Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls

Built on the supposed tomb of Saint Paul the Apostle, who was beheaded just outside the city walls (hence 'Outside the Walls'). The fourth and final of Rome's Papal Major Basilicas, founded by Constantine in 324 AD and rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1823 destroyed almost everything. The vast nave is supported by 80 single-block granite columns, and a continuous frieze running the length of the basilica shows medallion portraits of every pope from Saint Peter to Francis — only a handful of empty medallions remain, with traditional belief that when the last is filled, the world will end. The Gothic ciborium over the altar (1285) and the early-13th-century Cosmatesque cloister both survived the fire and are remarkable. Far less crowded than the other three major basilicas.