Churches in Rome

Hi crissy,

For me, although there are many, many beautiful churches in Rome -- small and larger Basilicas, hands down, St. Peter's Basilica is my absolute favorite. After my first visit to The Basilica, I acquired a personal attachment. Subsequent visits were just as mesmerizing. And, it was all the more beautiful in the month of December (when my trips to Rome took place.)

Here is a self-guided lay out of St. Peter's. http://stpetersbasilica.info/index.htm

Each person has their favorite(s.) I googled and came up with this list as a starter -- https://www.planetware.com/italy/top-rated-churches-in-rome-i-zzz-16.htm The first three in the list are awe-inspiring and gorgeous.

Please make sure to cover your knees and shoulders at all Churches and Basilicas. There is a security check at The Vatican and St. Peter's.

Bags too bulky and large will need to be checked. A bag or tote/purse of about 15" should be good. I was never questioned with my tote/purse. Security guards have you put your things (coat, bag, etc.) in a bin and then screened. No large umbrellas either.

Crissy, one of the best days my husband and I spent in Rome was just walking around and popping into every church we saw along the way. And you're right, a church is a mini-museum. There's always beautiful art, interesting architecture, or touching votives and chapels.

I hope you do plan to use the public transportation in Rome. Buses and the metro are easy to navigate, and very affordable. And your feet are your best friend! If you stay near the center or near Termini, all the major sights are in walking distance - if you like to walk, that is.

In Florence, pretty much all of the historic sights, including churches, are easily reachable on foot.

Peruse a good guidebook or two ahead of time, and just relax once you're there. You'll be fine. Better to miss a few "important" churches than to burn out or not take the time to appreciate the ones you do see. Slow down and drink it in.

crissy, good thinking to consider this ahead of time. We had planned to pop into every church we passed by, but gave up when we came across an intersection with a church on all four corners. Yeah, we were burned out by the time we got to St Peters.

I would suggest St John Lateran as the first Christian church allowed in Rome (correct me if wrong). There's at least one church built on top of Roman temple you can visit (sorry can't remember name). And the one referred to as "the American church" with a beautiful Caravaggio displayed in the way it was intended (not in a museum).

Hi Crissy -
The problem with trying to plan a self-guided, one-day walking guide of churches is, yes, the distance between some of the best//most important (for one reason or another) and working around their individual visiting hours, and mass schedules. Some of them close midday for a few hours, and visiting for sightseeing purposes isn't generally allowed during services unless those service are held in areas away from the things most tourists want to see (some churches have chapels set aside JUST for prayer or mass).

So the best approach is the same as recommended for other attractions in Rome: sightsee by AREA. Get a map, circle the things you wish to see and then group them into each day's plan. You may still have to work around hours and services (Sundays can be a particularly challenging day for visiting churches) but do your best. There appears to be some tours out there but I can't vouch for any of them personally. This guide is said to be very good although his tour is also very expensive. From this thread:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/recommendation-catholic-church-tours-in-rome

His tour:
https://thecatholictraveler.com/catholic-tours-rome/seven-pilgrimage-churches-rome/

He has another less expensive one but IMHO, it doesn't cover some I think are musts on the Roman church list. Some of my faves so far (I've only seen 30+ or so of the many hundreds and my own must-do list is still long as my arm!) linked below. I'm not a Catholic and not religious but from an art and architecture standpoint, I'm rarely "churched out"! Some of the links don't provide a ton of background info so google the suggestions up for more pix and whatnot.

Santa Sabina:
http://www.turismoroma.it/en/node/669
VERY old and interesting!
Another plus: there is a nice view of Rome from the Orange Garden (Giardino degli Aranci) beside the church, and it's a good spot to re-energize with a packed-along snack. Peer through the keyhole in the gate of the Priory of the Knights of Malta just a few steps up the street for an interesting peek of St Peter's dome.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-aventine-keyhole-rome-rome-italy

San Giovanni in Laterano:
https://www.turismoroma.it/en/node/708
The Pope's church as Bishop of Rome and one of the 4 Papal basilicas: a MUST.

Santa Maria Maggiore:
http://www.turismoroma.it/en/node/712
One of the 4 Papal basilicas in Rome. Great mosaics + impressive Borghese Chapel. Gian Lorenzo Bernini is buried here. Yep, DO this one!

Pantheon:
https://www.turismoroma.it/en/node/1107
Another must-do! The nearly 2,000 year-old Roman temple was converted to Santa Maria of the Martyrs in the 7th century so counts as a church.

San Clemente
http://www.basilicasanclemente.com/eng/
Great mosaics and, ooh, there's a pagan temple in the basement!

San Stefano Rotondo
https://www.turismoroma.it/en/node/652
Gory but interesting. It's a favorite for weddings; go figure.
(They've been in the process of some restoration work at this one so may be a lot of scaffolding about. It's pretty close to San Giovanni in Laterano and San Clemente though so wouldn't eat up too much time to stop by to see what might be seen.)

Santa Maria in Trastevere:
https://www.turismoroma.it/en/node/678
Another very old lady; more great mosaics

Santa Maria Del Popolo:
https://www.turismoroma.it/en/node/739
Bernini, Caravaggio, Raphael....

Gesu (sorry, info in Italian only so use a translation tool)
OMG the CEILING!
https://www.turismoroma.it/en/node/681

Arg, it's so hard to leave so many out!

WOW! Kathy did some great work for all of us! The only thing I might add is to take advantage of the several churches along the Corso to Piazza Populo. They are interesting but also a good place to escape the heat and rest your weary feet. I'm struck by a wonderful feeling of history, faith, culture, priorities and thankfulness in each of the Roman churches I go out of my way to visit every year. Somehow it's a chance to also reflect on the peoples who have gone before us. Then I come home to our too often art-less, history-less and almost faith-less churches. Sigh.

St. Paul's Outside the Walls is also worth visitng. I used metro plus a short walk to get there. I've seen a hop-on hop-off tour bus called Roma Christiana that I believe does a circut of several important churches and sights. Haven't used it but it would worth investigating to see if it meets your needs.

We do what Kathy suggests, marking places on a map and then seeing where they cluster, but we use Google Maps to mark the places. Do you know how to do that? It means that our places are on our phones and laptops, and we can still see them all years later.

Also you can find out how long Google says it will take to walk between them and what various routes are. Too bad it doesn't tell you which is the most interesting or scenic route, but just about everywhere you walk in central Rome is one or the other or both.

Click on a location and then find:

Save in Your Lists:
Favorites ---red heart
Want to Go ---- green flag (the only saved places you can easily share with other people)
Starred Places ---- yellow star

Sometimes, for various reasons, we transfer the Google Maps "saves" to a paper map.

I've seen a hop-on hop-off tour bus called Roma Christiana that I
believe does a circut of several important churches and sights.
Haven't used it but it would worth investigating to see if it meets
your needs.

To expand on this, that would be the Roma Cristiana hoho:

https://www.operaromanapellegrinaggi.org/en/roma-cristiana/open-bus

Reviews, like those for virtually all hohos in Rome, are overall just lukewarm enough that I wouldn't risk it, although some might feel otherwise.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187791-d1403913-Reviews-Roma_Cristiana_Hop_On_Hop_Off_Bus-Rome_Lazio.html

The problem with hohos in Rome, aside from common complaints about dirty vehicles, broken equipment, late buses, hard to find bus stops, etc. is that they simply can't travel the many narrow or pedestrianized streets of Rome so you have to find your way from nearest drop-off points. This is no biggie if you have a map and can walk some distance but not great for people with mobility issues trying to avoid much walking at all. Still, they have enough other issues that I'd personally avoid them. And do not consider buying the seriously overpriced Omnia pass which includes this hoho.

Don't forget San Andrea dell Valle.
It's all blue and gold with soaring ceilings.
You might walk right past it, as it's quite unassuming from the street.
It is right on the street. no courtyard.

"Crissy, one of the best days my husband and I spent in Rome was just walking around and popping into every church we saw along the way."

Me too!

As for St. Peter's, opinions vary. While some certainly agree with Girasole, I met a man who described it as "a great place for a barn dance," meaning it was so vast that the size was more impressive than anything else about it. I'm in the middle; I found it impressive, but its Grand Central Terminal size meant I got stronger positive impression from some smaller, more intimate, and less crowded churches - particularly ones where locals were actually going in to pray for a few minutes.

We visited the places our 16 yo daughter believed to be real based on Hollywood movies in the Da Vinci code movies while in Rome. So something “Del Popolo” and another church very close to Termini station. She also toured San Castel Del Angelo on her own since at age 16 she was free. Art work was exquisite. She was super excited when she saw things from the movies and disappointed when things were different. Such is life. We also popped into the basilica in Trastavere neighborhood. Il lupolatti taproom in Trastevere is worth a visit for their craft beers.

crissydrakes, I own a paperback book, which I bought on Amazon.com, entitled: “The Pilgrim’s Guide to Rome’s Principal Churches”. It describes 51 important churches throughout Rome, several pages on each, with history, diagrams, citation of key architectural features and works of art, and several excellent color photographs from each church. There is also a map showing the location of each church included, helpful in planning visits. Also, the print in this book is quite large and well-spaced, compared to many books which are tough to read. I got this to prepare for some future visit to Rome, so far the road not yet taken. This book would help you plan your visits, and would be an excellent guidebook to have along, although a little heavy. Amazon.com also has a few other books of this same type, considerably less expensive, but maybe less inclusive or lower qualify. The book I have is really very nice.

Chrissy,
My vote is to go to San Clemente. It is located a few blocks from the Colosseum. Visiting you get to see 3 churches (temples) at one location. For a day trip from Rome visit Orvieto. The church there is amazing.

I got stronger positive impression from some smaller, more intimate,
and less crowded churches

Harold, it's the same for me! And while on that subject...

Crissy, a charming bit of religious history to look for as you weave your way through the historic center of Rome? Madonnelle: the little Madonnas of the streets. They are an offshoot of the crossroads lares of pre-Christian time, which were successively replaced and expanded by Caesar Augustus with images of his divine self and family as he urbanized the city. After Constantine legalized Christianity, these were gradually replaced by imagery of the Virgin. Their perches above passing traffic often included a shelf for small offerings of flowers of other little gifts, and for lamps or candles, which provided the only illumination of dark street corners long ago. There's reported to be only about 500 left of their once considerable number (all the really old ones are gone or were moved into churches) and they range from humble little shrines to much grander affairs. While not unique to Rome, watching for them is a favorite pastime of mine, as citizens and travelers believed they were watched over by one divine presence after another for thousands of years. A bit more about them:

https://italoamericano.org/story/2018-3-6/madonelle
https://www.romeartlover.it/Madonne.html

Crissy,

Perhaps you will have time to visit St. Paul's Within The Walls, Via Napoli 58, 00184 Roma, Italy. https://www.stpaulsrome.it/ It is an Episcopal Church.

They also hold classical and opera concerts within the Church; such as The Three Tenors. The acoustics are very good; bench seating. https://www.stpaulsrome.it/concerts-at-st-pauls-2/ If interested in attending, perhaps one will coincide with your visit.

There is a beautiful, little Church just next to The Trevi Fountain. Chiesa Rettoria Santi Vincenzo e Anastasio a fontana di Trevi. Piazza di Trevi, 00187 Rome, Italy. (Saints Vincent and Anastasius is a Baroque church built in the 17th century (~1646-1650) by Cardinal Mazzarino.)

The outside is simple. Once inside, the visitor is in for a huge eye treat. When I visited, I had the whole Church to myself. Though, for a few minutes, there was a man who came in with some photography equipment, took some pictures and left. A Priest came out every so often to check on things. No one else came in for the half hour or so I sat there.

Of course there are so many Churches in Rome. One could sort of burn out if you are going to many. A mix of small to the grand finale would/could be a nice mix.

I make no secret I love St. Peter's Basilica (for a lot of reasons.) You will get people who visit or have visited for whatever reasons. Some people are very disrespectful.

One memory I will share and hold dear is my visit on the night of December 12. (I was elated to find out it was recorded and can watch it from time to time.)

Afterwards, coming out of St. Peter's to the Piazza, seeing the Basilica all aglow in an amber hue was something I won't forget. In the center of the Piazza is the hand-sculpted Nativity -- made with sand brought in from Venezia. "Guarding it" was a huge, special tree decorated with unique ornaments. They change out the ornaments each year. The year before I was there had ornaments made from children.

By chance, a couple of days before, while coming out of St. Peter's, I was given an invitation to attend the special Mass honoring the feast of Our Lady Of Guadalupe presided by Pope Francis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xn2oKUhopE

The Mass was absolutely gorgeous. You really had to be there to experience it. You could tell Pope Francis was a bit tired; especially at the end of the Mass. The wonderful choir of Priests -- lovely voices in harmony. Naturally, if you like, you can skip over the Mass and listen to the songs celebrated throughout the Mass. Amazing and inspiring.

Of course, La Pietà is something not to be missed. It evokes different feelings in different people. It is the only piece Michelangelo ever signed. This famous work of art depicts the body of Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary after the Crucifixion.

Girasole, ornaments made from children? I know people who would believe that. :-)

Hello everyone, thank you for your great suggestions. I think I will look at the book from Amazon to help plan for my trip and help me decide on what churches I want to see. St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museum will be a major highlight of my trip , so I plan to have a tour of them (preferably one of the early morning tours to avoid the thickest crowds).
On a separate note, what's the most realistic way to see the different sections of Rome? The highlight attractions seem so far-flung, I would appreciate a way to separate Rome that it can be explored in 3-4 days if possible.

Oh, a map of Rome is SOOOOO deceptive! Pick any two sites and see what Google Maps says is the walking time. I think you'll be surprised.

I can't tell you how many times we've been following a map and what looks like "a block" ahead of us (like, a city block) is actually just a few steps or a few yards ahead, and we miss where we wanted to turn off of the street we are walking on.

Unless you have several weeks to spend in Rome, you are definitely going to miss some "significant" churches. Don't sweat trying to get the perfect itinerary. What I would suggest is trying to get a variety of different churches under your belt, as they can begin to run together in the mind. You have quite a few good suggestions above. Map them out. Google Maps allows you to save a place as a Starred location, and determine the distances between them. The historic center of Rome is indeed fairly compact, about 2.5 miles east/west and about 1.5 miles north/south.

And start planning on your way home for your next trip to Rome. I bet you fall in love with it.

Happy travels.

Unless you have several weeks to spend in Rome, you are definitely
going to miss some "significant" churches.

Michael, that's so true! And while we still use paper maps to sort our own walking routes, whatever works for someone else is just fine. :O)

Girasole, ornaments made from children? I know people who would believe that. :-)

Jane, it is true. I saw them myself while I was there in December 2017. The following year, the ornaments were different, of course.

Here is the article for the "non believers" :) https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/catholics-shocked-that-vatican-christmas-tree-has-no-christian-symbols

Media reports by and large on the ornaments followed the Vatican report’s lead, mentioning that the ornaments were created by children receiving treatment at several Italian hospitals and children from the Italian Archdiocese of Spoleto-Norcia, which was rocked by earthquakes in 2016. There was also a sign by the Christmas Tree stating the same.