Santa Maria in Trastevere

Santa Maria in Trastevere tickets: which one to buy

Santa Maria in Trastevere stands on the piazza of the same name, the heart of the lively Trastevere district across the Tiber from central Rome, and entry is free. It is one of the oldest churches in Rome and one of the first dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and its golden mosaics are among the finest in the city. Walking tours of Trastevere always include the church and the piazza, together with the narrow streets, the church of Santa Cecilia and food stops;

evening food tours are especially popular. The church is a short walk from the river and the island, and trams run from Largo Argentina. The piazza is a lively meeting place, with a fountain, cafes and street performers. The church is active, and visiting pauses during services. Shoulders and knees should be covered. Tram 8 from Largo Argentina stops near Viale di Trastevere, a short walk from the piazza.

Visiting Santa Maria in Trastevere: what to see

According to tradition, the first church here was founded in the third century by Pope Callixtus I, and it was rebuilt by Pope Julius I in the fourth century; the present church was built in the 1140s by Pope Innocent II, a native of Trastevere. The facade carries a twelfth-century mosaic of the Virgin and Child with women holding lamps, and a Romanesque bell tower. Inside, the nave is lined with ancient granite columns taken from Roman buildings, some possibly from the Baths of Caracalla, with capitals of different styles. The apse is covered with mosaics of the twelfth century, showing Christ and the Virgin enthroned together, surrounded by saints and popes, one of the earliest images of the Virgin crowned beside Christ.

Below, a series of mosaics of scenes from the life of the Virgin was made by Pietro Cavallini around 1291. The floor is in Cosmatesque marble inlay, and the gilded ceiling was designed by Domenichino. A side chapel holds a venerated painting of the Madonna della Clemenza, one of the oldest icons of the Virgin in Rome, dating from the sixth or seventh century. The portico at the entrance contains fragments of ancient inscriptions and tombstones collected from the area. The chapel of the Altemps family, decorated in the sixteenth century, holds frescoes and a baroque altar. The church's fountain in the piazza, rebuilt several times, is believed to be one of the oldest in Rome.

Santa Maria in Trastevere opening hours and the best time to go

The church is open daily, with a break in the early afternoon. Trastevere is busiest in the evening, when the piazza and surrounding streets fill with restaurants and nightlife, and the mosaics of the facade are lit. Mornings are quieter inside the church. The community of Sant'Egidio, based in Trastevere, holds an evening prayer in the church that is open to all. The Festa de' Noantri in July celebrates the district with processions and street events. Allow about half an hour for the church, and stay for an aperitivo on the piazza. The Villa Farnesina, with Raphael frescoes, is about ten minutes' walk north along the river.