I had not yet visited this large Augustinian church just north of the Piazza Navona and it was high on my list. I had spent the morning visiting other Roman churches (this one, this one and this one) and then hurried towards the Sant’Agostino, hoping to get there on time…
Oh, I knew about the existence of the church of San Benedetto alright. Traversing from one part of Trastevere to another, I had passed by the church on many occasions. It is located on a square, the Piazza in Piscinula[1], where I sometimes have lunch in one of the restaurants…
I had not planned to visit the San Silvestro in Capite.[1] It is another one of those Roman churches that are not mentioned at all in most travel guides. I do not blame them: there are certainly more interesting churches in the Eternal City. However, that does not mean that…
My first attempt to visit the church of the Holy Apostles in Rome was hardly a raging success. I had not forgotten that the Romans celebrate Epiphany on 6 January, but I had not expected that that meant that the Santi Apostoli would be used for religious services all day…
It is hardly surprising that I have walked past the San Marcello al Corso on numerous occasions. The ‘Corso’ part of the church name refers to the Via del Corso, one of the busiest streets in the city, which connects the Piazza Venezia with the Piazza del Popolo. In Antiquity…
A short version of the history of this church could be something along the lines of: “It survived in the past because it was mistaken for another church, and it survives in the present because it is a popular wedding location”. But that does not do the San Cesareo in…
The Santi Nereo e Achilleo is another one of those interesting Roman churches that never seem to be open. If you visit in winter, as I did back in 2017, you may expect the doors to be shut all week. In July of 2018, a memo was posted on the…
Getting to the church of Santa Balbina is fairly easy. The church is located on the eastern slope of the Little Aventine, overlooking the gigantic Baths of Caracalla. Actually getting into the church is a whole lot tougher. Apparently, people have been having difficulties with visiting the Santa Balbina for…
The Ara Pacis Augustae – the Altar of Augustan Peace – is what one could call a monument in the wrong place. The large open-air altar is not in its original position. It can now be found next to the remains of the gigantic circular Mausoleum of Augustus, but it…
The Pantheon is one of Rome’s most famous landmarks. In its current form, it dates from the second century. What is special, is that it is still more or less in one piece and that it has never been substantially modified. Rome does have a few other buildings from the…
Although certainly not the most interesting church in Trastevere, the Santa Maria della Scala may come as a pleasant surprise to many. Behind a fairly simple facade, one can find a rich Baroque interior. The name of the church – Our Lady of the Staircase – refers to a medieval…
There is a fair chance that I would never have visited the small church of Sant’Egidio in Trastevere, had I not found it open on a mild winter evening in January of this year. I had walked past the simple facade of the church countless times, and since the gates…
It was a pleasant surprise during our last visit to Rome: the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj (pronounced Pamphili[1]) and its amazing art gallery. The Palazzo is located next to the Baroque church of San Maria in Via Lata and can be entered from the Via del Corso. A ticket to the…
Just a stone’s throw away from the cathedral of San Giovanni in Laterano, one can find one of the most curious pieces of architecture in the streets of Rome. The Triclinium Leoninum consists of a brick aedicule with an apse and a colourful apse mosaic. At first glance, the mosaic…
The San Giovanni in Laterano is the most important Roman Catholic church in the world. It is the seat of the Pope as bishop of the diocese of Rome and is therefore the city’s cathedral. It ranks first among Rome’s four major basilicas[1] and five papal basilicas[2]. But more importantly…
There are two things anyone interested in visiting the Galleria Borghese should know. First of all, it is risky to show up without a reservation. Strictly speaking, pre-booking is not compulsory, but this is a popular museum and there is a fair chance that no more tickets are available if…
I definitely consider it to be the highlight of my most recent visit to Rome: a trip to the Catacombs of Saints Marcellinus and Peter, which were reopened to the public in 2014. I had already been to the Catacombs of San Callisto on the Via Appia once, but those…
The San Martino ai Monti is located just north of the Parco del Colle Oppio, a large public park on the Oppian Hill. The Oppius is one of two spurs of the Esquiline Hill; the other is called the Cispius. Nero’s Domus Aurea once stood here, and the area has…
I have procrastinated the gargantuan task of writing a post about the Santa Maria Maggiore for far too long. I have mentioned this major basilica several times now in other posts, and have visited it at least half a dozen times. The church is one of four major basilicas in…
I used to think that there were only three interesting churches in Trastevere, my favourite neighbourhood in Rome: the Santa Maria in Trastevere of course, and then the Santa Cecilia and the San Crisogono. I now realise I was wrong all the time. The Santa Maria dell’Orto should be on…
