Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls: visiting Rome's fourth major basilica

Updated on October 5, 2026

The Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls (San Paolo fuori le Mura) stands on Via Ostiense, south of the city, where tradition says St Paul was buried. It is one of the four major basilicas of Rome, with St Peter's, St John Lateran and Santa Maria Maggiore. In October 2026 the basilica is open daily from 7am to 6:30pm, with free entry; the cloister costs €4. Allow 1 to 1.5 hours for the nave, Paul's tomb and the cloister. The present building dates from the 19th century: the early Christian church of the 4th century was almost entirely destroyed by a fire in 1823, then rebuilt along the same broad lines.

Highlights

The façade and the quadriporticus

The great colonnaded atrium, completed in the 20th century, leads to a façade decorated with mosaics; a statue of St Paul stands at the centre of the courtyard.

The five-aisled nave

Eighty granite columns divide the aisles of one of the largest churches in Rome, whose proportions recall the original early Christian basilica.

The tomb of St Paul

Beneath the papal altar, the confessio holds the apostle's sarcophagus, which you can see through an opening. A Gothic canopy by Arnolfo di Cambio, dated 1285, rises above it.

The portraits of the popes

Above the nave columns, mosaic portraits show the series of popes from St Peter onwards.

The triumphal arch mosaic

The arch opening onto the transept keeps a 5th-century mosaic that survived the 1823 fire and has since been restored.

The cloister

Dating from the 13th century, it is decorated with twisted columns inlaid with mosaic. It is visited together with the archaeological area, for €4 (€3 reduced), daily from 9am to 5:30pm.

Opening hours and prices

Basilica: daily 7am-6:30pm, free entry. Cloister and archaeological area: 9am-5:30pm, €4 (€3 reduced). Sacristy: daily 8am-12pm and 4pm-6:30pm. Shop and café: 8am-6:30pm. Prices and hours taken from the basilica's official website in October 2026; visits may be restricted during services.

Practical info

Tips

As in the other basilicas, keep your shoulders and knees covered. The basilica lies outside the centre: Metro line B drops you at Basilica San Paolo station, a few minutes' walk away, so you can combine it with the Ostiense district and the Pyramid of Cestius. It fits naturally into a pilgrimage of the four major basilicas. If you use a wheelchair or have reduced mobility, check with the basilica before your visit.