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (Saint Mary Major) in Rome, Italy. The Crypt of the Nativity, or Bethlehem Crypt, is situated directly beneath the high altar of the basilica. This sacred space houses five sycamore wood boards believed to be from the Holy Crib (or manger) where the infant Jesus was laid after his birth in Bethlehem. These relics were brought to Rome in the 7th century. The large marble sculpture depicts Pope Pius IX (reigned 1846–1878) kneeling in prayer before the reliquary containing the Holy Crib. Santa Maria Maggiore is known as the “Bethlehem of the West” and the “Christmas Basilica” due to these significant relics. It is one of the four major papal basilicas in Rome.