Pagan Temples in Roman Churches

The Pantheon is defined by a massive concrete dome that has remained the world’s largest unsupported dome for nearly two thousand years. Its most striking feature is the central opening, or oculus, which serves as the only source of light…

The Basilica of Saint Mary of Minerva stands out in Rome for its rare Gothic architecture, featuring soaring rib vaults that contrast with the city’s more common Baroque styles. Built starting in twelve eighty on the ruins of an ancient…

The Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli stands atop the highest point of the Capitoline Hill, recognizable by its steep, monumental marble staircase of one hundred twenty-four steps that climb directly from the city streets to its brick…

San Nicola in Carcere is distinguished by the rows of ancient stone columns embedded directly into its exterior walls and facade. This church, whose name translates to Saint Nicholas in Prison, sits on the site of the Forum Holitorium, an…

The Basilica di San Bartolomeo all'Isola is recognizable by its two-level Baroque façade and the portico that faces the square on Tiber Island. Built in nine ninety-eight by the Holy Roman Emperor Otto the Third, the church sits directly…

The Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin is identifiable by its tall, seven-story Romanesque bell tower, which rises above the ancient Forum Boarium. This church dates back to the sixth century and was built over the remains of an early…

San Giorgio in Velabro is recognizable by the heavy stone portico that sits low to the ground against its facade, incorporating pieces of ancient marble columns. This church stands in the Velabrum, a low-lying valley near the Tiber River…