Exactly 200 years ago today, on July 15 1823, the church lost one of its treasures, the Basilica of St Paul outside the walls caught fire and was partially destroyed, especially the ceiling. The church was built over the place where St Paul was buried after being decapitated 3 miles away. The basilica we see today is the third one built. The first, built by Constantine in 324 soon after he legalized Christianity, was tiny, basically the area from the altar to the apse today. Starting in 384, the three emperors who made Christianity the official religion of the empire (Theodosius, Valentinian II and Arcadius) united to build for the “Apostle of the Nations” something considerably larger — the basic floor plan of today’s edifice — which was by far the largest church in Rome until the new St. Peter’s was built between 1506 and 1626. The fire of 1823 was as traumatic to the Christian world as the fire that torched Notre Dame in Paris in April 2019. At that time, the roof of the basilica was leaking during downpours, and Pope Pius VII gave authorization for repairs to be done. On the evening of July 15, two workmen worked late into the night, extending copper gutters on the roof. After they left, embers that had not been fully extinguished in a pan they were using to heat and mold the copper, escaped to ignite a fire on the roof that would burn until the following morning. After the fire had burned itself out, it had destroyed the roof, which led to the collapse of the entire north (left) side of the basilica.
The triumphal arch with its precious fifth-century mosaics, the altar area built over the apostle’s tomb, the transept and apse with its 13th-century mosaics were spared. The next Pope, Leo XII knew that the Jubilee of 1825 was coming, and he hoped to do something to open up for pilgrims the area of the basilica that hadn’t been destroyed. He cleverly sought to use the jubilee to help the whole world contribute to the rebuilding of the basilica. Everyone responded with enormous generosity to the desire to rebuild. Catholics dioceses and individuals were, as expected, the most generous contributors, but they weren’t the only ones. Czar Nicholas I of Russia donated priceless malachite and lapus lazuli used for some altars. King Faoud I of Egypt, and his viceroy, Muhammad Ali Pasha, contributed alabaster columns and windows. The famous paintings of the reigning Popes lining up the entire church were done in mosaic and are still visible for everyone to admire. Thankfully we can still enjoy the 4 major Basilicas in their glory, but we have to remember the indomitable spirit of those who built them, as well as those who periodically restore them.
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