20 Best Churches In Rome, Italy: Guide To Its Most Stunning Religious Sites
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Are you looking to visit the best churches in Rome, Italy? I got you covered! I have been to Rome a number of times as a tourist and visiting friends. I have explored the Eternal city and Vatican and I’m here to recommend the beautiful churches in Rome that you need to see on your visit to the Eternal city.
As the seat of the Holy See, Rome is brimming with magnificent temples that are well worth visiting. Italy is home to some of the most striking and distinctive churches in the entire world. Anyone who has visited Rome will likely concur that there are over 900 churches in this incredibly cultural capital city, making it seem as though you can hardly turn a corner without running into one.
You cannot visit Rome without taking a look at its churches, which are ideal for a quiet respite from the bustle of the city, whether they are presiding over a piazza of their own or tucked down a side street. The best churches in Rome are listed below for your viewing pleasure.
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📍Address: Piazza di Santa Maria Maggiore, 00100 Roma RM, Italy 🎟️Find Tickets – Book in Advance: Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore Tour 🌟 Ratings: 5 / 5
Best Churches in Rome, Italy: Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome
Santa Maria Maggiore, one of Rome’s four Papal basilicas and a significant pilgrimage site, holds the distinction of being the only Roman church to have offered daily mass since the fifth century.
According to legend, Pope Liberius of the fourth century commissioned the construction of this magnificent church after having a vision of the Virgin Mary and asking him to construct a church in her honor. The following morning, during the height of a Roman summer, it is said that snow fell over the area where the basilica now stands as a result of a directive from the Virgin Mary regarding the location of the church.
Later additions included a new apse in the 13th century, Rome’s tallest campanile in 1377, and Giuliano da Sangallo’s gold coffered ceiling in the late 15th century, which featured the first gold from America.
Transepts are formed by two side chapels that were added in the 16th century: Cappella Sistina and Capella Paolina.
With its three aisles being divided by 36 marble and four granite columns, this 86-meter-long interior is among the best and most opulent in all of Rome. The upper portion of the walls are decorated with Rome’s oldest mosaics, which date to the fourth or fifth century, and the floor is covered with Cosmatesque work, a complex geometric inlay of colored stone that dates to the middle of the 12th century.
Best Churches in Rome, Italy: The Pantheon in Rome
The Pantheon, which is prominent among the city’s Roman-era landmarks and was constructed around AD 120 as a temple to venerate Roman deities, is now a Catholic church. It has been since Pope Boniface IV converted it and dedicated it to St. Mary and the Martyrs at the start of the seventh century.
The building has essentially not changed over the centuries, despite the fact that its stones, columns, statues, and even a portion of the original bronze ceiling were cannibalized for other purposes (in the 1600s Pope Urban VIII ordered the portico ceiling to be melted down to cast cannons for Castel Sant’Angelo), and its dome is still the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world.
Since the Renaissance, notable people have been buried in the Pantheon, including Vittorio Emanuele II and Umberto I, the two Italian kings, Raphael, and composer Arcangelo Corelli. Since the summer of 2018, the Pantheon has started to charge a small admission fee, ending centuries of being one of the free activities in Rome.
Best Churches in Rome, Italy: Church of St. Louis of the French in Rome
Near Piazza Navona in Rome, there is a Roman Catholic church called the Church of St. Louis of the French. The Virgin Mary, St. Denis the Areopagite, and St. Louis IX, King of France, are honored in the church’s dedications. The church was created by Giacomo della Porta and constructed by Domenico Fontana between 1518 and 1589. Catherine de’ Medici personally oversaw its completion and donated some land nearby.
Travertine-covered facade with three portals, five spans divided by pilasters, and statues by Pierre Lestache (1758) of Saint Clotilde, Charlemagne, Louis IX of France, and Saint Joan of Valois. The interior has three naves, marked by massive arches separated by pillars, with five chapels on each side, a presbytery, and covered by an elaborate barrel vault.
The church also has a few tombs, including those of Pauline de Beaumont, whose lover François-René de Chateaubriand built her tomb; cardinal François Joachin de Bernis; and Frédéric Bastiat, a liberal economist and writer who lived in the 19th century.
Best Churches in Rome, Italy: Santa Maria in Trastevere Rome
It’s possible that Santa Maria in Trastevere, a populous area on the right bank of the Tiber, was the first church in Rome where Christians were permitted to hold services in public. It was constructed beginning around the year 221 and was finished in the year 340. It was rebuilt in the 12th century and redecorated in the Baroque era. The church is equipped with a Romanesque campanile, a mosaic-covered facade, and a portico that houses early Christian sarcophagi.
It’s difficult to decide which interior feature to notice first: the exquisite marble floor inlay, the gilded, coffered wood ceiling, or the magnificent medieval mosaics in the apse. These depict scenes from the life of the Virgin by Pietro Cavallini in the late 13th century below a frieze of lambs and above Christ, the Virgin, and saints. Mino del Reame designed the tabernacle at the western end of the nave, which is visible there.
Best Churches in Rome, Italy: Basilica Di Santa Sabina Dnalor 01, CC BY-SA 3.0 AT, via Wikimedia Commons
Despite being adorned in 824, Santa Sabina, which Peter of Illyria constructed between 425 and 432, still retains the appearance of an early Christian basilica. The central doorway in the porch has the oldest carved wooden doors in Christian art, dating from 432, and one of the oldest mosaics in Rome, depicting two female figures, is on the wall above the entrance.
Their delicate and expressive reliefs, carved from African cedar by unknown carvers, depict scenes from the Old and New Testaments. 18 of the original 28 panels are still in place.
Twenty Parian marble Corinthian columns flank the nave of the church, and the choir features stunning marble screens with inlaid marble ornamentation. A Dominican monastery where St. Thomas Aquinas served as a monk has a stunning Romanesque cloister right next to the church.
6. Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri
Best Churches in Rome, Italy: Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Rome Italy
This tiny 16th-century basilica church was constructed inside of what was once the frigidarium (cold section) of the Roman Baths of Diocletian, hidden behind the plaza’s striking central fountain.
Santa Maria degli Angeli, one of Rome’s most popular churches, does not have a lavish façade; in fact, one might easily overlook its historic exterior as just another example of antiquity. However, this primitive shell conceals a marvel. The meridian line drawn by Francesco Bianchini, an astronomer, mathematician, archaeologist, historian, and philosopher, is one of its distinctive features.
Pope Clement XI wanted Rome to have a meridian line that matched Bologna’s, and this church was the ideal choice because it faces south and has walls that are tall enough to allow for the precise and extended tracking of the sun.
7. Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli
📍Address: Piazza di San Pietro in Vincoli, 4/a, 00184 Roma RM, Italy 🎟️Find Tickets – Book in Advance: Between Holy Doors Tours 🌟 Ratings: 5 / 5
Best Churches in Rome, Italy: Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli I, Sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli, which is famous for housing the famed Moses by Michelangelo, was constructed in the fifth century to house the chains with which Saint Peter was imprisoned in Jerusalem.
According to legend, Pope Leo I received one of the chains used to capture Saint Peter from Empress Eudoxia. As a result, the pontiff mandated the building of a temple to house the revered artifact. A second chain was brought to Rome a short while later, and there it miraculously connected to the first.
Because of its plain decorations, the Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli stands out among the city’s other temples. The most significant component of the church, the reliquary, is located in the lower portion of the structure. It houses the chains of Saint Peter.
The mausoleum of Pope Julius II, which houses an impressive Moses sculpture made by Michelangelo between 1505 and 1515, is another draw of the church. The mausoleum is mostly in the dark until visitors choose to make a donation to light it up, which is how most of the churches in Rome encourage giving.
Best Churches in Rome, Italy: Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem in Rome
The Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, one of the seven pilgrimage churches, was constructed in the early fourth century to house the enormous collection of holy relics that St. Helena, the mother of Constantine, had brought to Rome from Jerusalem.
Artifacts from the Crucifixion, including pieces of the True Cross, the Grotto of the Nativity, and other holy relics, can be found in the relic chapel. These have been displayed in a chapel created especially for their conservation and display since the 1030s, preserved in 19th-century reliquaries.
After being rebuilt in the 18th century, the church from the fourth century has little to show for it, but the later Baroque church still contains the original granite columns.
Best Churches in Rome, Italy: The Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome Italy
The basilica known as Santa Maria della Vittoria, or Our Lady of Victory in English, was built in the seventeenth century. To honor Emperor Ferdinand II’s victory at the Battle of White Mountain, it was constructed.
The Thirty Year’s War’s Bohemian period came to an end with the victory of Emperor Ferdinand II at the Battle of White Mountain, which is why this monument was built. Since it was mentioned in American author Dan Brown’s book Angels & Demons, the basilica has gained enormous popularity.
The church’s interior is lavishly decorated, despite the fact that the exterior isn’t particularly striking. The church is filled with candles, which adds to the unique atmosphere because there isn’t much natural light inside. The Cornaro Chapel, which houses the Bernini sculpture “Ecstasy of Saint Teresa,” is one of the church’s most notable features. This sculpture is regarded as a masterpiece of Baroque sculpture.
It is impossible to visit every church in Rome due to the city’s enormous number of churches. Even though Santa Maria della Vittoria is exquisitely decorated, we only advise visiting this basilica if you’re in Rome for a significant amount of time.
Best Churches in Rome, Italy: Basilica Parrocchiale Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome Italy
According to legend, this church, which is located beyond the Pincio Gardens, was originally a chapel meant to ward off the evil spirit of Nero. It was expanded by Bramante in 1505, serving as the church for the Augustinian canons, and later underwent restoration by Bernini. It has a beautiful Renaissance façade, dome, and campanile.
During his stay in Rome in 1510–1511, Augustinian Martin Luther resided in the order’s residence; however, after the Reformation, other Augustinians shunned the altar where he had celebrated mass. There are many tombs in its three aisles and side chapels, including two in the choir by Andrea Sansovino. Pinturicchio painted frescoes of the Coronation of the Virgin on the choir’s vaulting.
Raphael created the second chapel on the left in 1515 for the Chigi family, and the Cesari Chapel in the north transept houses two well-known works by Caravaggio, the Crucifixion of St. Peter and the Conversion of St. Paul.
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Best Churches in Rome, Italy: Basilica of Saint Praxedes in Rome Italy
St. Prassede, which is devoted to the sainted daughter of a Roman, has managed to retain the appearance of an early Christian basilica despite going through several different construction phases. The presbytery’s high pillared nave rises into the triumphal arch and apse, which are lined with some of Rome’s finest ninth-century mosaics.
Those on the triumphal arch symbolize the heavenly Jerusalem, and the apocalyptic Lamb of Revelation is depicted in the apse. Several saints are depicted above a frieze of lambs. These, like other mosaics and frescoes, were created to serve both as picture books for the largely illiterate medieval worshipers and as decorations glorifying Biblical figures and saints.
The south aisle’s Chapel of St. Zeno, which Pope Paschal I constructed to house the tomb of his mother Theodora, resembles a medieval picture book because it is completely covered in mosaics that show biblical figures and saints.
Best Churches in Rome, Italy: St. Maria Sopra Minerva Basilica sonofgroucho, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Santa Maria sopra Minerva is Rome’s largest Gothic church and was constructed on the site of a former Minerva temple, hence its name (and one of the few in that style). Its central location and Dominican preaching order’s service made it popular with the people of Rome, and as you can tell from the quantity of grave-slabs in the floor and on the walls, it has played a significant role in the city’s religious life. Construction on the building began around 1280 and was finished in 1453.
The remains of St. Catherine of Siena are kept in the high altar, and Michelangelo’s statue of the risen Christ, dating from 1521, is in front of the altar on the left. Although the loincloth was added later and it was criticized during Michelangelo’s lifetime for resembling a pagan god rather than the father of Christianity, other artists were impressed by the masterful skill of the sculptor; Sebastiano del Piombo, a painter, claimed that the value of Christ’s knees in this work exceeded that of all the buildings in Rome.
The tomb of the Florentine painter and Dominican Brother Fra Angelico is located in a passageway to the left of the presbytery. Behind the Pantheon in Piazza della Minerva is the beloved Bernini elephant made of marble, which served as the foundation for a tiny Egyptian obelisk from the sixth century BC.
Best Churches in Rome, Italy: Cappella Contarelli in Rome Italy
Three works by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610), better known by his stage name Caravaggio, can be found in the Cappella Contarelli, a chapel in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi. The paintings were created for the Cardinal Matthieu Cointrel heirs and were Caravaggio’s first official public commission for the chapel. Since the apostle was Cointrel’s namesaint, St. Matthew was chosen as the topic.
While the altarpiece shows St. Matthew and the Angel, the paintings on the side walls show St. Matthew’s Calling and Martyrdom.
Actually, Caravaggio created two renditions of the altarpiece. After his initial painting was rejected, he was forced to create the piece you see today. In his book Vite de’ Pittori, Scultori et Architetti Moderni (1672), Bellori recounted Caravaggio’s life, writing that “the priests took it down saying that the figure with its legs crossed and its feet rudely exposed to the public, had neither decorum nor the appearance of a saint.”
Rich banker and art collector Vincenzo Giustiniani purchased the rejected painting. Sadly, it died during the Second World War while it was in a Berlin gallery.
14. Chiesa del Gesù
📍Address: Via degli Astalli, 16, 00186 Roma RM, Italy 🎟️Find Tickets – Book in Advance: Fountains and Fallen Angels Tour 🌟 Ratings: 5 / 5
Best Churches in Rome, Italy: Chiesa del Gesù in Rome Italy
The Catholic religious order known as the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) has its mother church at the Church of the Gesù. This church, officially known as Chiesa del Santissimo Nome di Gesù all’Argentina, is credited with creating “the first truly baroque façade” and popularizing the baroque architectural style.
Numerous Jesuit churches around the world, especially in the Americas, used the church as inspiration. The artwork in the chapels at the crossing, the nave, and the sides served as models for Jesuit churches across Italy and Europe.
The Gesù was the residence of the Superior General of the Society of Jesus until the suppression of the order in 1773. It was first conceived in 1551 by Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, and active during the Protestant Reformation and the ensuing Catholic Counter-Reformation.
The church was later reclaimed by the Jesuits, and the nearby palazzo is now a residence for Jesuit scholars from all over the world preparing for priestly ordination at the Gregorian University.
Best Churches in Rome, Italy: Chiesa di Sant Ignazio di Loyola in Rome Italy
The Sant’Ignazio church, built in the 17th century, is located in a special little piazza just off the busy Via del Corso. It was initially built as a church for the esteemed Roman College, but today it is best known for the Jesuit priest Fra Andrea Pozzo’s ceiling.
As your eyes are glued to Pozzo’s ceiling frescoes showing Saint Ignatius and his entrance into paradise, your neck gets a little bit of a workout. The tromp l’oeil effect, which is a type of illusion produced by art, gives this ceiling its uniqueness.
When looking up from the central nave aisle, the ceiling will appear to be rising above you; however, if you look up from any other location, the columns will appear to be collapsing. The celestial dome exhibits the same deceptive effect, taking on odd proportions depending on your vantage point.
Best Churches in Rome, Italy: Saint Agnese in Agone in Rome, Italy
A 17th-century Baroque church in Rome, Italy, is called Sant’Agnese in Agone (also known as Sant’Agnese in Piazza Navona). The building looks out onto Piazza Navona, one of the city’s main squares and the location of Saint Agnes’ martyrdom in the Domitian Stadium during the early days of Christianity. Girolamo Rainaldi and his son Carlo Rainaldi, two architects, started work on the project in 1652. Francesco Borromini, the other key architect, became involved after many arguments.
With Gerhard Ludwig Müller serving as the current Cardinal-Deacon, the church has a titular deaconry. In addition to religious services, the church regularly presents classical concerts in the Borromini Sacristy, ranging from chamber music to operas and sacred Baroque works.
17. Santa Maria di Loreto
📍Address: Piazza della Madonna di Loreto, 26, 00187 Roma RM, Italy 🎟️Find Tickets – Book in Advance: Tour of the Churches of Rome 🌟 Ratings: 5 / 5
Best Churches in Rome, Italy: Santa Maria di Loreto in Rome Italy
A small chapel honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as Our Lady of Loreto, was located near the Trajan’s Forum in a still visually arresting area of the city. The church is uncomplicated but striking; its main body is a square brick box with Travertine limestone architectural details.
On it is a tall octagonal drum that is holding up an odd dome that is “oversized” in comparison to the rest of the structure and is topped by the “cricket’s cage,” an unusually intricate lantern. When the church was being built, a high-density residential area surrounded it, making the dome’s beauty and uniqueness even more obvious. Seen from below, the dome towered over the enormous volume of the base and ended in the lantern.
The interior of the building is an octagon outlined in a square with four semicircular chapels. A high portal decorated with a sculpture group by Andrea Sansovino depicting The Virgin and Child with the Blessed House of Loreto provides access. Two enormous paintings depicting the birth and death of Our Lady by the Cavaliere d’Arpino from 1630 are still on display in the church.
The decorative sculptures are noteworthy, especially the two Angels by Stefano Maderno (who sculpted the well-known statue at Santa Cecilia in Trastevere) and St. Susanna by the Flemish artist François Duquesnoy (1630–33), which highlight the various styles of Rome’s 17th-century statues.
18. Church of St Mary Magdalene
📍Address: Piazza della Maddalena, 53, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
Best Churches in Rome, Italy: Church of St Mary Magdalene in Rome Italy
Santa Maria Maddalena is a small regional church for the people of the Abruzzo region that was given to St. Camillus de Lellis in 1586 to serve as the headquarters for the order he founded. It is named after Mary Magdalene and was constructed on a 14th-chapel.
A single elliptical nave with chapels on either side, a transept, and a deep apse make up the interior. These features blend in beautifully with the later Rococo decorations. A remarkable 18th-century organ loft with gilded wooden carving and white stucco allegorical statues can be found on the counter-façade.
The stunning sacristy, built between 1738 and 1741, is a singular example of the Roman Barocchetto style, with wooden presses and wardrobes that have been faux-marble painted. Girolamo Pesce painted frescoes on the vaulted ceiling.
The church is also well-known for a miracle involving a polychrome wooden statue of Mary Magdalene from the 15th century: on December 24, 1598, during the disastrous Tiber flood, the statue was seen floating from a side chapel to the main altar, where it stopped. Additionally, Romans gathered here on the anniversary of St. Camillus’s passing to receive a specially blessed water that contained a tiny amount of the saint’s tomb dust, a cure-all for all ills or difficulties, until the late 19th century.
Best Churches in Rome, Italy: Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano
The Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, also known as the Basilica of St. John Lateran, is the cathedral church of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Pope. It is located on the Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano, which is named after the basilica.
The basilica is the oldest and ranks first among the four major basilicas of Rome, which also include St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Paul Outside the Walls, and Santa Maria Maggiore. It was founded by Emperor Constantine in the early 4th century and was consecrated by Pope Sylvester I in 324 AD.
The basilica has undergone several reconstructions and renovations over the centuries. The current basilica was built in the 16th century by Pope Sixtus V and it features a Baroque-style façade designed by Alessandro Galilei.
Inside the basilica, there are many beautiful works of art, including the Papal throne, which is the largest surviving medieval throne in the world. The basilica also contains important relics, such as the heads of Saints Peter and Paul, a fragment of the True Cross, and a piece of the table used at the Last Supper.
The Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano is considered one of the most important churches in the world and it has served as the venue for several important events, including five ecumenical councils and several coronations of Popes.
Best Churches in Rome, Italy: Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls
St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica, also known as Basilica Papale di San Paolo fuori le Mura, is one of the four major basilicas of Rome, along with St. Peter’s Basilica, St. John Lateran, and Santa Maria Maggiore. It is located about 3 miles south of the city center, outside the ancient walls of Rome.
The basilica was founded in the 4th century over the burial site of St. Paul the Apostle. It has undergone several restorations and renovations throughout its history, including a major reconstruction in the mid-19th century after a fire destroyed much of the original structure.
The exterior of the basilica features a portico with 150 columns, and a large bronze statue of St. Paul stands at the entrance. The interior of the basilica is famous for its stunning mosaics, which date back to the 5th century and cover much of the walls and ceilings.
One of the highlights of the basilica is the Confessio, a marble altar that marks the spot where St. Paul’s tomb is located. The altar is surrounded by a balustrade that was designed by the famous architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
St. Paul Outside the Walls is also home to an impressive collection of artwork, including numerous frescoes, sculptures, and paintings by famous artists such as Guido Reni, Luca Giordano, and Pietro Cavallini.
Today, the basilica is an important pilgrimage site for Catholics and visitors from all over the world. It is also an active church and is used for many important liturgical celebrations throughout the year.
Map of the Best Churches in Rome, Italy:
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More About Churches in Italy:
Best Churches in Rome, Italy: Guide to Its Most Stunning Religious Sites
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