This large tomb is the original resting place of St. Cecilia, a beloved virgin martyr of the late 2nd century. In 1599 her tomb was opened and her body was found incorrupt lying in this position. A statue was immediately made showing her hands crossed and proclaiming the truth for which she died, three persons in one God.

Records exist of Christians from across the empire visiting the tombs of Peter and Paul and other martyrs as early as 216 AD. This pilgrimage tradition has only grown over the last 18 centuries. 

Three centuries of various Christian persecutions ended when the emperor Constantine won a decisive battle at the Milvian Bridge, conquering with the sign of the cross as he saw in a dream. He issued the Edict of Milan which allowed for religious freedom. He financed the building of churches so Christians no longer needed to secretly gather in homes for worship, but now in a public location. The first church was on Lateran hill inside the city walls and dedicated to St. John. The local church of Rome all gathered to worship in this one location led by the bishop of Rome and successor of St. Peter. St. John Lateran is the “Mother church” of all Christians churches throughout the world and the cathedral church of the bishop of Rome, the pope (not the Vatican). Eventually a church was built over the tomb of Peter, called St. Peter on Vatican Hill, and another over the tomb of St. Paul Outside the Walls. A fourth significant church dedicated to the Virgin Mother called St. Mary Major was built. These four churches as papal basilicas are the cornerstone of Roman Catholic history, art, and culture. 

Over the centuries churches were built to house the relics of beloved martyrs and to accommodate pilgrims who desired to pray at their tombs, seek their intercession, and worship God near their mortal remains. Such churches include St. Sebatian, St. Agnus, St. Cecilia, and St. Lawrence. There are currently over 1000 churches in the city of Rome filled with relics of some of the greatest Saints and beautified by some of the greatest art ever created. Wandering into any one of them fills the senses and leads to participation in the worship and glory of God. A particular favorite of mine is the basilica of St. Augustine, which houses the relics of his mother, St. Monica, has a painting of the Madonna of the Pilgrims by Carivaggio. (Photo) This church is on the main road to the Vatican and would have been a popular stop for pilgrims, identifying with the couple in the painting in their shabby clothes and dirty feet.

In 387 AD, St. John Chrysostom, wrote of the emperors, generals, and consuls who visited Rome to venerate the tomb of "a fisherman and of a tent maker". Some of his relics are now found within St. Peter’s Basilica and a popular place of prayer. The peace of Rome made visits to the tombs and relics feasible for Christians throughout the empire. Even as the western Roman empire collapsed in the 6th century, pilgrims continued to make their way to the tombs of the saints. In the early 9th century, Pope Leo III established a hospital for pilgrims in Rome. In the Middle Ages, pilgrim guide books directed visitors to the Eternal City to the correct roads and various sites.  Laws were passed to offer safe-conduct and freedom from custom taxes. Religious communities built hostels along the roads to Rome and within the city itself to accommodate the transient visitors. Pilgrimages continued for both commoners and dignitaries alike. In the 9th century, popes began offering those guilty of committing a crime against ecclesial law the ability to remit punishment by donning pilgrim clothes and visiting a particular shrine. 

In 1300, Pope Boniface VIII declared the first modern jubilee year in a long tradition dating back to Old Testament times as recorded in the book of Leviticus and granted freedom to slaves and prisons, and forgiveness of debts owed. Because the pope is the successor of Peter, he has the keys to the Kingdom of God. These keys open the storehouse of heaven and loosen graces for all who make pilgrimage. There is an emphasis on the forgiveness of sins so that one may draw closer to Christ. However, during much of the 12th century, the pope moved from Rome to Avignon, France and many churches within Rome fell into disrepair. St. Catherine of Sienna convinced the pope to return to his holy see of Rome. City planning, which widened the roads connecting the four major basilicas, and the rebuilding of these churches helped usher in the Italian Renaissance and Baroque period and the famous artists who designed and decorated them such as Michaelangelo, Raphael, and Bernini.

Since 1470, jubilee years have been declared every 25 years. Pope Francis issued a papal bull declaring the year 2025 a jubilee and year of hope. He wrote, “May the Jubilee be a moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, the ‘door’ (cf. Jn 10:7,9) of our salvation, whom the Church is charged to proclaim always, everywhere, and to all as ‘our hope’ (1 Tim 1:1),” Holy Doors are a central part of the jubilee. These doors, found at St. Peter’s Basilica and the other three major basilicas, are sealed from the inside and only opened during a jubilee year. Visits to these four basilicas and walking through the holy door have become the custom for all true Roman pilgrimages.