Fodor's Expert Review Santa Maria Antiqua
The earliest Christian site in the Forum was originally part of an imperial structure at the foot of the Palatine Hill before it was converted into a church sometime in the late 5th century. Within it are some exceptional frescoes dating from the 6th to the 9th century. Buried by a 9th-century earthquake, the church was abandoned and a replacement was eventually built on top in the 17th century. This newer church was knocked down in 1900 during excavation work on the Forum, which revealed the early medieval church beneath.