Top Ten Churches
St. Mary in Trastevere
This 12th century Romanesque basilica is built on the location of one of the most ancient Christian sites of Rome. Trastevere was the foreigners quarter of ancient Rome, and the Roman Jews, to whom Christianity was first preached by the Apostles Peter and Paul, would have mostly lived here. Pope S. Callixtus I (reigned 217-222) was martyred close by, and his remains lie under the main altar along with those of many other saints. The original 12th century apsidal mosaic, the late 13th century cycle of mosaics by the Roman artist Pietro Cavallini, the columns reused from ancient Roman buildings, and inumberable decorations from subsequent eras combine to make this one the most beautiful and intricate monuments of Christian history in Rome.
St. Clement
Another very ancient church built in the Romanesque period, St. Clement is one of the most interesting sites in the city of Rome. A 19th century archeological investigation revealed not only the ruins of the original 4th century basilica under the present 12th century edifice, but also a second larger basilica under the older church. This layer consists of two ancient Roman buildings, one of the 1st century and another of the 2nd century; in the former is house a shrine to the Persian god Mithras (a mithraeum), who was extremely popular with the Roman soldiery. The 4th century building contains many frescoes, which were preserved when that church was turned into the foundation of the beautiful basilica above.
St. Peter in Chains
The presence of the sculpture of Moses by the incomparable Michelangelo, and the absence from this church of other particularly outstanding art works makes it easy to forget that it was for many centuries one of the most important pilgrimage churches in Rome. Medieval pilgrims, however, would probably have been much more interested in seeing the chains thought to be those that held the Prince of the Apostles himself while he was kept prisoner by the Emperor Nero before his martyrdom in or about 64 AD, as well as part of the smaller chain of Saint Paul. Before the main altar are relics held to be those of the Maccabee brothers, whose martyrdom is recounted in the second book of Maccabees -- the only saints of the Old Testament held in veneration in Western Christianity.
These churches, like so many of Rome’s religious
sites, are also famous for their great artworks. Santa Maria del Popolo,
just inside the Flaminian Gate, was the first church visited by pilgrims
coming to Rome down the famous pilgrims’ way, the via Francigena,
from the north. Its side chapels contain frescoes by the early Renaissance
painter Pinturicchio, tombs by the Roman sculptor Andrea Bregno, and two
works by Caravaggio in the Cerasi Chapel, as well as a family chapel for
the Chigi family, built after a design by Raphael,
Sant’ Agostino, built in the later 15th century, was the first church
dedicated to this great Doctor of the Church and houses the relics of his
mother, St. Monica. Works by Raphael and Bernini are also contained here,
as well as the famous “Madonna del Pasto,” a statue by the sculptor
Jacopo Sansovino. This Madonna is visited in pilgrimage by those who wish
to offer thanks for the birth of a child. The church is also most appropriately
home of one of Caravaggio’s most beautiful paintings The Madonna of
Pilgrims, often called The Madonna of Loreto.
Santa Maria sopra Minerva
This church was built for the Dominican order in 1285 and has been loved ever since. In Rome’s only Gothic church (because of its pointed ribbed arches not flying buttresses,) eight hundred years of faithful attendance has left beautiful signs. The burial of St. Catherine of Siena, catapulted this Medieval basilica into the Renaissance with the addition of side chapels decorated by artistic luminaries such as Filippino Lippi as well as MichelangeloÕs remarkable Christ the Redeemer. Art and faith mesh seamlessly here particularly at the tomb of Beato Angelico, the Dominican painter who was declared patron saint of artists by John Paul II in 1983.
Il Gesu
As the first great church of the Counter Reformation, the Gesu set the standard for late 16th century sacred structures. The high vault conferred a new-found majesty on these new buildings while the wide nave and raised altar allowed the faithful to see the Eucharist after rood screens were removed in the wake of the Councils of Trent. The church’s lavish and loving decoration culminates in the glorious ŌTriumph of the Holy Name of JesusÕ by BerniniÕs finest collaborator, G.B. Gaulli. The Gesu also houses the stunning tomb of St. Ignatius and as well as the right arm of St. Francis of Xavier, brought from Goa where he died after baptizing 100,000 people.
Chiesa Nuova
The Chiesa Nuova, started for St. Phillip Neri in 1575, is a near contemporary to the Gesu, and while they share many architectural features, the decoration should be singled out as an example of the Oratorian’s visionary approach to art patronage. The chapels are enlivened by the flickering beauty of BarocciÕs altarpieces, while the apse boasts one of the few Rubens paintings in Rome. The Oratorians even sought out the troubled Milanese painter Caravaggio, coaxing one of his finest works, The Entombment, from his studio before his exile. Pietro da Cortona and Francesco Borromini also produced work for this order continuing their avant garde patronage through the 17th century.
San Carlino alle Quattro Fontane
San Carlino alle Quattro Fontane perches on the top of the Quirinal Hill, small enough to fit into one of the piers supporting St. Peter’s dome. Yet in this tiny space, Francesco Borromini designed a masterpiece with its undulating walls and oval honeycomb dome. Dedicated to St. Charles Borromeo who penned the Instructions for Sacred Edifices in the 16th century, San Carlino is an innovative interpretation of his thoughts. Probably the best example of a Baroque contemplative space, this church is even more astonishing when seen in conjunction with its contemporary down the street, Sant’Andrea al Quirinale.
Sant’Andrea al Quirinale
At Sant’Andrea al Quirinale, all the theatricality of the Baroque comes to bear in this Faberge egg of a church. Built by Gian Lorenzo Bernini from 1658 to 1670, Sant’Andrea combines red Sicilian marble, a surprising oval plan, gilt stucco and colourful altarpieces by Borgognone for the unforgettable presentation of the witness of St. Andrew, apostle and martyr. The church has become a hot spot on the John Paul II itineraries, because the young seminarian Karol Wojtyla used to pray daily in the church at the altar of Polish saint Stanislau Koska (whose rooms can be visited upon request).