Basilica di San Lorenzo fuori le Mura

Lonely Planet review

The only of Rome's major churches to have suffered bomb damage in WWII, the Basilica of St Lawrence Outside the Walls is one of Rome's seven pilgrimage churches.

An atmospheric, tranquil place, it's a hotchpotch of rebuilds and restorations. The original church was constructed by Constantine in the 4th century over St Lawrence's burial place, but it was rebuilt in 579 by Pope Pelagius II. Subsequently a nearby 5th-century church was incorporated - a job that was started in the 8th century and took more than 500 years to complete. The result was the church you see today. The nave, portico and much of the decoration date from the 13th century.

Highlights are the Cosmati floor and the 13th-century frescoed portico, depicting events from St Lawrence's life. The remains of St Lawrence and St Stephen are in the church crypt beneath the high altar. A pretty barrel-vaulted cloister contains inscriptions and sarcophagi and leads to the Catacombe di Santa Ciriaca, where St Lawrence was initially buried.