In 1274, while traveling through L'Aquila, a hermit from Morrone named Pietro, founder of the Celestine Order, spent the night on a nearby hill, the Colle di Maggio, and had a dream in which the Virgin Mary, surrounded by angels at the top of a golden stairway, asked him to build a church there in her honor.
In 1287 the Celestines bought the land, started construction the following year, and consecrated the still-unfinished church in 1289.
The hill that gave its name to the church no longer exists, the valley between it and the city having been filled in during the 19th century; further adjustments to the local topography were made in the 1930s to improve accessibility to the church.

On August 29, 1294, Pietro da Morrone was crowned Pope there, as Celestine V, and as part of his coronation instituted a plenary pardon of sins for all who would visit the church, confessed and repentant, on 28 and 29 August of any year.
The "Celestinian Forgiveness" (in Italian: Perdonanza Celestiniana) is widely viewed by church historians as the immediate ancestor of the Jubilee and Holy Year instituted only six years later by Pope Boniface VIII; and it is still celebrated at the church, thousands of pilgrims converging on L'Aquila for it every year.
A Holy Door similar to the one in Rome was added to the church in the 14th century; a fresco in the lunette appropriately depicts the Virgin and Child, St. John the Baptist and St. Celestine.

The church continued to be embellished during the Middle Ages, impetus being provided by the canonization of St. Celestine in 1313 and the translation of his relics in 1327.

The dome of Santa Maria di Collemaggio collapsed in the 1461 L'Aquila earthquake.
A wall of the church collapsed in the earthquake that hit L'Aquila on April 6, 2009.
In the first post-quake images of the area, the facade of the church still stands behind the restoration scaffolding.
Cracks have appeared in some areas of the walls.
The most severe damage to the basilica was the roof and dome collapse over the transept and part of the choir.
The tomb of Pope Celestine was also damaged.
Works for the restoration of the building were concluded in 2017 and since then the church is open to the public.
In 1274, while traveling through L'Aquila, a hermit from Morrone named Pietro, founder of the Celestine Order, spent the night on a nearby hill, the Colle di Maggio, and had a dream in which the Virgin Mary, surrounded by angels at the top of a golden stairway, asked him to build a church there in her honor. In 1287 the Celestines bought the land, started construction the following year, and consecrated the still-unfinished church in 1289. The hill that gave its name to the church no longer exists, the valley between it and the city having been filled in during the 19th century; further adjustments to the local topography were made in the 1930s to improve accessibility to the church.
On August 29, 1294, Pietro da Morrone was crowned Pope there, as Celestine V, and as part of his coronation instituted a plenary pardon of sins for all who would visit the church, confessed and repentant, on 28 and 29 August of any year. The "Celestinian Forgiveness" (in Italian: Perdonanza Celestiniana) is widely viewed by church historians as the immediate ancestor of the Jubilee and Holy Year instituted only six years later by Pope Boniface VIII; and it is still celebrated at the church, thousands of pilgrims converging on L'Aquila for it every year. A Holy Door similar to the one in Rome was added to the church in the 14th century; a fresco in the lunette appropriately depicts the Virgin and Child, St. John the Baptist and St. Celestine.
The church continued to be embellished during the Middle Ages, impetus being provided by the canonization of St. Celestine in 1313 and the translation of his relics in 1327.
The dome of Santa Maria di Collemaggio collapsed in the 1461 L'Aquila earthquake. A wall of the church collapsed in the earthquake that hit L'Aquila on April 6, 2009. In the first post-quake images of the area, the facade of the church still stands behind the restoration scaffolding. Cracks have appeared in some areas of the walls. The most severe damage to the basilica was the roof and dome collapse over the transept and part of the choir. The tomb of Pope Celestine was also damaged. Works for the restoration of the building were concluded in 2017 and since then the church is open to the public.
Santa Maria di Collemaggio