We arrived in Rome by train in the early evening, but we wanted to make the most of the remainder…read moreof our day. We took a bus over and ate a quick dinner nearby before getting in line for the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore 30 minutes before closing. Entrance is free. There is a security check before entering and the line moved pretty quickly. The Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore is one of the four basilicas in Rome and it is dedicated to honoring the Virgin Mary. Tradition holds that the Virgin Mary appeared in a dream to a wealthy Roman couple and Pope Liberius, instructing them to build a church where snow would miraculously fall in August. The next morning, August 5th snow reportedly blanketed the Esquiline Hill, marking the site of the basilica. Every August 5th, white rose petals are dropped from the ceiling to celebrate the "Miracle of the Snow." The interior was absolutely stunning. From the ceiling to the walls, and all of the paintings and sculptures were magnificent. This basilica houses some of the oldest representations of the Virgin Mary in art. It also holds the holy crib relic that contains pieces of the manger where Jesus was laid. This was the first basilica we visited in Rome and we also saw how there were multiple confession boxes with a Priest assigned and their language and hours. Very modern. I guess that helps with people of all ethnic backgrounds coming to Rome for their religious pilgrimages. I was so impressed by this basilica when we visited, but to be honest I am so glad we came here before seeing St Peter's Basilica because I would have been underwhelmed by compare if I went there first. I recommend coming here before going to St. Peter's Basilica so you can feel impressed here, and then even more impressed at St Peter's Basilica.

Such a special moment getting to pay our respects & visit the resting place of Pope Frances during…read moreThe 2025 Jubilee (on Thursday, September 25, 2025 at 4:30pm) at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore (St. Mary Major) when my husband & I were visiting Rome, Italy for the 2nd time (09/25/2025 - 10/01/2025). Even though, this was our 2nd time in Rome, we had not previously visited the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore so for sure it was on the itinerary as a must-do for a few special reasons - - ---- Final resting place of Pope Frances after his death in April 2025. The Pope requested his tomb to very simple w/ only the inscription of "Franciscus" & it is exactly that, which only makes it even more special. During our visit (Thursday, 09/25/25) there was a line to get in however, we only had to wait about 20 mins before getting inside the basilica. I did want to mention that when we walked by a few days later on a Saturday, the line to get in was so much longer than it was just a few days before during the weekday so definitely plan your visit for a weekday, if possible. --- Holy Door : There is a Holy Door located at this basilica, which is only opened every 25 years during the Jubilee years and 2025 is a Jubilee year so we were able to walk through the open Holy Door when we visited on 09/25/2025. You don't have to be Catholic and/or religious to walk through the holy door and trust me, it is a very special moment for all who walk through the holy door at this grand basilica. Fyi(s): -- - Security line: during our visit, we did have to go through security screening before entering the basilica however, I don't know if this was because it was a Jubilee year and/or if this is how it will be even after it is no longer a Jubilee year now that Pope Frances is buried at this basilica. (I guess I'll have to make a 3rd trip to Rome do I can give an update on this review! :)) -- - Be respectful w/ no photos/videos inside the basilica. This one always rubs me the wrong way, when there are signs clearly posted both outside and inside a basilica stating that no pics/videos are allowed and this basilica even had an attendant near Pope Frances's stone, trying to enforce this however, people kept taking photos and videos. Please note that the pics/videos, included w/ this review were taken of the outside. -- - Free to visit : No appointment is needed to visit & it is free however, I do recommend that you take some money w/ you so you can give an offering during your visit. Hope this info helps! Rebecca visiting from Austin, Texas (USA) 09/25/2025 - 10/01/2025

I love huge and beautiful old architecture! This is one of…read morethe most ornate churches I've ever seen! It was a beautiful part of our Rome/Vatican City trip. There wasn't a church service going on when we arrived, but the building was crowded anyway. This was a wonderful trip, and the architecture is worth checking out! It's amazing how such an old church still stands.

St. Peter's Basilica is one of the 4 Major Basilicas in Rome and is considered one of the most…read moresacred Catholic sites. Also one of the most beautiful Catholic churches I've been to. In the 4 times I've been there, I have not fully explored the church. 1 day is not enough. They open at 7am and lines can get long if you decide to visit in the middle of the day. So we always try to be there when it opens to beat the crowd and to be able to admire the inside architecture. Make sure to allot probably a day to explore the Basilica. They have a dome that was designed by Michelangelo and is the world's tallest dome. Visitors can climb 551 steps, costing 8-10 euros with a partially available elevator ( the elevator bypasses the 1st 200 steps) and it stops at the roof level. The climb can be strenuous and for claustrophobic individuals, it could be a challenge but the reward is a beautiful view of St. Peter's square and a view of Rome and so much more. When we climb the dome, it was so foggy and we waited an hour to get a good, semi clear view since it was still foggy. St. Peter's Basilica houses Michelangelo's Pieta, St. Peter's chair, Pope John Paul's tomb which is made into an altar where priests celebrate mass daily. Visiting this Basilica is truly one of the breathtaking, overwhelming experience in every trip that we took to Rome as no one can ever describe the beautiful works from Michelangelo and Bernini. The architecture is just simply magnificent. I will never get tired of visiting St. Peter's Basilica. March 2026

Being a Catholic I am obligated to give the chucrch 5 stars to keep from going to confession…read more LMAO. However, I'm not a practicing one. What I foud interesting of the chuch was the details of the architecture. The space is BEAUTIFUL. My highlight was seeing people of color featured in the time period. Most educated people understand the current pictures of Caucasian Christ are not time period accurate. It was a pleasure to see truth.

We peeked inside the Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere while we were walking around Trastevere…read more It was smaller and less busy than most of the other churches we saw on our trip, more of your neighborhood 3rd century basilica. I guess it is one of the oldest churches in Rome. There's an inscription on the episcopal throne stating it was the first one dedicated to Jesus's mother Mary. The Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore says different. Perhaps a gang war is in order to sort things out. It's a beautiful church, anchoring its own lovely piazza (the Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere). The exterior features a 13th century mosaic and a towering campanile from the 12th century, when most of the current version of the basilica was built. The interior is ornate and decked out in gold, with a ceiling that felt elaborate and expensive, even for Rome. For all this, the church was a quiet place. I'm sure many of the people sitting in the pews were in fact tourists, but the vibe was worshipful enough that we hung back from running up and gawking at the altar. If you're exploring the neighborhood, don't miss the Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere. It's a historically important church, and you can just walk in and look around without dealing with a crowd.

So how we reached here, that's an interesting story. Our flight got canceled and we reached the…read morenext day in Rome at 430 PM at ROMA Termini. We just thrown our luggage at the Airbnb and literally ran for this church cause closing time was 5 PM. we reached at 4:55 PM and managed to get inside and why I did this? My wife made me do this, she is so fond of history and so wanted to see Ecstasy of St. Teresa statue (apart from Pieta in the Vatican) Well, it's very famous now thanks to Robert Langdon aka Dan Brown's "Angels & Demons". But this is most famous for Ecstasy of St. Teresa statue by Lorenzo Bernini Outside, it won't look very impressive, but its interior is extravagantly decorated. Since there is very little natural light inside the church, it is filled with candles, which create a very special atmosphere. One of the most notable parts of the church is the Cornaro Chapel that houses the "Ecstasy of Saint Teresa", a sculpture by Bernini. It is nothing short of stunning, and the detail of Bernini's Ecstasy of Saint Teresa is truly incredible. see, it won't take more than 30 minutes so I would definitely recommend this to include in your itinerary. it's free. You can donate at the gate though.

I wish it hadn't been under construction when I visited because that made me a major sadface! I…read morereally wanted to see what the outer facade looked like. I probably would have liked it more had it not been in renovations. There's actually a pretty large number of tourists who come here, most likely due to the church's "appearance" in The Da Vinci Code (technically it didn't really appear in the movie because they created a set for it, but I digress). Though I had seen the movie, I came here not because of the movie but because I'm a major art nerd and this church has one of the most famous statues by Giovanni Bernini, "The Ecstasy of St. Teresa." This church is pretty amazing though, a lot of detail and thought went into the building and it's definitely one of the better kept churches in Rome. Maybe due to its recent popularity, there's more donations perhaps? Definitely will be back to see it when it's out of renovations!

For me, this church punches up with the major basilicas. It's not as big, but it's stunning and…read moreit's also not nearly as crowded, so you might actually...you know...get to pray. Especially if you like the Jesuits at all, you have to stop here. The ceiling is alive with textures. The sculptures are on point. Intense focus on Christ, with a great crucifix and a Sacred Heart chapel, too. The place of repose of St. Ignatius himself. This church is a wonder.

Rome is the place to go if you like visiting churches. There are many and they are well maintained…read more The difficulty is selecting those you have time to visit. Chiesa del Gesu is one you probably don't want to miss because of the bizarre (to me) way the the tomb of Ignacio Loyola is displayed. The tomb is hidden behind a giant picture which at 5:30 in the afternoon is rolled back by some mechanical device to reveal the tomb behind. This is accompanied by loud music and lights and is accompanied by an audience of worshippers waving their arms. Pretty over the top. Don't miss it. The rest of the church is pretty over the top also. Early baroque as I understand. Much too ornate for my taste but certainly worth seeing. I personally prefer more austerity but the Chiesa del Gesu is something I won't forget.

In English: Lateran Basilica or Saint John Lateran. This Basilica is one of the Major Basilicas in…read moreRome which serves as the seat of the bishop of Rome and the head of the worldwide Catholic Church which is the Pope. Like any other churches in Rome, this basilica is also beautiful. On a regular day, St. John lateran Basilica is normally quiet and dark but as per hubby he found a switch that you drop a coin to turn on the lights of the main altar of the church. During the Jubilee year, it was not as crowded as other basilicas but there are people as well paying homage. This is also considered the oldest church in the city of Rome. Definitely worth visiting. Is also located close to Scala Sancta or the Holy Stairs. February 2026

Such a beautiful Basilica! This one rivals some of the grand, ornate Basilicas we visited in Spain…read moreand Marseille. Getting in was simple and quick, they do have metal detectors and security to walk through before getting to the main entrance, but that was quick. Once inside, the ceilings were notably impressive. The colors and paintings were so detailed! Architecture was also extraordinary! Definitely highly recommended to visit!

The Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels and Martyrs can be easily missed. It doesn't look like…read moremuch from the outside but the interior is beautiful. It was built in the 16th century based on a design by Michelangelo. The basilica is a fantastic construction with beautiful frescoes, paintings and sculptures. It is well worth visiting, you won't be disappointed.

Free admission and located in the Piazza della Repubblica, once a bath house and now a church…read more Honestly, we had no idea what we were going to experience when we walked inside, but we are so glad that we did. For starters it doesn't look like a church so when we went inside and realized that it was we were pleasantly surprised. It's stunning to say the least - something to look at in every corner so take your time. The vaulted ceilings, tiled floors, the marble. Every inch is incredible. Michelangelo left his mark here.

A Roman Catholic church in Rome, named after Saint Mary Magdalene…read more Located on the Via della Maddalena, one of the streets leading from the Piazza della Rotonda in the Campo Marzio area of historic Rome. The interior is architecturally complex, it has a Borrominesque elongated octagonal nave, with two chapels at each flank. To the right is the main chapel dedicated and holding the relics of Saint Camillus. In this Chapel the vault was frescoed by Sebastiano Conca. The church also has a Christ, Virgin, and St. Nicolas of Bari by Baciccia and a San Lorenzo Giustiniani with Infant Jesus by Luca Giordano.

This is an incredible church I stumbled across while meandering through the streets of rome this…read moreafternoon. The outside is very unassuming but inside it's breathtaking. There is so much gilded architecture every which way you turn, and even a mural painted by michaelangelo in a side room. The artwork here will blow your mind, don't miss out on this outstanding little church!

A lil bit of a wait to use the mirror but well worth. The line goes pretty fast as along as you…read moredon't have millennials taking picture after pictures. Just walk up , have some common courtesy and take your pic so the line can keep moving quickly

Honestly, save your time and your one euro coin. The church…read moreitself is beautiful, but the entire experience has been completely ruined by social media hype. We waited in line for a literal hour just to reach the famous "selfie mirror" to get a photo with the ceiling fresco. When you finally get to the front, you have to pay 1 euro, and you're rushed through it so fast you can barely even check if the photo turned out.

Rome is full of surprises and this beautiful Baroque church is a fine example…read more On our way from the Spanish Steps to the Trevi Fountain, my mother suddenly needed to use the restroom. In haste, I went into this church without knowing where this was in search for my mother's relief. In this small church, what I greeted me was this stunningly beautiful and colorful Baroque fresco in the central altar flanked by Bernini's angelic sculptures. Sant'Andrea delle Fratte - St. Andrew in the Woods - proves that not all churches had to be as massive as St Peter's Basilica or as iconic as the Florence Duomo to impress. If you are traversing between Rome's top two attractions, the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain, I highly recommend stepping into this church to catch a glimpse of beauty! Anyway, there was no restroom here so we had to turn elsewhere. However, this church shall remain in my memory as one of the most beautiful churches I have seen.

There are churches on every corner in Rome and each one has so much art and history and so much to…read moresee This one is small inside compared to others but located down from the Spanish steps