The Rome Index
Churches of Trastevere
The neighbourhood has more great churches per square kilometre than almost anywhere in Rome.
Santa Maria in Trastevere
The anchor of the main piazza and one of the oldest churches in Rome — the 12th-century apse mosaics are among the finest in the city, and the church is free to enter at almost any hour.
Santa Cecilia in Trastevere
Built over the site where the patron saint of music is said to have been martyred — the statue of Cecilia by Stefano Maderno beneath the altar shows her exactly as her body was reportedly found when the tomb was opened in 1599. Pietro Cavallini's 13th-century Last Judgement fresco is in the adjacent convent, visible on limited morning hours.
San Francesco a Ripa
A 13th-century church containing Bernini's Blessed Ludovica Albertoni — considered by some critics his most expressive sculpture, and occupying a side chapel here almost entirely without visitors.
Why so many churches in one small area
Trastevere's unusually dense concentration of churches reflects its history as one of Rome's oldest continuously inhabited residential districts.
A realistic visiting pace
Attempting all of Trastevere's significant churches in one visit is possible but rushed — picking two or three with time to actually look produces a more rewarding experience.
