The Santa Costanza is a little gem. Located on the Via Nomentana, just a stone’s throw away from the Sant’Agnese fuori le Mura, it is not frequented much by tourists and I was in fact the only visitor when I first visited the church in January of 2017. The edifice…
There are two churches in Rome dedicated to Saint Agnes, a very popular early fourth-century martyr. The best-known of the two, the Sant’Agnese in Agone, can be found on the Piazza Navona in the historical centre of Rome. This is the site of the ancient Stadium of Domitianus, where according…
A few months ago, I saw the documentary St. Peter’s and the Papal Basilicas of Rome at the cinema. It was excellent, but I do have one bone to pick: the documentary suggests that there are four papal basilicas in Rome, while in fact there are five. We have Saint…
It is not difficult to rattle off pages about the Santa Maria in Aracoeli. The church has a long history and it is chock-full of beautiful art. Although there are a lot of Baroque ornaments, the Santa Maria in Aracoeli is an interesting mix of medieval and more modern elements.…
The San Lorenzo in Lucina is one of many churches in Rome dedicated to Saint Lawrence. Lawrence was a church deacon who was martyred in 258 during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Valerianus. He can very well be considered historical, much unlike the many legends that surround him. Tradition…
I stumbled upon this lovely little church by chance. It is located directly behind the Santa Maria dell’Anima, not far from the Piazza Navona. The most intriguing exterior feature of the church is its facade, and especially the round portico designed by Pietro da Cortona (1596-1669) in the seventeenth century.…
The Santa Maria Antiqua is a little jewel on the edge of the Forum Romanum. It is a ruined sixth century church that is no longer used for religious services. The church can be visited on the ticket that gives access to the Forum, and at the moment it should…
The Santa Francesca Romana is located on the north-eastern edge of the Forum Romanum, close to the Colosseum. Confusingly, the official name of this church is actually Santa Maria Nova. The name means “New Saint Mary’s” and suggests that there is or was an “Old Saint Mary’s” as well. That…
There are two churches in Trastevere that anyone should visit: the Santa Maria in Trastevere and the Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. The San Crisogono, also in Trastevere, cannot hope to match those two in terms of art of history, but it is interesting in its own right. The church is…
It just wasn’t my day. I had wanted to see the Santa Balbina church on the Aventine first and then proceed to the Santi Nereo e Achilleo near the Baths of Caracalla. Both turned out to be closed at the advertised opening hours, which was rather frustrating. I continued my…