Pagan Temples in Roman Churches

The Pantheon features a massive concrete dome with a circular opening, or oculus, at its center. This structure stands as the best-preserved monument from ancient Rome, despite two thousand years of earthquakes and looting. When it was…

The Basilica of Saint Mary of Minerva stands out in Rome with its austere, rectangular Gothic facade, a rarity in a city dominated by Baroque curves. Inside, the blue vaulted ceiling captures the eye, but the floor holds a more human…

One hundred and twenty-four marble steps climb the slope to the facade of Santa Maria in Aracoeli. Those stairs were a gift from the people of Rome to mark the end of the Black Death in thirteen forty-eight. Inside, the church holds a…

Three distinct ancient temples sit embedded within the walls of San Nicola in Carcere. You can see the fluted stone columns of a Roman temple protruding directly from the church’s exterior masonry, remnants of structures dating back to the…

The Basilica of Saint Bartholomew sits on the Isola Tiberina, a boat-shaped island in the middle of the Tiber River. Its brick bell tower tilts noticeably, a relic of medieval construction on the island's soft soil. Emperor Otto the Third…

The Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin features a distinct, four-story bell tower built with intricate brickwork and decorative marble inserts. It stands at the edge of the old cattle market, built directly over the foundations of a…

San Giorgio in Velabro is defined by its uneven, brick-faced portico that leans slightly against the ancient arch of Janus. This church sits on a marshy patch of land where, according to Roman legend, the basket containing Romulus and…