The crypt of the Confession of Saint Mary Major in Rome with the relic of the cradle of the Christ Child

The confession crypt of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome

Confession crypt In front of and below the papal altar is the Crypt of Confession, also known as the Crypt of St Matthew, entirely renovated between 1861 and 1864 by the Roman architect Virginio Vespignani (1808-1882) for Pope Pius IX.

In addition to the balustrade in white crystalline alabaster with grey stripes that surrounds the crypt from the papal altar, four semi-translucent honey-coloured and white cotognino alabaster columns adorn the circular part of the crypt.

At the heart of this crypt stands the statue of Pope Pius IX, kneeling.

The central drum, walls and floor of the crypt are adorned with Breccia marbles of various types, offering a rich chromatic palette and evoking luxury.

However, this richness contrasts sharply with the relics of Jesus' cradle, which are in this crypt, but which are supposed to represent poverty.

The relics of the cradle of the Infant Jesus

After this renovation, the relics of the cradle of the Infant Jesus were transferred to the crypt where they are still kept.

Relics of the cradle of the Infant Jesus from the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome

Relics of the cradle These relics consist of five small pieces of sycamore wood that were part of the manger where the Infant Jesus was laid after his birth.

Recent scientific analysis has dated these pieces of wood from sycamore to the time of Christ's birth.

These five pieces of wood from the manger of the Child Jesus are said to have been bring to Rome from Palestine in 642 by Pope Theodore I (Pope from 642 to 649).

Theodore I, born in Jerusalem, Palestine, and was the son of the Bishop of Jerusalem.

Other sources claim that it was Gregory III (pope from 731 to 741), born in Syria in 690, who had these relics brought to Rome.

Crypt of Confession Following the visit of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Rome in 2019, Pope Francis offered a wooden fragment of this relic to the Franciscan Church of St Catherine in Bethlehem.

These poor pieces of wood have undergone the same luxurious treatment as the marble and alabaster on the walls and floor of the crypt.

They are presented in a rock crystal vessel made in 1802 by Giuseppe Valadier (1762-1839) and dominated by gold and silver.

This work by Valadier corresponds to a donation from the Duchess Maria Emanuela Pignatelli, Duchess of Villahermosa in Spain.

A poor mangeoire inappropriately transformed into a grandiloquent royal throne.

The statue of Pope Pius IX

The Crypt of Confession in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome

Crypt of Confession At the centre of the crypt, in an attitude of humility that contrasts with the opulence that surrounds it, is the statue of Pope Pius IX (pope from 1846 to 1878), bathing and praying before the relics of Christ's cradle.

To date, Pius IX, after Saint Peter, is the pope who lived the longest pontificate in papal history, nearly 32 years.

This white marble sculpture, by Italian artist Ignazio Jacometti, was commissioned by Sovereign Pontiff Leo XIII (pope from 1878 to 1903).

A rosary is passed around his hands and his gaze is directed towards heaven.

Crypt of Confession

Confession crypt