S Maria In Trastevere

S Maria In Trastevere
Originally uploaded by ptr.watts.

This image of Santa Susanna Chruch in Rome is part of one of the panoramic images found on the PanoramicEarth.com Tour of Rome. There are over 100 images taken from around Rome linked to an interactive map.

Full 360° panorama of the Santa Maria in Trastevere

I found this church whilst covering sites on the West of the Tiber. It is a little out of the normal tourist circuit, and therefore quite quiet. The piazza in front of S Maria in Trastevere is surrounded by cafes and set in the middle with a fountain.

Santa Maria in Trastevere is the only church in Rome to retain its medieval appearance. It is a contender for one of the earliest church sites in Rome and is a tituar church and may well have been the home of a wealthy patron, and a location where local Christians would gather. It is also the first church in Rome to be dedicated to Mary.

The foundations for the current building date back to 337. The present church was built upon the original foundations by Pope Innocent II in the 12th Century. The design of the earlier basilica was preserved and the new church once again rededicated to Mary.

Inside the 22 granite columns that line the nave were plundered from earlier Roman ruins. The apse mosaics found inside date from the 12th Century and are among the best in Rome. Most of the mosaics found inside the church depict aspects of the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

The rest of the church is fairly plain by Roman standards However, to the left of the altar is the Cappella Altemps (Chapel of Altemps) which contains both a life-size icon of Mary as well as some frescoes from 1588 depicting the council of Trent. The full panorama of the church from PanoramicEarth.com shows the rest of the interior. There is an enlargement of this image of Santa Maria in Trastevere on Flickr.

For more articles on Rome see the Rome Index or select one of the labels at the bottom.