Chiesa di SS Quattro Coronati

This brooding 4th-century church, rebuilt as a fortified convent after it was destroyed during the 1084 Norman sack of Rome, is dedicated to four Christian soldiers who were killed by Diocletian for refusing to make a statue of a pagan god. As a result, it’s still revered by stone-cutters and masons. The most famous feature is the Cappella di San Silvestro and its well-preserved 13th-century frescoes depicting the story of the Donation of Constantine, a famous document by which Constantine ceded control of Rome and the West to the papacy. The donation, in fact a document forged by the Vatican, was allegedly presented to Sylvester after the devout priest cured the emperor of leprosy. Also of interest are the beautiful 13th-century cloisters and garden off the northern aisle (ring the bell for admission).