Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere

Lonely Planet review

Said to be the oldest church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Rome, it was established by Pope Calixtus in the early 3rd century and subsequently rebuilt by Julius I in 337. Its discreet style, portico embedded with fragments of ancient and medieval sculpture, inscriptions and sarcophagi, blend in with the other buildings on Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere. This is also where, in 38 BC, a miraculous fountain of pure oil sprang from the ground.

The church's present structure was built in 1138 by Innocent II and features a Romanesque façade, with a stunning 12th-century mosaic, and a Romanesque bell tower (whose bells ring every 15 minutes). The portico came later, added by Carlo Fontana in 1702.

Other features to note include the 21 difficult-to-miss Roman columns, some of which came from the Terme di Caracalla; the wooden ceiling designed in 1617 by Domenichino, who also painted the central panel depicting the Assumption of the Virgin; and, on the right of the altar, a beautiful Cosmati paschal candlestick, placed on the exact spot where the oil fountain is said to have sprung.

The last chapel on the left-hand side, the Cappella Avila, is also worth a quick look for its stunning dome. Antonio Gherardi's clever 1680 design depicts four angels holding the circular base of a large lantern whose columns rise to give the effect of a second cupola within a larger outer dome.