Editing Basilica di Santa Maria in Ara Coeli

{{Era|Landmarks}}{{WP-REAL}}
{{Quote|I have a feeling there's more to this building than meets the eye, so I'd suggest paying close attention to this one.|Shaun Hastings, on the Santa Maria in Aracoeli.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood|Database: Basilica di Santa Maria in Aracoeli}}
{{Landmarks Infobox
|image = Basilica di Santa Maria in Ara Coeli.png
|description = An important Roman basilica
|location = [[Centro District]], [[Rome]], [[Italy]]
|dateconstructed = 13th century CE
|functions = Church
}}
The '''Basilica di Santa Maria in Aracoeli''' (English: ''Basilica of Saint Mary of the Altar of Heaven'') is the church of the city council of [[Rome]], dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

==History==
===Construction===
The church was constructed during the 13th century, when it was supposedly built on top of the {{Wiki|Temple of Juno Moneta|Temple}} of [[Juno]].<ref name="Database">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' – [[Database: Basilica di Santa Maria in Aracoeli]]</ref>

===Renaissance===
The Temple was also home to a [[Lairs of Romulus|Lair of Romulus]], which the [[Assassins|Assassin]] [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]] discovered during his tenure in Rome during the [[Renaissance]]. During this same period, Ezio funded the renovation of the church as one of the many buildings and monuments throughout the city that provided income for the Assassin Order.<ref name="ACB">''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood''</ref>

Later, sometime after the [[liberation of Rome]] from [[House of Borgia|Borgia]] oppression, Ezio traveled to the church and made his way through it into the [[Colosseum Vault|Vault]] below, where he stored his [[Apple of Eden 6|Apple]] of [[Eden]].<ref name="ACB" />

===Search for the Apple===
In [[Modern times|2012]], [[Desmond Miles]] gained access to the basilica after entering through the underground passageway and hidden entrances from the [[Colosseum]]. There, he solved a puzzle, pulling a lever which raised a [[Vault pedestal|strange device]], that later opened a secret entrance to the Vault beneath the church.<ref name="ACB" />

==Trivia==
*According to legend, Emperor {{Wiki|Augustus}} was foretold of the arrival of [[Jesus of Nazareth|Jesus Christ]] in the Temple of Juno atop the Capitol, and commissioned a "heavenly altar" (''ara coeli'') to be built inside. The {{Wiki|Christianity|Christian}} church was then said to be built directly upon this eponymous altar.
*While playing as Ezio, the church could be viewed from the outside only, but when inside the church during modern times, as Desmond, the interior was larger than it appeared on the outside.

==Gallery==
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center" spacing="small" widths="180">
Santa_Maria_Aracoeli_1.png
Santa_Maria_Aracoeli_4.png
Santa_Maria_Aracoeli_5.png
Santa_Maria_Aracoeli_6.png
Santa_Maria_Aracoeli_8.png
Santa_Maria_Aracoeli_v.png|Modern day Assassins inside the church
Santa_Maria_Aracoeli_7.png
</gallery>

==Appearances==
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''

==References==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:Churches]]
[[Category:Landmarks in Rome]]