​Originally built on the site where St. Peter was martyred and buried.

The early Christian church built by Constantine lasted many years. Between 1506 and 1626 it was entirely reconstructed by the masters of the Italian Renaissance: Michelangelo with its dome and Pietà, Maderno’s façade, Giotto’s mosaic, Bernini’s canopy and square.

​The TREASURE ROOMS house a collection of relics, vestments and precious object. Below the church are remains of the ancient basilica, the tomb of St.Peter and those of the popes.

​Built during the time of Constantine, it has often been restored and transformed and was completely rebuilt by Borromini in 1650.

The basilica is the cathedral of Rome and the mother church of the catholic world. The central bronze gate in the portico is from the ancient Curia of the Roman Forum.

There’s  a fresco attributed to Giotto and, across the square is the SCALA SANTA (The Holy staircase) believed to be from Pilate’s House and which was trod on by Christ in Jerusalem. The original marble steps are covered with wood and are climbed by Roman catholics on their knees.

It is traditionally believed that this basilica was created by Emperor Constantine's mother around 320 AD to hold the relics of the Holy Cross brought back from the Holy Land by St. Helena, Constantine’s mother.

The church was converted from a wing of the nearby imperial palace. Restored in 1144, when the Romanesque bell  tower was added, and rebuilt in in 1743.

It contains two beautiful water stoops, a tomb by Iacopo Sansovino, a fresco by Antoniazzo Romano, a magnificent mosaic in the Chapel of St. Helena. In the Chapel of the Relics there are fragments from the Cross, a nail and two thorns from the Crown.

​
 
Built in 1626 for Cardinal Barberini, it contains  a  celebrated  painting by Guido Reni  and in the sacristy a painting of St. Francis by Caravaggio.

​The church is most famous for its six underground chapels of the crypt arranged as a cemetery and containing a macabre decoration of skulls and bones of 4000 Capuchin monks. 

The main church of the Jesuits was begun by Vignola in 1568, while the façade and cupola are by Giacomo Della Porta. 

The church has an incredible baroque ceiling by Baciccia.
​
Magnificent is the chapel in lapis lazuli of St. Ignatius, founder of the Jesuit order, who is buried under the altar. 

Begun  by the Rainaldi  brothers in 1652 was completed by Borromini who also designed the concave facade, the dome and the belfries.

The walls below the church were a part of the Domitian stadium and fragments of the roman pavement are still visible.

​The church was built over the site believed to be the place where the saint was martyred.

Already existing during the 12th century.

The reconstruction begun by Guerra in 1612 was continued by Borromini who is responsible for the dome, the bell tower and the apse.

The two angels on either side of the apse are by Bernini.

Begun by Della Porta in 1591, and continued by Maderno in 1608, who also designed the dome, which is the second highest and largest in diameter after  St. Peter’s.

The church contains frescoes by Domenichino and is known as the scene of one of the acts from the opera La Tosca  

The basilica was erected in the 6th century to celebrate the defeat of the Goths.

Damaged several times by floods and earthquakes, was restored at the end of the 8th century and renovated  completely at the end of the 9th .

At the beginning of the 18th century there was a wide-scale reconstruction and in 1827 the architect Valadier created the façade existing today. In the left nave is an early sculpture by Antonio Canova.

The most original of Borromini’s works and his first autonomous creation.

​Begun in 1638 and completed in 1667, the church was designed to cover the same dimensions as only one of the piers which support St. Peter‘s  dome.

​The 13th century church was rebuilt by Matteo de Rossi between 1682 and 1689, he’s also responsible for the façade.

Contains the famous sculpture by Bernini, Beata Ludovica Albertoni located in in the last chapel on the left, and a 13th century portrait of St. Francis, inquire at the sacristy.

Built between 1626 and 1650, it is the second Church of the Jesuit order.

It containsone of the most incredible Baroque frescoed ceiling by Andrea Pozzo and a false cupola  painted by the same artist.  

​Borromini’s masterpiece, built between 1642 and 1666; with concave facade and a cupola and lantern in the form of a spiral.

One of the most innovative work of the 16th century.

​At the altar is a painting by Pietro da Cortona, finished by Giovanni Ventura Borghesi.

​

Erected in the 4th and 5th centuries, rebuilt in the 12th and then alterwed by Cosimo Fanzago about 1650.

Contains alleged gridiron of St. Lawrence’s martyrdom behind the main altar.

The campanile and portico date back to the 12th century.

Under the church there is a subterranean site.

Built at the beginning of the 17th century by Carlo Maderno with the façade by Soria.

It renowed for Bernini’s impressive Cornaro Chapel dominated by the Ecstasy of St. Teresa. 
​It is amazing for many reasons: a sculpture not grounded but flying, an ecstasy that is spiritual and physical at the same time. The audience, the marble members of the committing family, there, in balconies having a look or depicted while chatting or studying.

BAROQUE
Built in 1650 by Martino Longhi the Younger  in a beautiful baroque style. Preserved into the church are the hearts and viscera, removed before embalming, of most of the popes from the time of Sixtus V -1590- to Leo XIII -1903-. It is the parish church of the Quirinal Palace, which at one time was the papal residence.