The Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls is one of four churches considered to be the great ancient basilicas of Rome. Cardinal Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, named in 2005, is the current archpriest of this basilica. The basilica was founded by the Roman Emperor Constantine I over what was believed to be the burial place of Saint Paul, where it was said, that after the Apostle’s execution, his followers erected a memorial over his grave.
In 386, began the erection of a much larger basilica with a nave and four aisles with a transept. In the 5th century, it was even larger than the Old St. Peter’s Basilica. The basilica was damaged during the Saracen invasion in the 9th century and as a result Pope John VIII fortified it and the monastery.
On July 15, 1823, a fire started through the negligence of a workman who was replacing the lead of the roof, resulting in the almost total destruction of the basilica. The whole world contributed to its reconstruction with contributions from Egypt and Russia. The basilica was reopened in 1840.
