Rome: Basilicas & Churches

Chiesa di Santa Maria in Aracoeli

The church contains memories of various periods, the nave is held by 22 different ancient columns, the pulpit is a fine 13th century work. On the inner facade the tomb of Cardinal Lebretto has an extremely elegant Renaissance relief of St George, by Andrea Bregno da Osteno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Also in the inner facade is a gigantic baroque coat of arms in honor of Urbanus. The shape of the window was made to be consistent with the traditional shape of a coat of arms so that the afternoon sun would light up the bees of the Barberini. The church is noted for a statue of the baby Jesus said to have been carved from the wood of an olive tree from the garden of Gethsemane. The statue was stolen in 1994 and a replica is on display.

Basilica de San Marco

This ancient church was adorned with a fine vestibule at the expense of Cardinal Barbo and then Paulus II. The fine Renaissance loggia, which was used by Paulus II for blessing the crowd, was freed of later additions at the end of the 19th century. San Marco was the national church of the Venetian community in Rome. This is why so many Venetian cardinals are buried in San Marco. There is a monument to Cardinal Marcantonio Bragadin by Lazzaro Morelli, the cardinal named after his uncle who commanded the garrison in Famagusta. This was the last Venetian stronghold in Cyprus, which fell in 1571 to the Turks. The monument shows the influence of Bernini's Monument to Maria Raggi. The Monument to Cardinal Cristoforo Vidman by Cosimo Fancelli is one of the many monuments showing the dead in the act of praying.

Basilica di Constantino

The Basilica di Constantino is also known as Basilica di Massenzio. The Emperor Maxentius initiated work on the basilica and it was finished in 315 AD by Constantine. Its impressive design provided inspiration for Renaissance architects, possibly including Michelangelo. The Arco di Tito or the Arch of Titus, at the Colosseo end of the forum, was built in 81AD in honor of the victories of the emperors Titus and Vespasian against Jerusalem. This arch, along with that of Constantine, was once incorporated into the medieval Frangipani fortress.

Chiesa di SS Cosma e Damiano & Chiesa di Santa Francesca Romana

What is now a chapel of the church of Cosmo e Damiano, was a Temple erected by Maxentius and dedicated to his son Romulus. The bronze doors are remarkable. The church once housed a large hall which formed part of Vespasian's Forum of Peace. In the apse are 6th century mosaics, among the most beautiful in Rome, which were restored in 1989.

Past the Basilica di Costantino there is a small stairway leading to Chiesa di Santa Francesca Romana. The church is partly built on the Temple of Venus and Roma. Its beauty and the surrounding area make it one of the most sought out churches for weddings. The fine bell tower was erected in the 12th century, the facade was rebuilt at the beginning of the 17th century by Carlo Lambardi. There is a 12th century mosaic in the apse of the Madonna and child and saints, as well as a 7th century painting of the Madonna and child above the high altar. During restoration works in 1949, another painting of the Madonna and child was discovered beneath the 7th-century work.

Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

Today the Basilica is in one of the busiest areas of Rome, close to the Railway Station. However being in a dominant position today's view is not marred by these alterations, only too many cars and pigeons.

The ceiling of Santa Maria Maggiore was designed by Giuliano da Sangallo towards the end of the 15th century. According to the tradition it was gilded with American gold presented to Pope Alexander VI by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Alexander VI in 1493 acted as a mediator between Spain and Portugal and he established a division line between their settlements in South America. The ceiling is decorated with the coats of arms of Alexander VI and of his uncle Calixtus III. The pavement of the main nave partly retains its 12th century mosaic decoration. There are also some small mosaics added in 1750 when the interior was restored for the Holy Year. The pieces of stones and marbles used for the mosaics have a different resistance to usage.

Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterno

The large esplanade in front of the Basilica has been preserved. No alterations have occurred since Vasi's time and a recent cleaning provides us with views we can imagine very similar to Vasi's ones.

The facade was by Alessandro Galilei and holds 15 gigantic statues. The main coat of arms of the pope is inside the loggia, but other coats of arms of Clemens 12th are at the bottom of the pillars and in the vault of the Portico. In 1646 Pope Innocentius 10th assigned Borromini with the renovation of the basilica interior, but wanted the floor of the main nave and the ceiling to be preserved. The floor went back to the time of Martinus V in the 15th century whose symbols (a mermaid and a column) was included in a cosmatesque mosaic. The ceiling was a work by Flaminio Boulanger and showed the coats of arms of Pius IV and Pius V.

Basilica di San Clemente

Dedicated to one of the earliest popes, the church defines how history in Rome exists on many levels. The 12th century church at street level was built over a 4th century church which was, built over a 1st century Roman house. It contained a late 2nd century temple to the pagan god Mithras imported to Rome by soldiers returning from the East. It is possible to visit the first three levels. In the medieval church, note the marble choir screen, originally in the older church below, and the early Renaissance frescoes by Masolino in the Capella di Santa Caterina, depicting the life of St Catherine of Alexandria. The stunning mosaics in the apse date from the 12th century. On the arch are Christ and the symbols of the four Evangelists.

Chiesa di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva

The church has been so widely modified that it lost all resemblance to the old building. It contains a number of important art treasures, including Michelangelo's statue the Risen Christ, as well as vibrant frescoes by Filippo Lippi in the Cappella Caraffa depicting events in the life os St Thomas Aquinas, and a beautiful Annunciation. The body of St Catherine of Siena, without her head lies under the high altar. In the piazza in front of the church is a delightful Bernini statue of an elephant supporting an Egyptian obelisk.

Basilica di San Pietro

The Circo Naticano, built by Nero is where St Peter and other Christians were martyred between 64 and 67 AD. The body of the saint was buried in an anonymous grave next to the wall of the circus, and his fellow Christians built a humble 'red wall' to mark the site. In 160 AD the stadium was abandoned and a small monument erected on the grave. In 315, Emperor Constantine ordered construction of a basilica on the site of the apostle's tomb. This first Basilica di San Pietro was consecrated in 326.

Restoration work on the facade has recently been completed. Work consisted mainly of cleaning the travertine marble and repairing damage caused by age and pollution. In 1999 the facade was given a thorough cleaning which brought to light some coloring of the facade

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