Churches and Basilicas

There is probably no city in the world with more churches than Rome. Most of the principal churches and basilicas of the Catholic church are found in the Eternal City, including the most magnificent one of all, Saint Peter’s Basilica.

The Basilicas of Saint Mary Major, Saint John in Lateran and Saint Paul Outside the Walls, and Saint Peter’s together are known as the 4 Papal Basilicas.

The 10 most important basilicas and churches in Rome are:

  1. Saint Peter’s Basilica
  2. San Giovanni in Laterano (Saint John in Lateran)
  3. Santa Maria Maggiore (Saint Mary Major)
  4. Saint Paul Outside the Walls
  5. San Clemente
  6. San Pietro in Vincoli (Saint Peter in Chains)
  7. San Luigi dei Francesi
  8. Santa Croce in Gerusalemme
  9. Santa Maria in Trastevere
  10. Domine Quo Vadis?

Although the Pantheon is officially a church, it is dealt with under the heading Monuments.

Saint Salvatore at the Laurels

The Church of Saint Salvatore at the Laurels (San Salvatore in Lauro) is located in the Ponte district in the center of Rome. It supposedly gets its name from a laurel tree that used to exist nearby. Saint Salvatore at … Continue reading →

San Francesco di Paola ai Monti

The church of San Francesco di Paola ai Monti is the national church of the Calabrian community in Rome and is located in the Monti district, not far from the Colosseum. It was constructed in two different stages, first by Orazio … Continue reading →

Saint John in Lateran (San Giovanni Laterano)

Saint John in Lateran

In Italian the Basilica of Saint John in Lateran is called San Giovanni in Laterano. The official name of the church is Arcibasilica Papale e Cattedrale del Santissimo Salvatore e dei Santi Giovanni Battista ed Evangelista in Laterano, however, which … Continue reading →

Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme

Santa Croce in Gerusalemme

The Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem) is one of Rome’s seven pilgrim’s churches, which means that it is possible to receive an indulgence there. An indulgence is the remission, under certain conditions, … Continue reading →

Santa Maria della Scala

The Church of Santa Maria della Scala can be found in the Trastevere quarter on Rome. Tradition holds that the icon of the Madonna in the northern transept once cured a child. The icon had been placed on the stairway … Continue reading →

San Gregorio al Celio

The Chiesa di San Gregorio Magno in Rome is also known as the San Gregorio al Celio and was built in the middle ages on top of the house that belonged to Pope Gregorio Magno and used to serve as … Continue reading →

Saint Peter in Chains

Michelangelo's Moses

The (minor) Basilica of Saint Peter in Chains (San Pietro in Vincoli) is also called the Eudossiana, since it was built by Eudossiana Licinia, the daughter of the then Eastern Emperor. Eudossiana managed to procure the chains (vincoli) that bound … Continue reading →

San Martino ai Monti

The church of San Martino ai Monti was constructed in the 4th century AD (by Pope Sylvester I), but it has been reconstructred so many times that the only aspect left of the original church is formed by the Corinthian … Continue reading →

Santa Maria dei Monti

Santa Maria ai Monti

The Church of Santa Maria dei Monti is also known as the Madonna dei Monti and as Santa Maria ai Monti. The latter is the official name, while Madonna dei Monti is the name used by Romans themselves. Construction The … Continue reading →

Church of San Pietro in Montorio

The Chiesa di San Pietro in Montorio, on the Janiculum hill in the rione Trastevere in Rome, was built during the Middle Ages, at the site where there used to be another church dedicated to Saint Peter. It is thought … Continue reading →

Santa Maria in Trastevere

Santa Maria In Trastevere

The Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere was the first church in Rome to be dedicated to the Madonna and maybe also the first one where Mass could by openly celebrated. It was built by orders of Pope Callisto I, … Continue reading →

Santa Maria della Vittoria (Our Lady of Victory)

The Chiesa di Santa Maria della Vittoria was originally dedicated to San Paolo. It is a baroque church and is especially famous for Bernini’s Ecstasy of Saint Teresa. In English the church is called Our Lady of Victory. The church … Continue reading →

Church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva

The Church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva was built on top of the ruins of a temple dedicated to Minerva Calcidica in the 7th century AD and reconstructed in the 12th century. The façade is the result of another reconstruction … Continue reading →

Saints Michael and Magnus (Frisian Church)

The Santi Michele e Magno church is the Dutch national church in Rome and is also known as the Frisian church. It is found on the Palazzuolo, another name for the northernmost part of the Gianicolo Hill. The church is … Continue reading →

Sant’Atanasio (Church)

The Roman catholic church of Sant’Atanasio is the Greek national church in Rome and is located in the historical center of the city, in the Via del Babuino. It was constructed either by the architect Giacomo della Porta (if you … Continue reading →

Santa Maria dell’Anima

The Our Lady of the Soul (Santa Maria dell’Anima) church, formerly the national church of the Holy Roman Empire, is still the German national church in Rome and is located near Piazza Navona in the center of the city. The … Continue reading →

Saint Ignatius of Loyola in Campus Martius

Trompe l'oeil ceiling

The church of Sant’Ignazio di Loyola in Campo Marzio is located in the Colonna district in the center of Rome. It is called “in Campo Marzio” because in earlier days it used to be part of the district of that … Continue reading →

Basilica of San Marco

The Basilica of Saint Mark (Basilica di San Marco) is incorporated in the Palazzo Venezia and is located in the Pigna district of Rome. It was founded in the year 336 by Saint Mark, who was Pope at the time … Continue reading →

Sant’Eusebio all’Esquilino

Saint Eusebius all’Esquilino is a church in Rome just off the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele in the Esquilino neighborhood of the Eternal City. It is one of Rome’s oldest churches, having been built in the 5th century (there are documents referring … Continue reading →

Saint Bartholomew on the Island

The Church of Saint Bartholomew on the Island (San Bartolomeo all’Isola, in Italian), is, as the name indicates, located on the Island in the Tiber in the Ripa district of Rome. It was built in the 10th century by the … Continue reading →