Rome has many interesting churches with works of art that are worth visiting. Many churches stay open all day, but some close for a few hours in the afternoon. These churches have free entry, but some have museums, cloisters, or archaeological areas for a fee.
When entering a church, you are expected to be quiet and respectful. Men must remove hats. Some churches won’t let you in wearing shorts or sleeveless tops. Most churches allow photos inside with some restrictions.
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San Giovanni Laterano – Cathedral of Rome
Direction
Piazza di S. Giovanni en Laterano, 4, 00184 Rome RM, ItalyGet directions
Telephone
+39 06 6988 6433
Web
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San Giovanni , San Juan, is the cathedral of Rome and the first church of the popes, from the 4th century until the papacy moved to France in 1309. The residence of the pope was in the adjoining Lateran palace. This is the site of the first Christian church built in Rome. The current church is Baroque and has cloisters and a museum that can be visited. Be sure to visit the baptistery next door and the Scala Santa and Sancta Sanctorum across the street.
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St. Peter’s Basilica – San Pietro in Vaticano
Direction
St. Peter’s Square, 00120 Vatican City, Vatican CityGet directions
Telephone
+39 06 6982
Web
Visit the website
St. Peter’s Basilica, San Pietro in Vaticano , is in Vatican City, so technically it is not in Rome. San Pietro is the current church of the pope and one of the largest and most important Catholic churches in the world. Within the vast interior, there are many works of marble, bronze, and gold, including Michelangelo’s Pieta . You can visit Saint Peter’s for free, but you will have to pay to see the adjoining Sistine Chapel, with its famous frescoes by Michelangelo and Botticelli, and the Vatican Museums.
03
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Santa Maria Maggiore
Direction
Piazza di S. Maria Maggiore, 00100 Rome RM, ItalyGet directions
Telephone
+39 06 6988 6800
Web
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Another of the four papal churches, Santa Maria Maggiore has beautiful 5th century biblical mosaics. The marble floor, the bell tower and the mosaics in the triumphal arch and in the loggia are medieval. Its spectacular ceiling is said to be decorated with Columbus gold brought from the new world.
The fourth patriarchal or papal church of Rome is San Paulo Fuori la Mura , Saint Paul Outside the Walls, two kilometers from the Gate of San Paolo through Ostiense. It also contains many art treasures and relics, including chains believed to have been used against Paul when he was under arrest.
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The pantheon
Direction
Piazza della Rotonda, 00186 Rome RM, ItalyGet directions
Telephone
+39 06 6830 0230
Web
Visit the website
The Pantheon, built in 118 as the Roman temple of all gods, is the best preserved ancient building in Rome. Its large dome has a circular opening at the top that lets in the only light. In the 7th century, the first Christians turned the Pantheon into a church. Inside there are many tombs, some with the bodies of Italian monarchs.
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San Clemente
Direction
Via Labicana, 95, 00184 Rome RM, ItalyGet directions
Telephone
+39 06 774 0021
Web
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San Clemente , near the Colosseum, is my favorite because of its layers of archaeological excavations underneath, illustrating the interesting history of Rome. The current 12th century church sits on top of the 4th century church that was built on top of the ruins of 1st century Roman buildings and a 2nd century Mithraic chamber of worship. The best way to visit the excavations is on a guided tour.
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San Pietro in Vincoli – San Pedro en cadenas
Direction
Piazza di San Pietro en Vincoli, 4 / a, 00184 Rome RM, ItalyGet directions
Telephone
+39 06 9784 4952
Web
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San Pietro in Vincoli , also near the Colosseum, was founded in the 5th century to hold the chains believed to be what held Saint Peter captive in Mamertine prison. According to legend, a set of chains was sent to Constantinople and when it was returned to Rome, the two parts were miraculously merged. The church is also home to Michelangelo’s famous statue of Moses, the center of the work known as the tomb of Julius II.
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Santa Croce in Jerusalem
Direction
Piazza di S. Croce en Gerusalemme, 00185 Rome RM, ItalyGet directions
Telephone
+39 06 7061 3053
Web
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The Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, Holy Cross in Jerusalem, is one of the most popular pilgrimage churches in Rome. Santa Croce is a beautiful Baroque church known for its collection of relics. There is also a replica of the Shroud of Turin, the sanctuary of a young woman considered for sanctity, and 15th-century frescoes in the apse. Santa Croce started as a church in the 4th century and still has granite columns from the original church. It has been remodeled several times and the church that we see today is from the 18th century remodeling.
The monastic and archaeological complex includes gardens located in the Castrense amphitheater. There is also a hotel run by the monks, Domus Sessoriana. Santa Croce is near San Giovanni in Laterano (see above).
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Santa Maria in Cosmedin
Direction
Piazza della Bocca della Verità, 18, 00186 Rome RM, ItalyGet directions
Telephone
+39 06 678 7759
Web
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Santa Maria in Cosmedin , between the river and the Circus Maximus, is the most important Greek church in Rome and has some beautiful Byzantine mosaics. In front you will see many tourists reaching into the Boca Della Verita , the mouth of truth, a medieval drainage cover sculpted to look like a face. According to medieval legend, if you have not been sincere, the mouth will close and it will cut off your hand. Try it at your own risk!
09
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Santa Maria in Trastevere
Direction
Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere, 00153 Rome RM, ItalyGet directions
Telephone
+39 06 581 4802
Web
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Trastevere is the neighborhood on the other side of the Tiber River from the historic center of Rome. Santa Maria in Trastevere is one of the oldest churches in Rome and is believed to be the first church in Rome dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It originally dates from the late 3rd to early 4th century but was rebuilt in the 12th century. The church is famous for a Byzantine mosaic behind the altar and several mosaics from the 13th century. The square has a beautiful octagonal fountain.
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Santa Maria Sopra Minerva
Direction
Piazza della Minerva, 42, 00186 Rome RM, ItalyGet directions
Telephone
+39 06 6992 0384
Web
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Another of the churches of Santa Maria in Rome, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva by the Pantheon is the only gothic-style church in Rome. It was built in the 13th century on what is believed to have been the Temple of Minerva. There is a good collection of art here, including another Michelangelo, Christ Carrying the Cross, and the tombs of Saint Catherine, Fra Angelico, and the 16th century Medici popes. Outside is a Bernini sculpture of an elephant with an obelisk on its back.
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Santa Maria del Popolo
Direction
Piazza del Popolo, 12, 00187 Rome RM, ItalyGet directions
Telephone
+39 06 361 0836
Web
Visit the website
Santa Maria del Popolo , in the Piazza del Popolo , was one of the first Renaissance churches in Rome. The church features the Martyrdom of Saint Peter by Caravaggio and the Conversion of Saint Paul . In the Chigi Chapel , created by Raphael, there are ceiling mosaics and pyramidal tombs, as well as statues by Bernini.
