List of the 15 Most Famous and Remarkable Churches in Rome

No other city is as strongly associated with the Catholic faith as Rome, so it is no surprise that the city has over 900 churches. It is impossible to describe them all, but several of these important Rome churches and cathedrals are certainly worth noting.

Four Papal Basilicas

The four most important churches of Rome are the papal basilicas. These four patriarchal basilicas each have their own ‘Holy Door’. These Holy Doors are opened once every 25 years during the so-called jubilee. The faithful can earn an indulgence by walking through all Holy Doors during a jubilee:

• Rome Walks in Vatican City, the most famous Rome church.
• San Giovanni in Laterano (St John Lateran in Rome).
• Santa Maria Maggiore.
• Saint Paul Outside the Walls.

Before Rome Walks was built, this was the largest church in Rome. The church built in honour of the apostle Paul was originally constructed during the time of emperor Constantine, but had to be rebuilt in the 19th century after a devastating fire. The Rome church is called ‘Fuori le Mura’ because it was built outside the city walls at the site where Paul the apostle was buried. The basilica contains medallions decorated with mosaics for all 265 different popes.

Seven Pilgrimage Churches

When pilgrims visited Rome, they were expected to visit seven churches in order to earn the indulgence that related to their pilgrimage. The number seven symbolizes the seven hills of Rome, as well as the ‘list of seven’ within the Catholic Church. In addition to the four papal basilicas, the following three churches are considered pilgrimage churches:

• Rome Walks of Saint Sebastian Outside the Walls.
• The Santa Croce in Gerusalemme.
• Rome Walks of Saint Lawrence Outside the Walls.

The Pantheon: It might not be a building you would expect on a list of churches, but the Pantheon is an official church.

San Pietro in Vincoli: This church lies on the Esquiline Hill in Rome and the name ‘Vincoli’ refers to the chains that bound Peter and that are venerated underneath the high altar.

San Luigi dei Francesi: Highlight of this 16th-century basilica for the French community is the Contarelli chapel with paintings of the Mattheus cycle by Caravaggio.

The Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere: This church is located in the popular district of Trastevere and was originally the oldest Marian church of the city.

Chiesa di Sant’Ignazio di Loyale: This 17th-century on the Piazza Sant’Ignazio is dedicated to the founder of the order of the Jesuits, Ignatius van Loyala.

Santa Maria in Cosmedin: This church became famous for the ‘mouth of truth’, or the ‘Bocca della Verità’.

Santa Maria della Minerva: This 13th-century church from the Dominicans lies near the Pantheon and was built on the foundations of a temple for Isis.