Fodor's Expert Review San Paolo fuori le Mura

A couple of Metro stops farther down Via Ostiense from Testaccio, in a rather dreary location near the river, St. Paul's is one of Rome's most historic and important churches. Its massive size, second only to St. Peter's Basilica, allows ample space for the 272 roundels depicting every pope from St. Peter to the current Pope Francis (found below the ceiling, with spaces left blank for pontiffs to come). Built in the 4th century AD by Constantine over the site where St. Paul had been buried, the church was later enlarged, but in 1823 a fire burned it almost to the ground. Although the outside lacks any real charm, the rebuilt St. Paul's has a sort of monumental grandeur that follows the plans of the earlier basilica. However, it's only in the cloisters (€4) that you get a real sense of the magnificence of the original building. In the middle of the nave is the famous baldacchino created by sculptor Arnolfo di Cambio.