5 Rome Churches You Must Visit on Your Next Trip

January 25, 2019

Rome is home to a wealth of culture and historic sites. The eternal city, also known as an open air museum, has so many interesting sites that you could spend hours visiting. So it’s no surprise there that the city includes many churches that you need to visit during your trip to Italy. Check out some of these gorgeous Instagram photos of Rome’s churches and maybe even try to visit some on your next visit to Rome!

#1 Santa Maria Sopra Minerva Church, Rome
Location: Piazza della Minerva, 42, Rome.

This beautiful church was built over the ruins of a temple dedicated to the Roman goddess Minerva, and it’s one of the largest churches of the Dominicans. It’s also only a block away from the Pantheon making it extremely central and easy to visit!

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📷 Ecco un esempio di quello che ti ho raccontato nel link in bio: come sfruttare il #samyang24mm Tilt/Shift per immortalare le bellezze architettoniche della Città Eterna. Questa è la Basilica di Santa Maria sopra Minerva, la cui costruzione è iniziata nel 1280 al posto di una preesistente piccola chiesetta dell'VIII secolo denominata "S. Maria in Minervium": si credeva, infatti, che proprio nell'area dove sorge l'antistante Piazza della Minerva, in epoca romana ci fosse un tempio intitolato a Minerva Calcidica. Pur essendo la Basilica di architettura gotica, nel corso dei secoli ha subito molti rimaneggiamenti, soprattutto in epoca barocca: i suoi interni attuali, però, non sono originali del 1200, ma il risultato di un restauro voluto nel 1800 per tentare di riportare la chiesa alle primitive linee romano-gotiche impiegando rivestimenti in marmo colorato e decorazioni policrome. — 🏷️ #ingiroperroma #chiesediroma #chieseitaliane #architetturagotica

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#2 Basilica of Santa Maria Del Popolo, Rome
Location: Piazza del Popolo, 12, Rome.

Santa Maria del Popolo is home to several paintings from famous Renaissance painters, such as  Raphael, Caravaggio and Bernini. The church is full of historic tales with Pope Paschal II performing an exorcism at the site of the church after the emperor Nero was rumored to be haunting the site.

#3 The Pantheon, Rome
Location: Piazza della Rotonda, Rome.

The Pantheon was originally a temple dedicated to all of the Roman gods and goddesses (fun fact: the name literally translates to “All Gods”!), but it was converted to a church after the Roman Empire converted to Catholicism. And, as long as you reserve a (free) ticket, you can still attend mass here!

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#italy🇮🇹

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#4 San Giovanni in Laterno Church, Rome
Location: Piazza di S. Giovanni in Laterano, 4, Rome.

The Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterno is in fact the official basilica of Rome and home to the seat of the Bishop of Rome (a.k.a., the Pope). It’s also the oldest public church in Rome and the oldest basilica in the Western World!

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#sangiovanniinlaterno

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#5 Santa Maria Maggiore Church, Rome
Location: Piazza di S. Maria Maggiore, 42, Rome

This happens to be one of the 4 major basilicas in Rome, and the largest one dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The church was built in the 4th century A.D., and it’s said that relics of the True Cross (the cross that Jesus was crucified on) are housed here.

St Peter’s Basilica Tour – Small Group | Michelangelo’s Dome & Papal Tombs

Mon, Thu, Fri & Sat at 7:45 am 2:15

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