Favorite churches in Rome
 

Besides St. Peters and St. John Lateran, what are your favorite churches to visit in Rome? Also what are your favorites in which to attend Mass?

Every one of Rome's hundreds of churches is special in some way. I love Santa Maria Maggiore and going to Mass there. Other favorites:
Santi Quattro Coronati-nuns sing vespers and beautiful small cloister.
Santa Maria Sopra Minerva--Rome's only gothic church. Beautiful ceiling and chapel with Lippi fresco cycle.
San Andrea Quirinale--by Bernini, like entering a small jewel box.
Santa Maria in Trastevere--gorgeous mosaics.

Never bypass an open church in Rome. Stop in and look around, provided Mass isn't going on. The next time you walk by, it may be closed.

I like Mass in the Pantheon myself.

Other fave churches beyond those mentioned:
San Clemente--go underground for layers of history
San Ignazio--look up!
San Luigi dei Francesi--for the Caravaggios in the Contarelli Chapel
Sta Maria del Popolo--for the Caravaggios in the Cerasi Chapel

The Pantheon. I love that it was a pagan temple that was repurposed as a church, and as such is a perfectly preserved ancient temple with lots of history.

Unfortunately, I haven't had time to visit other churches in Rome, but I hope to be doing that the next time I go.

Santa Maria della Vittoria which contains Bernini's statue Saint Teresa in Ecstasy. Be sure to look up at the wonderful ceiling as well.

I also love Santa Maria in Trastevere. And there's a good cafe in the pleasant square in front of it!

San Clemente is phenomenal. And my other favorite is St. Peter in Chains.

After the two churches you mentioned, there is one church I will always visit when in Rome for its pure baroque beauty and that is Santa Maria della Vittoria, located on XXX Septembre, not far from the Repubician Square. This church includes the "Estacy of St Terresa, by Bernni and is one of the most overlooked JEWELS of all churches in Rome.
For pure history, the Basilica of San Clemente on Via Labicana, just south of the Colosseum. See web site: http://www.premier.net/~Italy/clemen.htm. or do a search for San Clemente Church, Rome.
Have a great time.
Lee

Lee can you re-do the link on the history of San Clemente? The link listed doesn't work - well, it works. But not for San Clemente... :-)
Many thanks!

When my brother spent a school year studying abroad in Rome (in the 70's), he attended Mass every week at a different church - loved every one. He also got to see the smoke rise when John Paul II became pope.

wanderlust,
Highlight the link and it works.

peppermintpatti, I agree with poster who said to go on in if a church is open and there's no mass going on. I cannot tell you how many times I've tried to hit San Pietro in Vincoli and it's been closed. Many churches are not open from 1-3pm or 2-4 or so.

Santa Maria in Aracoeli is right near the Capitoline museum should you be in the neighborhood.

Go to
http://vrm.vrway.com/projects/
minainvaticano/FULLSCREEN/VR000002244.html
and take a look at St. Paul's Outside the Walls (Basilica San Paolo fuori le Mura)
It's a truly fantastic church and this website will allow you do a 360 degree view as well as up and down. There are several different picture of it on this site.
[email protected]

I also was very impressed by St. Paul's outside the Walls. But if the magnificent St. Stefano Rotundo is once again open, don't miss it--the church is circular, with immense wall frescoes of the martyrdoms of various saints.

Peppermintpatti: (got to love that name!)

In addition to all of those church suggestions (I've been to many of them) may I suggest that for a change of pace, drop into the beautiful sinagoga (synagogue) in the Old Jewish ghetto..they run tours often through the day. It will be the only religious instituton aside from the Vatican where there will be armed guards pacing to and fro. Sad and unfortunate..but this is the world we will be leaving to our children.

Wanderlust5. It's just as easy to get the San Clemente link by typing in San Clemente church, Rome, Italy in the search block and then just click on "In Italy on Line - San Clemente".
Lee

most people never get to Santa Maria Maggiore near the termini but although its not as large as the vatican it is just as beautiful to me....I also like St. Cecilia very quiet no crowds in the trastevere near the river

If Bernini's Sant'Andrea al Quirinale is a small jewel box, Borromini's San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, a few hundred steps away, is an even smaller and very different jewel box, with a tiny, lovely cloister.

Thanks all. Got it. This is a great link on the history of San Clemente, Thanks so much for sharing it. I love that place!

Thank you everybody!!I have a book called "Holy Rome",and was having trouble narrowing it down, so I came to a trusted resource for help! That was surely the right thing to do! I am making a list of all the suggestions here!