In the year 358 AD, during the pontificate of Pope Liberius, a wealthy Roman couple prayed to the Virgin Mary, asking for guidance on how to dedicate their fortune in her honor. That night, both the couple and the Pope had a vision of Mary, who told them to build a church on the spot where they would find snow in the middle of summer.
On the morning of August 5th, the people of Rome were astonished: in the blazing heat of summer, a miraculous snowfall covered the Esquiline Hill. Following the sign, Pope Liberius traced the outline of a church in the snow, and soon after, the Basilica of St. Mary Major was built — one of the greatest Marian churches in the world.
Even today, every year on August 5th, white petals fall from the ceiling of the basilica to commemorate this miraculous event.
