Colosseum - The best known symbol of Rome, the Colosseum is usually associated with gladiatorial contests, fights with wild animals and other similar events. You must remember, though, that many Christians were put to death in its arena during extremely cruel spectacles. In memory of its martyrs, Christianity, particularly since the 17th century, has come to regard the Colosseum as sacred ground and has raised its crosses in various places inside this structure. To stress the importance attributed to this site, every Good Friday the Pope leads a Way of the Cross procession in the Colosseum.
St. Peter’s Basilica - Started in 1506, this Basilica was only completed in 1626 - an enormous span of time, even for those days, and there is a saying in Italy, when something is taking far too long - this is taking as long as building St. Peters. The structure is impressive, weather you are looking at it from the outside or from its interior. It is safe to say that practically all major Italian architects and artists worked to its construction and its size and magnificence are such that visitors are literally amazed at the sight of the biggest church in the world.
Monastery of Santa Maria in Grottaferrata - Also known as Greek Abbey of St. Nilus. This Catholic church has a very peculiar history. It was founded in 1004 A.D. by St. Nilus, a monk who moved away from Calabria together with other brethren to escape Barbarian raids. Basilian monks are in charge of the Monastery. Their Order was established 50 years before the Schism between Catholics and Orthodox and, since it was based in Italy, it remained within the Catholic Church, though it kept the Byzantine-Greek rites. Obviously, the buildings have undergone various alterations, but the overall impression is of an ancient church and Monastery which have retained the power of mysticism and profound religiosity. The library is stocked with over 50,000 invaluable books partly dating from the Middle Ages.
Basilica of St. John Lateran - It is the “Mother of all Basilicas”. In other words, this is the most important church for Catholics throughout the world. In actual fact this church is Rome’s Cathedral. Obviously, this is a very old church, although it has been rebuilt and renovated several times. Its awe-inspiring, but extremely elegant appearance is an indication of the ability and refined taste of the many Italian architects and artists who worked to the construction of this building through the ages. Given its status, it has played a very important role in the history of Christianity.
Basilica of St. Mary Major - All of Rome’s Basilicas are extremely old in the sense that either they were built over existing churches or they are rebuilt versions of previous churches. St. Mary Major is no exception since its history goes back to the 5th century A.D.. It is considered by many to be the most beautiful church in Rome - apart possibly from St. Peter’s. The term Major is due to the fact that, being a “papal Basilica”, it has a special significance for the Catholic Church and is also the biggest church in Rome to be dedicated to Mary, Mother of God.
Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls - The imposing structure of the Basilica welcomes visitors who are usually struck by the particular shape of the building as much as by its interior decorations and particularly the medallions containing images of the various Popes. The Basilica was initially built by Emperor Constantine in the 4th century A.D. on the burial site of St. Paul the Apostle. Like most of the other ancient churches of Rome, this Basilica was rebuilt and renovated several times through the centuries. A fire that seriously damaged it in the 19th century, made it necessary to reconstruct a large part of the church. In June 2009, at the end of the year marking 2000 years from St. Paul’s birth, the Pope announced that it is now virtually certain that the remains in St. Paul’s Sarcophagus actually belong to the Apostle.
Basilica of St. Peter in Chains - This Basilica should not be confused with the more famous St. Peter’s Basilica located in the Vatican. The Basilica of St. Peter in Chains was built in the 5th century A.D. to house the chains that bound St. Peter when he was imprisoned in Jerusalem. The chains at present are kept in a reliquary under the main altar. However, most visitors are drawn to this church by the statue of Moses, which Michelangelo completed in 1545, as a funeral monument in honour of Pope Julius II. This church used to be the church of the della Rovere family and Pope Julius II belonged to this family.
Basilica dei Santi Cosma e Damiano - One of the very early Christian churches in Rome, this Basilica was created in the 6th century A.D. by combining a pagan temple (Temple of Romulus, built by Emperor Maxentius to honour his son Valerius Romulus, who had died in 309 A.D.) with an ancient Roman structure (the Library of the Forum of Peace). Although it has been necessary to alter and renovate the Basilica from time to time since its construction, some parts of it are still original, like, for instance, the pavement of the Forum of Peace in the rooms near the entrance, or the walls on which a huge marble map of Rome used to hang. Since the two martyrs to which the Basilica is dedicated were physicians, they were soon regarded as patrons of doctors, pharmacists and veterinarians and the church itself became a centre of devotion for ill people.
