Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere

Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere stands in Trastevere, Rome, with golden façade mosaics beside a square twelfth-century bell tower. The piazza gives the church a visible centre in the neighbourhood. Its history reaches the third century, when tradition places an early Christian meeting place here under Pope Callixtus I.

Twenty-two ancient granite columns divide the interior into three aisles, with varied diameters and Ionic and Corinthian capitals. They probably came from the Baths of Caracalla. Much of the present structure belongs to the twelfth century, while the apse and triumphal arch display golden mosaics from several periods. Pietro Cavallini’s 1291 mosaics show scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary.

The carved and gilded coffered ceiling follows Domenichino’s 1617 design, with the Assumption of Mary at its centre. Carlo Fontana remodelled the portico in 1702, adding a balustrade with four papal statues. Fragments of older friezes, Christian inscriptions and the life-sized Madonna della Clemenza remain among the details, while the façade’s gold changes with the light.