The main basilicas comes first, the other churches follows in alphabetical order. Few info are given about the churches’ history and the main artistic periods are highlighted. I added a personal rating by a minimum of one up to 5 stars..
San Pietro - Saint Peter’s: *****
Piazza San Pietro; Hours: 7,00am to 7,00pm from April to September; 7,00am to 6,00pm October to March
RENAISSANCE, BAROQUE
Originally built on the site where St. Peter was martyred and buried. The early Christian church built by Constantine lasted many years. Between 1506 and 1626 it was entirely reconstructed by the masters of the Italian Renaissance: Michelangelo with its dome and Pietà, Maderno’s façade, Giotto’s mosaic, Bernini’s canopy and square. The TREASURE ROOMS house a collection of relics, vestments and precious object. Below the church are remains of the ancient basilica, the tomb of St.Peter and those of the popes.
San Giovanni in Laterano - Saint John Lateran: *****
Piazza di San Giovanni; Hours : 7,00am to 5,30 pm
MEDIEVAL, RENAISSANCE, BAROQUE
Built during the time of Constantine, it has often been restored and transformed and was completely rebuilt by Borromini in 1650. The basilica is the cathedral of Rome and the mother church of the catholic world. The central bronze gate in the portico is from the ancient Curia of the Roman Forum. There’s a fresco attributed to Giotto and, across the square is the SCALA SANTA (The Holy staircase) believed to be from Pilate’s House and which was trod on by Christ in Jerusalem. The original marble steps are covered with wood and are climbed by Roman catholics on their knees.
San Paolo Fuori le mura - St.Paul Outside the Walls: *****
Via Ostiense 190; Hours: 7,00am to 7,00pm, Cloister 9,00am to 1,00pm, 3,00 to 6,00pm
MEDIEVAL, MODERN
The original basilica was erected by Costantine over the apostle’s tomb and was embellished during succeeding centuries. However, it burned down in 1823. Little remains of the original basilica. The present one is the second largest in rome after St.Peter’s . Noteworthy are the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament by Carlo Maderno, the apse mosaics and the celebrated altar canopy by Arnolfo di Cambio, the cloister and the paschal candlestick, the original 11th century door, from Constantinople…
Santa Maria Maggiore - Saint Mary Major: ****
Piazza santa Maria Maggiore; Hours: 7,00am to 7,00pm
MEDIEVAL, RENAISSANCE
The largest Roman church dedicated to the Virgin Mary dates from the time of Sixtus III (432-40). Major restorations and changes are from the middle of the 16th century although from the 13th to the 14th centuries the portico was added the campanile (the highest of the roman campaniles) was built and the tribuna enlarged. Not to be missed are the precious 5th century mosaics (36 panels above the architrave and those in the triumphal arch), the relic of the holy crib, the Sforza Chapel by Michelangelo but built by Giacomo della Porta. It is said that the gold used for the ceiling was the first brought back from America by Columbus.
San Lorenzo fuori le Mura - St. Lawrence Outside the Walls: ***
Piazzale del Verano; Hours 7,00am to noon; 3,00pm to 6,00pm
MEDIEVAL
One of the most interesting churches in Rome, which has mystified archaeologist for centuries. It seems that the original sanctuary on the site was a mortuary chapel erected in the 4th century by emperor Constantine over the tomb of St. Lawrence. In the 6th century pope Pelagius II built a new basilica that was modified in the 13th century by pope Honorius III The triumphal arch, with 6th century mosaics,on its inner face, divides the two architectural periods. Noteworthy are the fluted Corinthian columns, the 12th century campanile and the two 13th century ambos, the 12th century cloister, one of the most beautiful in Rome. The basilica was bombed during World War II.
Santa Croce in Gerusalemme -Holy Cross in Jerusalem: ****
Piazza Santa Croce in Gerusalemme; Hours: 7,00am to 1,00pm; 3,30pm to 8,00pm
MEDIEVAL, RENAISSANCE, BAROQUE
It is traditionally believed that this basilica was created by emperor Constantine around 320 AD to hold the relics of the Holy Cross brought back from the Holy Land by St. Helena, Constantine’s mother. The church was converted from a wing of the nearby imperial palace. Restored in 1144, when the Romanesque bell tower was added, and rebuilt in in 1743.It contains two beautiful water stoops, a tomb by Iacopo Sansovino, a fresco by Antoniazzo Romano,a magnificent mosaic in the Chapel of St. Helena.In the Chapel of the Relics there are fragments from the Cross, a nail and two thorns from the Crown.
San Sebastiano -Saint Sebastian: ****
Via Appia Antica 136; Hours 7,00am to noon; 3,00pm to 6,00pm
MEDIEVAL, RENAISSANCE
Originally dedicated to the Apostles Peter and Paul, the basilica was buit in the early 4th century over the cemetery where the remains of the apostles had temporarily laid. It later became the shrine for Saint Sebastian, a roman soldier martyred under Diocletian, who was buried in the church catacombs.
Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini - Cappuccini Church: ***
Via Vittorio Veneto 27;Hours : 6,00am to noon; 3,00pm to 7,30pm. Crypt 9,30am to noon; 3,00 to 6,00pm. To visit leave a offer
BAROQUE
Built in 1626 for Cardinal Barberini, it contains a celebrated painting by Guido Reni and in the sacristy a painting of St. Francis by Caravaggio. The church is most famous for its six underground chapels of the crypt arranged as a cemetery and containing a macabre decoration of skulls and bones of 4000 Capuchin monks.
Domine Quo Vadis: **
Via Appia Antica 51 Hours: 8,00am to 6,00pm; Sunday 10,00am to 6,00pm
MEDIEVAL,
The small church of Domine Quo Vadis (“Lord, where’re you going?”) marks the spot where, according to tradition, Christ appeared to St.Peter fleeing from Rome to escape Nero’s persecution. Already existing in the 9th century , the church was rebuilt in the 17th century.
Chiesa del Gesù - Jesus Church: ****
Piazza del Gesù Hours: 7,00am to 1,00pm; 3,00pm to 7,00pm
RENAISSANCE, BAROQUE
The main church of the Jesuits was begun by Vignola in 1568, while the façade and cupola are by Giacomo Della Porta. Magnificent is the chapel in lapis lazuli of St. Ignatius, founder of the Jesuit order, who is buried under the altar.
Sant’Agnese in Agone - Saint Agnes in Agone: ****
Piazza Navona; Hours : 5,00 to 7,00pm; Sunday and holidays 10,00am to 1,00pm
BAROQUE
Begun by the Rainaldi brothers in 1652 was completed by Borromini who also designed the concave facade, the dome and the belfries.The walls below the church were a part of the Domitian stadium and fragments of the roman pavement are still visible. The church was built over the site believed to be the place where the saint was martyred.
Sant’Agnese Fuori le Mura – Saint Agnes Outside the Walls: ***
Via Nomentana 349; Hours 8:00am to noon; 4:00pm to 7:00pm
MEDIEVAL
Built in 342 by Constantia, daughter of Constantine the Great , over the catacombs which contained the relics of the Saint Rebuilt and enlarged by Honorius I (625-38), the basilica was thereafter restored several times. Nonetheless , it is one of the best examples of an antique Christian basilica. The 7th century mosaics in the apse is one of the finest example of Byzantine art in Rome. Each year on January 21 two lambs are blessed in the churc, then blessed again by the Pope before being given to the nuns of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere who make archbishops’ palliums from the wool. In the left nave is the entrance to the catacombs (see Santa Agnese catacombs).
Sant’Agostino – St. Augustine: ***
Piazza Sant’Agostino; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 7:00pm
RENAISSANCE
The Church date back to the 15th century, the interior was remodeled during the 18th century. Noteworthy are the high altar by Bernini, the fresco of Isaiah by Raphael , the Madonna dei Pellegrini by Caravaggio, and the sculpture by Sansovino of the Madonna del Parto.
Sant’Andrea delle Fratte: ***
Via di Sant’Andrea delle Fratte; Hours: 7:00am to 12:30pm; 4:00 to 8:00pm
MEDIEVAL, BAROQUE
Already existing during the 12th century; reconstruction begun by Guerra in 1612 and continued by Borromini who is responsible for the dome, the bell tower and the apse. The two angels on either side of the apse are by Bernini.
Sant’Andrea al Quirinale: ***
Via del Quirinale 29;Hours: 8:00am to noon; 4:00pm to 7:00pm; closed Tuesday
BAROQUE
It was designed by Bernini (1658-71) and it’s his last important work. Famous for its oval plan, always compared to the nearby San Carlino by Borromini, both considered masterpieces of Baroque architecture.
Sant’Andrea della Valle: ***
Piazza Sant’Andrea della Valle; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 7:00pm
BAROQUE
Begun by Della Porta in 1591, and continued by Maderno in 1608, who also designed the dome, which is the second highest and largest in diameter after St. Peter’s. The church contains frescoes by Domenichino and is known as the scene of one of the acts from the opera La Tosca.
Santi Apostoli: **
Piazza SS. Apostoli; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 7:00pm
MEDIEVAL, NEOCLASSICAL
The basilica was erected in the 6th century to celebrate the defeat of the Goths. Damaged several times by floods and earthquakes, was restored at the end of the 8th century and renovated completely at the end of the 9th . At the beginning of the 18th century there was a wide-scale reconstruction and in 1827 the architect Valadier created the façade existing today. In the left nave is an early sculpture by Antonio Canova.
San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane: *****
Via del Quirinale 23; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4.00 to 6:00pm; Saturday 9:00am to noon; closed Sunday and Holidays
BAROQUE
The most original of Borromini’s works and his first autonomous creation. Begun in 1638 and completed in 1667, the church was designed to cover the same dimensions as only one of the piers which support St. Peter‘s dome.
Santa Cecilia in Trastevere: ***
Piazza Santa Cecilia; Hours:
MEDIEVAL
Built before the 4th century over the house of St. Cecilia. Rebuilt during the 9th, 12th, 16th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The façade has ancient columns and a 12th century bell tower. The crypt leads to the ancient Roman construction below. In the adjacent convent is the Last Judgment, a famous fresco by Pietro Cavallini dating back to 1293. The cloister dates from the 12th century.
San Clemente: *****
Via San Giovanni in Laterano 95; Hours: 9:00am to noon; 3:30 to 6:00pm
MEDIEVAL
Built prior to 365 A.D. this church is one of the most interesting in Rome. Originally constructed over Roman buildings, it now consists of two churches, a lower and a upper. The latter was built over the earlier construction –where pagan and Christian structures overlap – during the 12th century after a Norman invasion had destroyed the original one. Medieval frescoes from the 8th to the 12th centuries and a well-preserved Mithraeum lies below the actual church decorated with a 12th century mosaic of the Triumph of the Cross.
Santi Cosima e Damiano: ***
Via dei Fori Imperiali; Hours: 7:00am to 1:00pm; 2:30 to 7:00pm
MEDIEVAL
Consists of two structures: the library of Vespasian’s Forum of Paece and a 4th century structure built by emperor Maxentius, joined together in 527. The church was restored several times during the middle ages and again in 1632. Important 6th century mosaics on the triumphal arch and in the apse.
Santa Costanza: ***
Piazza di Santa Costanza; Hours: 9:00am to noon; 4:00 to 6:00pm, closed on Sunday
MEDIEVAL
Erected at the beginning of the 4th century as a mausoleum for Constantine’s daughters Constantia and Helen, was converted first into a baptistery and then into a church in 1254. Circular in design, it’s a magnificent example of an early Christian edifice. The vaulting is adorned with exquisite 4th century mosaics.
San Eligio degli Orefici: **
Via di Sant Eligio 9; Hours: 10:00am to 1:00pm; closed Wednesday, Sunday and holidays
RENAISSANCE
Built in 1516 with design by Rahael and dedicated to the guild of goldsmiths.
Santa Francesca Romana: **
Piazza Santa Francesca Romana; Hours: 9:00am to noon; 3:30 to 6:00pm
MEDIEVAL, RENAISSANCE
Erected during the second half of the 10th century to replace the 6th century Santa Maria Antigua located on the other side of the Forum, the church is named after Santa Francesca Romana who founded her congregation of Oblates here in 1421.The saint is buried in the crypt beneath the confessional, which was designed by Bernini. The Sacristy contains a fine example of early Christian art, a 5th century encaustic painting of the Virgin and Child, discovered during the restorations in 1949 beneath a beautiful Madonna and Child of the 12th century now hanging over the high altar. Incorporated in the curch is an 8th century oratory dedicated to the Saints Peter and Paul. The campanile and apse mosaic are dating to the 12th century.
San Francesco a Ripa: **
Piazza San Francesco d’Assisi 88; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 6:30pm
BAROQUE
The 13th century church was rebuilt by Matteo de Rossi between 1682 and 1689, he’s also responsible for the façade. Contains the famous sculpture by Bernini, Beata Ludovica Albertoni located in in the last chapel on the left, and a 13th century portrait of St. Francis, inquire at the sacristy.
San Giorgio in Velabro. ****
Via del Velabro; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 6:30pm
MEDIEVAL
Early Christian church reconstructed in the 7th century; ionic portico and campanile added in the 12th century. Contains medieval frescoes and sculptures. Its name derives from Velabrum, the point in the river where, according to legend, Faustulus found Romolus and Remus.
Santi Giovanni e Paolo – St John and Paul: ***
Piazza SS. Giovanni e Paolo; Hours: 9:00 to 11:00am; 4:00 to 6:00 pm
MEDIEVAL
Built in 398 over the house of the two martyrs, the basilica was restored several times: after Alaric sacre Rome in 410, following the earthquake in 442 and after the Norman invasion of 1084. The campanile, church portico and adjoining monastery are of the 12th century. Further restorations took place in the 15th and 16th century, and in 1715 the ancient interior was transformed in baroque style. The ancient porphyry urn on the high altar contains the relics of the two martyrs. The church lies over ancient roman houses .
San Giovanni a Porta Latina – St. John by Latina Gate: ***
Via di san Giovanni a Porta Latina; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 3:30 to 7:00pm
MEDIEVAL
Medieval church originally built in the late 5th century. Although renovated several times in succeeding centuries, it has recently been restored to its original state. Noteworthy are the antique columns supporting its portico and lining its aisles; important 12th century frescoes in the central nave depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments; and its 13th century Romanesque bell tower.
San Gregorio Magno – St. Gregory the Great: **
Piazza San Gregorio; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 7:00pm
MEDIEVAL
Built in the early 8th century on the site of two earlier structures which Gregory the Great in 575 had transformed from his ancestral home into a monastery and oratory dedicated to St. Andrew. It was from this monastery that Gregory sent his envoy, St. Augustine, to convert the English. The medieval church was completely renovated externally in 1629-33 by G.B. Soria and internally in 1725-34 by F. Ferrari. Outside the church on the left are the chapels of saints Andrew, Sylvia and Barbara with frescoes by Domenichino, Reni and Viviani. In the Chapel of St. Barbara, the one on the left, is the marble table believed to be the one where St. Gregory served daily meals to 12 paupers; a legend tells of the appearance one day of an angel who increased the number to 13.
Sant’Ignazio – St. Ignatius: *****
Piazza Sant’Ignazio; Hours:7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 6:00pm
BAROQUE
Built between 1626 and 1650, it is the second Church of the Jesuit order. It contains incredible Baroque frescoes by Andrea Pozzo and a false cupola painted by the same artist.
Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza: *****
in the courtyard of the Palazzo della Sapienza: Corso Rinascimento 40; Hours: open only Sunday morning
BAROQUE
Borromini’s masterpiece, built between 1642 and 1666; with concave facade and a cupola and lantern in the form of a spiral. One of the most innovative work of the 16th century. At the altar is a painting by Pietro da Cortona, finished by Giovanni Ventura Borghesi.
San Lorenzo in Damaso: ***
Piazza della Cancelleria; Hours: 7:30 to noon; 4:30 to 8:00pm
RENAISSANCE
Early Christian Church rebuilt in the 15th century by Bramante, later restored by Valadier; frescoes by Corrado Giaquinto, sculptures by Stefano Maderno, and a 14th century wooden crucifix.
San Lorenzo in Lucina: ****
Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4.00 to 7:00pm
Erected in the 4th and 5th centuries, rebuilt in the 12th and then alterwed by Cosimo fanzago about 1650. Contains alleged gridiron of St. Lawrence’s martyrdom behind the main altar. The campanile and portico date back to the 12th century.
San Marco – St. Mark: **
Piazza san Marco; Hours: 9:00am to 12:30pm; 3:30 to 6:00pm
MEDIEVAL, RENAISSANCE
Built in the 4th century, restored in the 8th and 9th and again during the 15th and 18th centuries. The mosaics of the apse and triumphal arch are of the 9th century. Its elegant façade is possibly by Alberti. The campanile dates back to the 12th century.
Santa Maria degli Angeli – St. Mary of the Angels: *****
Via Cernaia 9; Hours: 7:00am to 12:30pm; 4:00 to 6:00pm
ANCIENT, RENAISSANCE
Designed by Michelangelo who converted the great hall and the Tepidarium of the ancient Baths of Diocletian into the church. Its unadorned façade was part of an exedra of the baths, the calidarium, hot room, and follows in shape the curved line of the ancient Roman hall.
Santa Maria d’Aracoeli: ****
Piazza d’Aracoeli; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 3:30 to 5:30pm
MEDIEVAL
According to a legend, the church was built on the site where a sibyl predicted to Augustus the birth of Christ. Of an undetermined age, but probably erected before 574 A.D. when a church already existing on the site was considered ancient. Rebuilt in the 13th century in Romanesque and Gothic styles. During the Middle Ages the city fathers met here to discuss public affairs. The interior contains columns taken from ancient classical buildings; a sculpture by Donatello; in the first chapel on the right are frescoes by Pinturicchio. The staircase of 122 steps was built in 1348.
Santa Maria in Cosmedin: *****
Piazza Bocca della Verità; Hours: 9:00am to 1:00pm; 3:00 to 7:00pm
MEDIEVAL
Erected in the 6th century on the site of the food distribution center of ancient Rome, which existed among a group of temples dedicated to Hercules. Enlarged in the 8th century, remodeled in the 9th and 12th centuries and restored at the end of the 19th century to its 8th century design. An 8th century mosaic is preserved in the Sacristy, the campanile, choir and paschal candlestick are of the 12th, the Episcopal throne and altar canopy from the 13th. The 12th century portico house the famous Bocca della Verità – Mouth of Truth -, originally a drain covering in the shape of a great face with an open mouth, the mask of a river god. The mouth of truth, it was said, would close on the end of a liar, cutting the fingers.
Santa Maria in Domnica: ***
Via della Navicella 10; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 6:30 pm
MEDIEVAL
Erected probably in the 7th century, rebuilt and enlarged in the early 9th, then rebuilt again in the 16th and restored in the early 19th centuries. Noteworthy are the beautiful 9th century mosaics in the apse and the lacunal wooden ceiling from the 16th century. The renaissance façade is by Andrea Sansovino.
Santa Maria della Pace: ****
Vicolo della Pace; Hours:
RENAISSANCE
Originally built in 1480 and restored in 1656 by Pietro da Cortona who added a semicircular portico. In 1514 Raphael painted the frescoes of the Sybils in the first chapel on the right. Noteworthy also are the adjoining cloister by Bramante, the choir and high altar by Carlo Maderno, and the second chapel on the right by Sangallo the Younger.
Santa Maria del Popolo: *****
Piazza del Popolo; Hours: 7:00am to 12:30; 4:00 to 7.30 pm.
MEDIEVAL, RENAISSANCE
Originally built in 1227 by Gregory IX to replace a chapel erected by Paschal II in 1099 on the spot popularly believed to be the site of Nero’s tomb. Subsequently rebuilt during the 13th century as the parish church of the growing populous and dedicated to the Madonna, thereby deriving its name. Again rebuilt at the end of the 15th century by the pope Sixtus IV, with façade attributed to Andrea Bregno. Literary contains a museum collection of art, including sculptures by Bernini in the Chigi chapel, designed by Raphael; two paintings by Caravaggio, the Conversion of St. Paul and the Crucifixion of St. Peter in the Cerasi Chapel; frescoes by Pinturicchio and the choir by Bramante.
Santa Maria sopra Minerva: *****
Piazza della Minerva; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 7:00pm
MEDIEVAL, RENAISSANCE
Originally erected in the 8th century over the remains of a temple dedicated to Minerva, the church was rebuilt in gothic style in 1280. Among its many treasures are Michelangelo’s Risen Christ at the side of the high altar, frescoes by Filippino Lippi in the Carafa Chapel, and the monument to the Venerabile Maria Raggi by Bernini. Under the high altar is the sarcophagus containing the remains of St. Catherine of Siena. The tomb of Fra Beato Angelico is in the left chapel.
Santa Maria in Trastevere: *****
Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere; Hours: 7:00am to noon, 4:00 to 6:00pm
MEDIEVAL
Believed to have been founded by pope St. Calixtus (221-27 AD), was completely rebuilt by innocent II (1130-43AD). It’s the first of many churches in Rome dedicated to the Virgin and is one of the city’s most important churches. The façade is decorated with 12th and 13th century mosaics, as are the magnificent mosaics, of the same period in the apse. Domenichino designed the wooden ceiling and painted the assumption in the centre.
Santa Maria in Valicella or Chiesa Nuova – new Church: ***
Piazza della Chiesa Nuova; Hours 7.00am to noon; 4:00 to 7.00pm
RENAISSANCE, BAROQUE
Begun in 1575 it was founded by saint Filippo Neri, one of the great figures of the Catholic reform. Noteworthy are the façade by Rughesi, the ceiling frescoes by pietro da Cortona; three paintings by Peter Paul Rubens on the high altar and on either side of it. On the left of the church is the Oratory of the Filippini (the saint founded the Congregation of Oratorians), a true architectural masterpiece of the baroque style by Borromini.
Santa Maria della Vittoria: ****
Via XX Settembre, 17; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 7:30pm
BAROQUE
Built at the beginning of the 17th century by Carlo Maderno with the façade by Soria, it renowed for Bernini’s impressive Cornaro Chapel dominated by the Ecstasy of St. Teresa.
San Martino ai Monti: **
Viale del Monte Oppio, 28; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 7:00pm. Sunday 4:00 to 7:00pm
MEDIEVAL
The church was built soon after Constantine’s Edict over an original Christian titulus (a private home used as a meeting place by the faithful for prayers). The titulus is still visible under the church and it’s a rare example of a 3rd-century domestic Christian church. It was rebuilt in the 9th century utilizing some antique columns, and radically altered in the 17th century. The crypt contains relics of the martyrs. On the outside wall of the church are ruins from the Baths of Trajan into which the church was built.
San Nicola in Carcere : *****
Via del Teatro Marcello; Opening Hours: 9.00am 7.00pm
Known at least since the end of the 11th century, its name “ in carcere” (in Prison) derives from the apparent existence here of a prison during the 8th century. The church outstanding characteristics are the Roman temples –of Hope, Juno Sospita and Janus – onto which it was built. The temples date from the first half of the 2nd century BC to about 90 BC. It’s possible to visit the church undergrounds to discover the podiums of the Ancient temples. At the main altar is an antique green porphyry urn. Giacomo Della Porta, who restored the church in 1599, designed its façade.
San Paolo alle Tre Fontane: ****
Via Acque Salvie at Via Laurentina; Opening Hours: 8:30am to 6:00pm
The Church was built in the 5th century on the site where it is believed St. Paul was martyred. It was rebuilt by Giacomo della Porta in 1599. Within are the legendary three fountains, said to have sprung forth where the head of the Saint bounced after his decapitation. Noteworthy is the Roman mosaics in the pavement , brought from Ostia Antica, and representing the four seasons. The column to which the Saint is said to have been bound is between the first and second altars. The church is on the ground of the Abbazia delle Tre Fontane, a Trappist abbey whose monks produce a noted eucalyptus liqueur and other products such as chocolates, honey and marmalade. The abbey store is open from 9:30am to 1:00pm and from 4:00 to 7:00pm. Also on the grounds of the monastery are two other churches consecrating the martyrdom: Santi Vincenzo e Anastasio, built in the 7th century and rebuilt in the 13th; Santa Maria Scala Coeli, built by Della Porta in 1583.
San Pietro in Montorio: ****
Piazza San Pietro in Montorio; Opening Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 5:00pm
The previous church, built prior to the 9th century on the site where it was erroneously believed the Apostle Peter was crucified, was rebuilt at the end of the 15th century by order of Ferdinand IV of Spain and probably designed by Baccio Pontelli. Noteworthy are frescoes by Sebastiano del Piombo in the Borgherini Chapel; and the Raimondi Chapel by Bernini. Beatrice Cenci – who inspired works by Stendhal, Dumas and Shelley – is buried at the foot of the altar. In the courtyard is the famous Tempietto del Bramante.
San Pietro in Vincoli: *****
Piazza San Pietro in Vincoli; Opening Hours: 7:00am to 1:00pm; 2:30 to 7:00pm
Built about 442 as a shrine to preserve the chains believed to be those which had bound the Apostle Peter during his captivity in Jerusalem. To these later were added the chains which are believed to have bound the same Apostle in Rome. Restored for the first time by Hadrian I during the 8th century, the church was subsequently altered several times, especially during the 15th and 16th centuries. One of Michelagelo’s masterpieces - Moses – is in the right transept.
Santa Prassede: *****
Via Santa Prassede, 9; Opening Hours: 7:30am to noon; 4:00 to 6:00pm
MEDIEVAL
Built in the 9th century by Pope Paschal I and subsequently restored during the 15th, 17th and 19th centuries. The Chapel of St. Zeno, erected by pope Paschal I as a mausoleum for his mother Theodora, is the finest Byzantine monument in Rome. It’s decorated with 9th century mosaics, covering the walls, ceiling, triumphal arch and apse. One of the first work by a young Bernini, the bust of the Bishop Santoni, is in front of the right nave. The church contains a pillar brought back from Jerusalem in1223, believed to be the one to which Christ was tied for the scourging.
Santa Pudenziana: ***
Via Urbana,161; Opening Hours: 7:30am to noon; 4:00 to 6:00pm. Closed on Sunday and holiday afternoons.
MEDIEVAL
One of the oldest church in Rome, dating from the 4th century. According to tradition, it was erected over the house of Senator Pudens, where Saint Peter has lived as a guest. Initially, during the 2nd century, thermal baths had been built on the site, and these were later converted into the church dedicated to Saint Pudenziana, daughter of Pudens and sister of Saint Prassede. Ruins of the bath are still visible behind the apse, to the left. During the 8th century the church was rebuilt and then restored in the 11th, 12th and 16th centuries. In the apse is a fine 4th century mosaic.
Santi Quattro Coronati: *****
Via dei santi Quattro, 20; Opening Hours: 9:00 am to 12:30; 3:30 to 5:30pm
MEDIEVAL
Erected in the 4th century, enlarged in the 9th, burned by the Normans in the 11th, rebuilt on a smaller scale in the 12th and restored in 1914. During the 12th century it was probably used as a defence for the Basilica of St. John lateran, hence it’s a fort-like structure. The church is dedicated to the four Roman soldiers, Severus, Severian, Carpophoros and Victorine, who had refused to worship the statue of Aesculapius, and to the five sculptures who had declined to carve it. Traces of the primitive church can been seen in the apse. The bell tower probably dates from the 9th century. Worth of visit are the Oratorio di san Silvestro, the chapel in the courtyard to be entered just by ringing the nuns, with its charming 13th century frescoes; and the medieval cloister.
Santa Sabina: ****
piazza Pietro d’Illiria; Opening Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 7:00pm
MEDIEVAL
Built at the beginning of the 5th century by peter of Illyria over the site of a Roman house. From 1914-19 and 1936-38 it was restored to its original 5th century design and therefore represents the most perfect example of a 5th century Christian basilica. Noteworthy are its 24 fluted columns; a door in cypress wood with mosaics above the tessellated marble in the arches of the center nave –all of the 5th century; 9th century windows with selenite; a beautiful 13th century cloister; and remains of of Roman house.
Santo Stefano Rotondo: *****
Via di Santo Stefano Rotondo, 7; Opening Hours: October to March: Tues. to Sunday 9:30 - 12:30; 14:00 - 17:00. April to September: Tues. to Sunday 9:30 - 12:30; 15:00 - 18:00
MEDIEVAL
Built in the 5th century with a circular shape. The church originally had its columns arranged in two concentric circles, but during restorations in the 15th century the outer circle of columns was walled in. the frescoes of martyrs scenes are by Pomarancio and Tempesta. Noteworthy are an antique marble seat said to have been the Episcopal throne of Gregory the Great and a 7th century mosaic in the chapel of Saints Primus and Felician. Recent excavations beneath the pavement have uncovered ruins of a 2nd – 3rd century Mithraeum.
Santi Vincenzo and Anastasio: **
Vicolo dei Modelli, 73; Opening Hours: 700am to noon; 4:30 to 7:30pm
BAROQUE
Built in 1650 by Martino Longhi the Younger in a beautiful baroque style. Preserved into the church are the hearts and viscera, removed before embalming, of most of the popes from the time of Sixtus V -1590- to Leo XIII -1903-. It is the parish church of the Quirinal Palace, which at one time was the papal residence.
San Vitale: **
via Nazionale, 194; Opening Hours: 7:00 am to 11:00am, Sunday to noon; 4:30 to 6:00pm
MEDIEVAL
The church, that lies now below the street level, was built in 402 and modified in 1475 and restored in 1859. The portico, as well as the four altars and tabernacle, include antique columns. The frescoes are from the 17th century and include some by Cavaliere d’Arpino, among others.
San Pietro - Saint Peter’s: *****
Piazza San Pietro; Hours: 7,00am to 7,00pm from April to September; 7,00am to 6,00pm October to March
RENAISSANCE, BAROQUE
Originally built on the site where St. Peter was martyred and buried. The early Christian church built by Constantine lasted many years. Between 1506 and 1626 it was entirely reconstructed by the masters of the Italian Renaissance: Michelangelo with its dome and Pietà, Maderno’s façade, Giotto’s mosaic, Bernini’s canopy and square. The TREASURE ROOMS house a collection of relics, vestments and precious object. Below the church are remains of the ancient basilica, the tomb of St.Peter and those of the popes.
San Giovanni in Laterano - Saint John Lateran: *****
Piazza di San Giovanni; Hours : 7,00am to 5,30 pm
MEDIEVAL, RENAISSANCE, BAROQUE
Built during the time of Constantine, it has often been restored and transformed and was completely rebuilt by Borromini in 1650. The basilica is the cathedral of Rome and the mother church of the catholic world. The central bronze gate in the portico is from the ancient Curia of the Roman Forum. There’s a fresco attributed to Giotto and, across the square is the SCALA SANTA (The Holy staircase) believed to be from Pilate’s House and which was trod on by Christ in Jerusalem. The original marble steps are covered with wood and are climbed by Roman catholics on their knees.
San Paolo Fuori le mura - St.Paul Outside the Walls: *****
Via Ostiense 190; Hours: 7,00am to 7,00pm, Cloister 9,00am to 1,00pm, 3,00 to 6,00pm
MEDIEVAL, MODERN
The original basilica was erected by Costantine over the apostle’s tomb and was embellished during succeeding centuries. However, it burned down in 1823. Little remains of the original basilica. The present one is the second largest in rome after St.Peter’s . Noteworthy are the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament by Carlo Maderno, the apse mosaics and the celebrated altar canopy by Arnolfo di Cambio, the cloister and the paschal candlestick, the original 11th century door, from Constantinople…
Santa Maria Maggiore - Saint Mary Major: ****
Piazza santa Maria Maggiore; Hours: 7,00am to 7,00pm
MEDIEVAL, RENAISSANCE
The largest Roman church dedicated to the Virgin Mary dates from the time of Sixtus III (432-40). Major restorations and changes are from the middle of the 16th century although from the 13th to the 14th centuries the portico was added the campanile (the highest of the roman campaniles) was built and the tribuna enlarged. Not to be missed are the precious 5th century mosaics (36 panels above the architrave and those in the triumphal arch), the relic of the holy crib, the Sforza Chapel by Michelangelo but built by Giacomo della Porta. It is said that the gold used for the ceiling was the first brought back from America by Columbus.
San Lorenzo fuori le Mura - St. Lawrence Outside the Walls: ***
Piazzale del Verano; Hours 7,00am to noon; 3,00pm to 6,00pm
MEDIEVAL
One of the most interesting churches in Rome, which has mystified archaeologist for centuries. It seems that the original sanctuary on the site was a mortuary chapel erected in the 4th century by emperor Constantine over the tomb of St. Lawrence. In the 6th century pope Pelagius II built a new basilica that was modified in the 13th century by pope Honorius III The triumphal arch, with 6th century mosaics,on its inner face, divides the two architectural periods. Noteworthy are the fluted Corinthian columns, the 12th century campanile and the two 13th century ambos, the 12th century cloister, one of the most beautiful in Rome. The basilica was bombed during World War II.
Santa Croce in Gerusalemme -Holy Cross in Jerusalem: ****
Piazza Santa Croce in Gerusalemme; Hours: 7,00am to 1,00pm; 3,30pm to 8,00pm
MEDIEVAL, RENAISSANCE, BAROQUE
It is traditionally believed that this basilica was created by emperor Constantine around 320 AD to hold the relics of the Holy Cross brought back from the Holy Land by St. Helena, Constantine’s mother. The church was converted from a wing of the nearby imperial palace. Restored in 1144, when the Romanesque bell tower was added, and rebuilt in in 1743.It contains two beautiful water stoops, a tomb by Iacopo Sansovino, a fresco by Antoniazzo Romano,a magnificent mosaic in the Chapel of St. Helena.In the Chapel of the Relics there are fragments from the Cross, a nail and two thorns from the Crown.
San Sebastiano -Saint Sebastian: ****
Via Appia Antica 136; Hours 7,00am to noon; 3,00pm to 6,00pm
MEDIEVAL, RENAISSANCE
Originally dedicated to the Apostles Peter and Paul, the basilica was buit in the early 4th century over the cemetery where the remains of the apostles had temporarily laid. It later became the shrine for Saint Sebastian, a roman soldier martyred under Diocletian, who was buried in the church catacombs.
Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini - Cappuccini Church: ***
Via Vittorio Veneto 27;Hours : 6,00am to noon; 3,00pm to 7,30pm. Crypt 9,30am to noon; 3,00 to 6,00pm. To visit leave a offer
BAROQUE
Built in 1626 for Cardinal Barberini, it contains a celebrated painting by Guido Reni and in the sacristy a painting of St. Francis by Caravaggio. The church is most famous for its six underground chapels of the crypt arranged as a cemetery and containing a macabre decoration of skulls and bones of 4000 Capuchin monks.
Domine Quo Vadis: **
Via Appia Antica 51 Hours: 8,00am to 6,00pm; Sunday 10,00am to 6,00pm
MEDIEVAL,
The small church of Domine Quo Vadis (“Lord, where’re you going?”) marks the spot where, according to tradition, Christ appeared to St.Peter fleeing from Rome to escape Nero’s persecution. Already existing in the 9th century , the church was rebuilt in the 17th century.
Chiesa del Gesù - Jesus Church: ****
Piazza del Gesù Hours: 7,00am to 1,00pm; 3,00pm to 7,00pm
RENAISSANCE, BAROQUE
The main church of the Jesuits was begun by Vignola in 1568, while the façade and cupola are by Giacomo Della Porta. Magnificent is the chapel in lapis lazuli of St. Ignatius, founder of the Jesuit order, who is buried under the altar.
Sant’Agnese in Agone - Saint Agnes in Agone: ****
Piazza Navona; Hours : 5,00 to 7,00pm; Sunday and holidays 10,00am to 1,00pm
BAROQUE
Begun by the Rainaldi brothers in 1652 was completed by Borromini who also designed the concave facade, the dome and the belfries.The walls below the church were a part of the Domitian stadium and fragments of the roman pavement are still visible. The church was built over the site believed to be the place where the saint was martyred.
Sant’Agnese Fuori le Mura – Saint Agnes Outside the Walls: ***
Via Nomentana 349; Hours 8:00am to noon; 4:00pm to 7:00pm
MEDIEVAL
Built in 342 by Constantia, daughter of Constantine the Great , over the catacombs which contained the relics of the Saint Rebuilt and enlarged by Honorius I (625-38), the basilica was thereafter restored several times. Nonetheless , it is one of the best examples of an antique Christian basilica. The 7th century mosaics in the apse is one of the finest example of Byzantine art in Rome. Each year on January 21 two lambs are blessed in the churc, then blessed again by the Pope before being given to the nuns of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere who make archbishops’ palliums from the wool. In the left nave is the entrance to the catacombs (see Santa Agnese catacombs).
Sant’Agostino – St. Augustine: ***
Piazza Sant’Agostino; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 7:00pm
RENAISSANCE
The Church date back to the 15th century, the interior was remodeled during the 18th century. Noteworthy are the high altar by Bernini, the fresco of Isaiah by Raphael , the Madonna dei Pellegrini by Caravaggio, and the sculpture by Sansovino of the Madonna del Parto.
Sant’Andrea delle Fratte: ***
Via di Sant’Andrea delle Fratte; Hours: 7:00am to 12:30pm; 4:00 to 8:00pm
MEDIEVAL, BAROQUE
Already existing during the 12th century; reconstruction begun by Guerra in 1612 and continued by Borromini who is responsible for the dome, the bell tower and the apse. The two angels on either side of the apse are by Bernini.
Sant’Andrea al Quirinale: ***
Via del Quirinale 29;Hours: 8:00am to noon; 4:00pm to 7:00pm; closed Tuesday
BAROQUE
It was designed by Bernini (1658-71) and it’s his last important work. Famous for its oval plan, always compared to the nearby San Carlino by Borromini, both considered masterpieces of Baroque architecture.
Sant’Andrea della Valle: ***
Piazza Sant’Andrea della Valle; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 7:00pm
BAROQUE
Begun by Della Porta in 1591, and continued by Maderno in 1608, who also designed the dome, which is the second highest and largest in diameter after St. Peter’s. The church contains frescoes by Domenichino and is known as the scene of one of the acts from the opera La Tosca.
Santi Apostoli: **
Piazza SS. Apostoli; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 7:00pm
MEDIEVAL, NEOCLASSICAL
The basilica was erected in the 6th century to celebrate the defeat of the Goths. Damaged several times by floods and earthquakes, was restored at the end of the 8th century and renovated completely at the end of the 9th . At the beginning of the 18th century there was a wide-scale reconstruction and in 1827 the architect Valadier created the façade existing today. In the left nave is an early sculpture by Antonio Canova.
San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane: *****
Via del Quirinale 23; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4.00 to 6:00pm; Saturday 9:00am to noon; closed Sunday and Holidays
BAROQUE
The most original of Borromini’s works and his first autonomous creation. Begun in 1638 and completed in 1667, the church was designed to cover the same dimensions as only one of the piers which support St. Peter‘s dome.
Santa Cecilia in Trastevere: ***
Piazza Santa Cecilia; Hours:
MEDIEVAL
Built before the 4th century over the house of St. Cecilia. Rebuilt during the 9th, 12th, 16th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The façade has ancient columns and a 12th century bell tower. The crypt leads to the ancient Roman construction below. In the adjacent convent is the Last Judgment, a famous fresco by Pietro Cavallini dating back to 1293. The cloister dates from the 12th century.
San Clemente: *****
Via San Giovanni in Laterano 95; Hours: 9:00am to noon; 3:30 to 6:00pm
MEDIEVAL
Built prior to 365 A.D. this church is one of the most interesting in Rome. Originally constructed over Roman buildings, it now consists of two churches, a lower and a upper. The latter was built over the earlier construction –where pagan and Christian structures overlap – during the 12th century after a Norman invasion had destroyed the original one. Medieval frescoes from the 8th to the 12th centuries and a well-preserved Mithraeum lies below the actual church decorated with a 12th century mosaic of the Triumph of the Cross.
Santi Cosima e Damiano: ***
Via dei Fori Imperiali; Hours: 7:00am to 1:00pm; 2:30 to 7:00pm
MEDIEVAL
Consists of two structures: the library of Vespasian’s Forum of Paece and a 4th century structure built by emperor Maxentius, joined together in 527. The church was restored several times during the middle ages and again in 1632. Important 6th century mosaics on the triumphal arch and in the apse.
Santa Costanza: ***
Piazza di Santa Costanza; Hours: 9:00am to noon; 4:00 to 6:00pm, closed on Sunday
MEDIEVAL
Erected at the beginning of the 4th century as a mausoleum for Constantine’s daughters Constantia and Helen, was converted first into a baptistery and then into a church in 1254. Circular in design, it’s a magnificent example of an early Christian edifice. The vaulting is adorned with exquisite 4th century mosaics.
San Eligio degli Orefici: **
Via di Sant Eligio 9; Hours: 10:00am to 1:00pm; closed Wednesday, Sunday and holidays
RENAISSANCE
Built in 1516 with design by Rahael and dedicated to the guild of goldsmiths.
Santa Francesca Romana: **
Piazza Santa Francesca Romana; Hours: 9:00am to noon; 3:30 to 6:00pm
MEDIEVAL, RENAISSANCE
Erected during the second half of the 10th century to replace the 6th century Santa Maria Antigua located on the other side of the Forum, the church is named after Santa Francesca Romana who founded her congregation of Oblates here in 1421.The saint is buried in the crypt beneath the confessional, which was designed by Bernini. The Sacristy contains a fine example of early Christian art, a 5th century encaustic painting of the Virgin and Child, discovered during the restorations in 1949 beneath a beautiful Madonna and Child of the 12th century now hanging over the high altar. Incorporated in the curch is an 8th century oratory dedicated to the Saints Peter and Paul. The campanile and apse mosaic are dating to the 12th century.
San Francesco a Ripa: **
Piazza San Francesco d’Assisi 88; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 6:30pm
BAROQUE
The 13th century church was rebuilt by Matteo de Rossi between 1682 and 1689, he’s also responsible for the façade. Contains the famous sculpture by Bernini, Beata Ludovica Albertoni located in in the last chapel on the left, and a 13th century portrait of St. Francis, inquire at the sacristy.
San Giorgio in Velabro. ****
Via del Velabro; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 6:30pm
MEDIEVAL
Early Christian church reconstructed in the 7th century; ionic portico and campanile added in the 12th century. Contains medieval frescoes and sculptures. Its name derives from Velabrum, the point in the river where, according to legend, Faustulus found Romolus and Remus.
Santi Giovanni e Paolo – St John and Paul: ***
Piazza SS. Giovanni e Paolo; Hours: 9:00 to 11:00am; 4:00 to 6:00 pm
MEDIEVAL
Built in 398 over the house of the two martyrs, the basilica was restored several times: after Alaric sacre Rome in 410, following the earthquake in 442 and after the Norman invasion of 1084. The campanile, church portico and adjoining monastery are of the 12th century. Further restorations took place in the 15th and 16th century, and in 1715 the ancient interior was transformed in baroque style. The ancient porphyry urn on the high altar contains the relics of the two martyrs. The church lies over ancient roman houses .
San Giovanni a Porta Latina – St. John by Latina Gate: ***
Via di san Giovanni a Porta Latina; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 3:30 to 7:00pm
MEDIEVAL
Medieval church originally built in the late 5th century. Although renovated several times in succeeding centuries, it has recently been restored to its original state. Noteworthy are the antique columns supporting its portico and lining its aisles; important 12th century frescoes in the central nave depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments; and its 13th century Romanesque bell tower.
San Gregorio Magno – St. Gregory the Great: **
Piazza San Gregorio; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 7:00pm
MEDIEVAL
Built in the early 8th century on the site of two earlier structures which Gregory the Great in 575 had transformed from his ancestral home into a monastery and oratory dedicated to St. Andrew. It was from this monastery that Gregory sent his envoy, St. Augustine, to convert the English. The medieval church was completely renovated externally in 1629-33 by G.B. Soria and internally in 1725-34 by F. Ferrari. Outside the church on the left are the chapels of saints Andrew, Sylvia and Barbara with frescoes by Domenichino, Reni and Viviani. In the Chapel of St. Barbara, the one on the left, is the marble table believed to be the one where St. Gregory served daily meals to 12 paupers; a legend tells of the appearance one day of an angel who increased the number to 13.
Sant’Ignazio – St. Ignatius: *****
Piazza Sant’Ignazio; Hours:7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 6:00pm
BAROQUE
Built between 1626 and 1650, it is the second Church of the Jesuit order. It contains incredible Baroque frescoes by Andrea Pozzo and a false cupola painted by the same artist.
Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza: *****
in the courtyard of the Palazzo della Sapienza: Corso Rinascimento 40; Hours: open only Sunday morning
BAROQUE
Borromini’s masterpiece, built between 1642 and 1666; with concave facade and a cupola and lantern in the form of a spiral. One of the most innovative work of the 16th century. At the altar is a painting by Pietro da Cortona, finished by Giovanni Ventura Borghesi.
San Lorenzo in Damaso: ***
Piazza della Cancelleria; Hours: 7:30 to noon; 4:30 to 8:00pm
RENAISSANCE
Early Christian Church rebuilt in the 15th century by Bramante, later restored by Valadier; frescoes by Corrado Giaquinto, sculptures by Stefano Maderno, and a 14th century wooden crucifix.
San Lorenzo in Lucina: ****
Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4.00 to 7:00pm
Erected in the 4th and 5th centuries, rebuilt in the 12th and then alterwed by Cosimo fanzago about 1650. Contains alleged gridiron of St. Lawrence’s martyrdom behind the main altar. The campanile and portico date back to the 12th century.
San Marco – St. Mark: **
Piazza san Marco; Hours: 9:00am to 12:30pm; 3:30 to 6:00pm
MEDIEVAL, RENAISSANCE
Built in the 4th century, restored in the 8th and 9th and again during the 15th and 18th centuries. The mosaics of the apse and triumphal arch are of the 9th century. Its elegant façade is possibly by Alberti. The campanile dates back to the 12th century.
Santa Maria degli Angeli – St. Mary of the Angels: *****
Via Cernaia 9; Hours: 7:00am to 12:30pm; 4:00 to 6:00pm
ANCIENT, RENAISSANCE
Designed by Michelangelo who converted the great hall and the Tepidarium of the ancient Baths of Diocletian into the church. Its unadorned façade was part of an exedra of the baths, the calidarium, hot room, and follows in shape the curved line of the ancient Roman hall.
Santa Maria d’Aracoeli: ****
Piazza d’Aracoeli; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 3:30 to 5:30pm
MEDIEVAL
According to a legend, the church was built on the site where a sibyl predicted to Augustus the birth of Christ. Of an undetermined age, but probably erected before 574 A.D. when a church already existing on the site was considered ancient. Rebuilt in the 13th century in Romanesque and Gothic styles. During the Middle Ages the city fathers met here to discuss public affairs. The interior contains columns taken from ancient classical buildings; a sculpture by Donatello; in the first chapel on the right are frescoes by Pinturicchio. The staircase of 122 steps was built in 1348.
Santa Maria in Cosmedin: *****
Piazza Bocca della Verità; Hours: 9:00am to 1:00pm; 3:00 to 7:00pm
MEDIEVAL
Erected in the 6th century on the site of the food distribution center of ancient Rome, which existed among a group of temples dedicated to Hercules. Enlarged in the 8th century, remodeled in the 9th and 12th centuries and restored at the end of the 19th century to its 8th century design. An 8th century mosaic is preserved in the Sacristy, the campanile, choir and paschal candlestick are of the 12th, the Episcopal throne and altar canopy from the 13th. The 12th century portico house the famous Bocca della Verità – Mouth of Truth -, originally a drain covering in the shape of a great face with an open mouth, the mask of a river god. The mouth of truth, it was said, would close on the end of a liar, cutting the fingers.
Santa Maria in Domnica: ***
Via della Navicella 10; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 6:30 pm
MEDIEVAL
Erected probably in the 7th century, rebuilt and enlarged in the early 9th, then rebuilt again in the 16th and restored in the early 19th centuries. Noteworthy are the beautiful 9th century mosaics in the apse and the lacunal wooden ceiling from the 16th century. The renaissance façade is by Andrea Sansovino.
Santa Maria della Pace: ****
Vicolo della Pace; Hours:
RENAISSANCE
Originally built in 1480 and restored in 1656 by Pietro da Cortona who added a semicircular portico. In 1514 Raphael painted the frescoes of the Sybils in the first chapel on the right. Noteworthy also are the adjoining cloister by Bramante, the choir and high altar by Carlo Maderno, and the second chapel on the right by Sangallo the Younger.
Santa Maria del Popolo: *****
Piazza del Popolo; Hours: 7:00am to 12:30; 4:00 to 7.30 pm.
MEDIEVAL, RENAISSANCE
Originally built in 1227 by Gregory IX to replace a chapel erected by Paschal II in 1099 on the spot popularly believed to be the site of Nero’s tomb. Subsequently rebuilt during the 13th century as the parish church of the growing populous and dedicated to the Madonna, thereby deriving its name. Again rebuilt at the end of the 15th century by the pope Sixtus IV, with façade attributed to Andrea Bregno. Literary contains a museum collection of art, including sculptures by Bernini in the Chigi chapel, designed by Raphael; two paintings by Caravaggio, the Conversion of St. Paul and the Crucifixion of St. Peter in the Cerasi Chapel; frescoes by Pinturicchio and the choir by Bramante.
Santa Maria sopra Minerva: *****
Piazza della Minerva; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 7:00pm
MEDIEVAL, RENAISSANCE
Originally erected in the 8th century over the remains of a temple dedicated to Minerva, the church was rebuilt in gothic style in 1280. Among its many treasures are Michelangelo’s Risen Christ at the side of the high altar, frescoes by Filippino Lippi in the Carafa Chapel, and the monument to the Venerabile Maria Raggi by Bernini. Under the high altar is the sarcophagus containing the remains of St. Catherine of Siena. The tomb of Fra Beato Angelico is in the left chapel.
Santa Maria in Trastevere: *****
Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere; Hours: 7:00am to noon, 4:00 to 6:00pm
MEDIEVAL
Believed to have been founded by pope St. Calixtus (221-27 AD), was completely rebuilt by innocent II (1130-43AD). It’s the first of many churches in Rome dedicated to the Virgin and is one of the city’s most important churches. The façade is decorated with 12th and 13th century mosaics, as are the magnificent mosaics, of the same period in the apse. Domenichino designed the wooden ceiling and painted the assumption in the centre.
Santa Maria in Valicella or Chiesa Nuova – new Church: ***
Piazza della Chiesa Nuova; Hours 7.00am to noon; 4:00 to 7.00pm
RENAISSANCE, BAROQUE
Begun in 1575 it was founded by saint Filippo Neri, one of the great figures of the Catholic reform. Noteworthy are the façade by Rughesi, the ceiling frescoes by pietro da Cortona; three paintings by Peter Paul Rubens on the high altar and on either side of it. On the left of the church is the Oratory of the Filippini (the saint founded the Congregation of Oratorians), a true architectural masterpiece of the baroque style by Borromini.
Santa Maria della Vittoria: ****
Via XX Settembre, 17; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 7:30pm
BAROQUE
Built at the beginning of the 17th century by Carlo Maderno with the façade by Soria, it renowed for Bernini’s impressive Cornaro Chapel dominated by the Ecstasy of St. Teresa.
San Martino ai Monti: **
Viale del Monte Oppio, 28; Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 7:00pm. Sunday 4:00 to 7:00pm
MEDIEVAL
The church was built soon after Constantine’s Edict over an original Christian titulus (a private home used as a meeting place by the faithful for prayers). The titulus is still visible under the church and it’s a rare example of a 3rd-century domestic Christian church. It was rebuilt in the 9th century utilizing some antique columns, and radically altered in the 17th century. The crypt contains relics of the martyrs. On the outside wall of the church are ruins from the Baths of Trajan into which the church was built.
San Nicola in Carcere : *****
Via del Teatro Marcello; Opening Hours: 9.00am 7.00pm
Known at least since the end of the 11th century, its name “ in carcere” (in Prison) derives from the apparent existence here of a prison during the 8th century. The church outstanding characteristics are the Roman temples –of Hope, Juno Sospita and Janus – onto which it was built. The temples date from the first half of the 2nd century BC to about 90 BC. It’s possible to visit the church undergrounds to discover the podiums of the Ancient temples. At the main altar is an antique green porphyry urn. Giacomo Della Porta, who restored the church in 1599, designed its façade.
San Paolo alle Tre Fontane: ****
Via Acque Salvie at Via Laurentina; Opening Hours: 8:30am to 6:00pm
The Church was built in the 5th century on the site where it is believed St. Paul was martyred. It was rebuilt by Giacomo della Porta in 1599. Within are the legendary three fountains, said to have sprung forth where the head of the Saint bounced after his decapitation. Noteworthy is the Roman mosaics in the pavement , brought from Ostia Antica, and representing the four seasons. The column to which the Saint is said to have been bound is between the first and second altars. The church is on the ground of the Abbazia delle Tre Fontane, a Trappist abbey whose monks produce a noted eucalyptus liqueur and other products such as chocolates, honey and marmalade. The abbey store is open from 9:30am to 1:00pm and from 4:00 to 7:00pm. Also on the grounds of the monastery are two other churches consecrating the martyrdom: Santi Vincenzo e Anastasio, built in the 7th century and rebuilt in the 13th; Santa Maria Scala Coeli, built by Della Porta in 1583.
San Pietro in Montorio: ****
Piazza San Pietro in Montorio; Opening Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 5:00pm
The previous church, built prior to the 9th century on the site where it was erroneously believed the Apostle Peter was crucified, was rebuilt at the end of the 15th century by order of Ferdinand IV of Spain and probably designed by Baccio Pontelli. Noteworthy are frescoes by Sebastiano del Piombo in the Borgherini Chapel; and the Raimondi Chapel by Bernini. Beatrice Cenci – who inspired works by Stendhal, Dumas and Shelley – is buried at the foot of the altar. In the courtyard is the famous Tempietto del Bramante.
San Pietro in Vincoli: *****
Piazza San Pietro in Vincoli; Opening Hours: 7:00am to 1:00pm; 2:30 to 7:00pm
Built about 442 as a shrine to preserve the chains believed to be those which had bound the Apostle Peter during his captivity in Jerusalem. To these later were added the chains which are believed to have bound the same Apostle in Rome. Restored for the first time by Hadrian I during the 8th century, the church was subsequently altered several times, especially during the 15th and 16th centuries. One of Michelagelo’s masterpieces - Moses – is in the right transept.
Santa Prassede: *****
Via Santa Prassede, 9; Opening Hours: 7:30am to noon; 4:00 to 6:00pm
MEDIEVAL
Built in the 9th century by Pope Paschal I and subsequently restored during the 15th, 17th and 19th centuries. The Chapel of St. Zeno, erected by pope Paschal I as a mausoleum for his mother Theodora, is the finest Byzantine monument in Rome. It’s decorated with 9th century mosaics, covering the walls, ceiling, triumphal arch and apse. One of the first work by a young Bernini, the bust of the Bishop Santoni, is in front of the right nave. The church contains a pillar brought back from Jerusalem in1223, believed to be the one to which Christ was tied for the scourging.
Santa Pudenziana: ***
Via Urbana,161; Opening Hours: 7:30am to noon; 4:00 to 6:00pm. Closed on Sunday and holiday afternoons.
MEDIEVAL
One of the oldest church in Rome, dating from the 4th century. According to tradition, it was erected over the house of Senator Pudens, where Saint Peter has lived as a guest. Initially, during the 2nd century, thermal baths had been built on the site, and these were later converted into the church dedicated to Saint Pudenziana, daughter of Pudens and sister of Saint Prassede. Ruins of the bath are still visible behind the apse, to the left. During the 8th century the church was rebuilt and then restored in the 11th, 12th and 16th centuries. In the apse is a fine 4th century mosaic.
Santi Quattro Coronati: *****
Via dei santi Quattro, 20; Opening Hours: 9:00 am to 12:30; 3:30 to 5:30pm
MEDIEVAL
Erected in the 4th century, enlarged in the 9th, burned by the Normans in the 11th, rebuilt on a smaller scale in the 12th and restored in 1914. During the 12th century it was probably used as a defence for the Basilica of St. John lateran, hence it’s a fort-like structure. The church is dedicated to the four Roman soldiers, Severus, Severian, Carpophoros and Victorine, who had refused to worship the statue of Aesculapius, and to the five sculptures who had declined to carve it. Traces of the primitive church can been seen in the apse. The bell tower probably dates from the 9th century. Worth of visit are the Oratorio di san Silvestro, the chapel in the courtyard to be entered just by ringing the nuns, with its charming 13th century frescoes; and the medieval cloister.
Santa Sabina: ****
piazza Pietro d’Illiria; Opening Hours: 7:00am to noon; 4:00 to 7:00pm
MEDIEVAL
Built at the beginning of the 5th century by peter of Illyria over the site of a Roman house. From 1914-19 and 1936-38 it was restored to its original 5th century design and therefore represents the most perfect example of a 5th century Christian basilica. Noteworthy are its 24 fluted columns; a door in cypress wood with mosaics above the tessellated marble in the arches of the center nave –all of the 5th century; 9th century windows with selenite; a beautiful 13th century cloister; and remains of of Roman house.
Santo Stefano Rotondo: *****
Via di Santo Stefano Rotondo, 7; Opening Hours: October to March: Tues. to Sunday 9:30 - 12:30; 14:00 - 17:00. April to September: Tues. to Sunday 9:30 - 12:30; 15:00 - 18:00
MEDIEVAL
Built in the 5th century with a circular shape. The church originally had its columns arranged in two concentric circles, but during restorations in the 15th century the outer circle of columns was walled in. the frescoes of martyrs scenes are by Pomarancio and Tempesta. Noteworthy are an antique marble seat said to have been the Episcopal throne of Gregory the Great and a 7th century mosaic in the chapel of Saints Primus and Felician. Recent excavations beneath the pavement have uncovered ruins of a 2nd – 3rd century Mithraeum.
Santi Vincenzo and Anastasio: **
Vicolo dei Modelli, 73; Opening Hours: 700am to noon; 4:30 to 7:30pm
BAROQUE
Built in 1650 by Martino Longhi the Younger in a beautiful baroque style. Preserved into the church are the hearts and viscera, removed before embalming, of most of the popes from the time of Sixtus V -1590- to Leo XIII -1903-. It is the parish church of the Quirinal Palace, which at one time was the papal residence.
San Vitale: **
via Nazionale, 194; Opening Hours: 7:00 am to 11:00am, Sunday to noon; 4:30 to 6:00pm
MEDIEVAL
The church, that lies now below the street level, was built in 402 and modified in 1475 and restored in 1859. The portico, as well as the four altars and tabernacle, include antique columns. The frescoes are from the 17th century and include some by Cavaliere d’Arpino, among others.