Key Marian Churches to See
In Rome
Basilica of St Mary Major
Piazza di Santa Maria Maggiore 42
Rome, Italy
*This basilica has two large transept chapels. Within the Pauline Chapel in the left transept is a miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin Mary entitled Protectress of the Roman People. Tradition credits St Luke for the creation of this image.
*Within the porphyry base of the Papal Altar in the main body of this church are some relics of St Matthias. Also prominently placed within the confessio below this altar are five pieces of wood believed to be from the crib of Jesus Christ.
*The remains of St Jerome (d. 420) were brought to this basilica in the 12th century. There is some doubt as to their exact location. They either rest under the Papal Altar within the main body of the church or within the confessio in the right transept.
Santuario della Madonna del Divino Amore
(Sanctuary of Our Lady of Divine Love)
Via Ardeatina 1221, 00134 Rome, Italy
Rome, Italy
*This sanctuary is located south of the city of Rome. It is a very popular and important Roman shrine to Our Lady.
Santa Maria sopra Minerva
(Our Lady Above Minerva)
Via del Beato Angelico 35
Rome, Italy
*This church is near the Pantheon.
*A painting of the Annunciation completed in the late 15th century by Antoniazzo Romano is found in the fifth chapel on the right side of the nave. Also the chapel in the right transept is dedicated to the Annunciation.
Santa Maria in Trastevere
(Our Lady in Trastevere)
Via della Paglia 14 / Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere
Rome, Italy
*This church is located in Trastevere.
*This church is located in Trastevere. It is dedicated to the Assumption of The Blessed Virgin Mary. A painting of the Assumption by Domenico Zampieri can be seen in the middle of the coffered wooden ceiling.
*Relics of the two popes, St Callistus I (d. 222) and St Cornelius (d. 253), rest under the main altar of this church. These relics are joined by others in particular those of the priest and martyr St Calepodius (d. 232).
Santuario della Madonna del Perpetuo Soccorso
(Sanctuary of Our Lady of Perpetual Help)
Via Merulana 26
Rome, Italy
*This church is just south of the Basilica of St Mary Major. It is dedicated to St Alphonsus Liguori.
*The miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin Mary entitled Our Lady of Perpetual Help is above the main altar.
Santa Maria ai Monti
(Our Lady at the Hills)
Via della Madonna dei Monti 41
*This church is near the Cavour metro stop.
*This church was built due to a miraculous discovery of an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a nearby Poor Clare convent that had fallen into ruins. To celebrate this great find Pope Gregory XIII (d. 1585) commissioned the building of this church. This miraculous image is now placed above the main altar.
Santa Maria in Via
(Our Lady of the Way)
Via del Mortaro 24
Rome, Italy
*This church is near the Spanish Steps.
*On September 26, 1256 a miraculous icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared at this location. It was found painted on a stone and floating upon the water of an overflowing well. The first chapel on the right side of the nave preserves this miraculous well and icon. Cups are normally provided so that pilgrims can drink some of the water from this well.
Santa Maria in Traspontina
(Our Lady in Traspontina)
Via della Conciliazione 14
Rome, Italy
*This church is near the Vatican.
*The third chapel on the right side of the nave contains a beautiful statue of Our Lady of Mt Carmel. A memorial at this chapel recalls that this church provided a new scapular for St John Paul II after the assassination attempt upon his life in 1981.
Santa Maria in Aracoeli
(Our Lady in Aracoeli)
Piazza del Campidoglio 4
Rome, Italy
*This church is on top of the Capitoline Hill.
*Twelve paintings in the upper nave depict events from the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
*Also relics of St Helena, the mother of Constantine, rest in the left transept.
Sant'Andrea delle Fratte
(Saint Andrew of the Bushes)
Via Sant'Andrea delle Fratte 1
Rome, Italy
*This church is near the Spanish Steps.
*The third altar on the left side of the nave is where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Ratisbonne, an agnostic Jew, in 1842. Ratisbonne converted on the spot. In 1918 St Maximilian Mary Kolbe (d. 1941) offered his first Mass in this very same chapel.
San Carlo ai Catinari
(Saint Charles at the Catinari)
Piazza Benedetto Cairoli 117
Rome, Italy
*This church is near the Largo di Torre Argentina.
*Within the first chapel on the right side of the nave is a beautiful painting of the Annunciation by Giovanni Lanfranco.
*Also a chapel in the right transept has an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary entitled Mother of Divine Providence. The original is located in a Barnabite church in Trastevere.
Chiesa Nuova (The New Church)
Via del Governo Vecchio 134
Rome, Italy
*This church is located along the Corso Vittorio Emanuele.
*Nearly all of the side chapels are dedicated to different events in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Additional Marian Churches to See
In Rome
Santa Maria del Popolo
(Our Lady of the People)
Piazza del Popolo 12
Rome, Italy
*This church is at Piazza del Popolo.
Santissimo Nome di Maria al Foro Traiano
(The Most Holy Name of Mary at Trajan’s Forum)
Piazza Foro Traiano 89
Rome, Italy
*This church is near Trajan’s column just east of Piazza Venezia.
Santa Maria di Loreto
(Our Lady of Loreto)
Piazza della Madonna di Loreto 26
Rome, Italy
*This church is near Trajan’s column just east of Piazza Venezia. This is the smaller of the two churches that are located here.
Santa Maria in Via Lata
(Our Lady on Via Lata)
Via del Corso 306
Rome, Italy
*This church is north of Piazza Venezia.
*It is believed that this church is built over a location where St Paul resided while he was under house arrest in Rome.
Santa Maria degli Angeli
(Our Lady of the Angels)
Piazza della Repubblica
Rome, Italy
*This church is at Piazza della Repubblica. It is a very spacious church built over the Baths of Diocletian.
*In the main sanctuary is a painting that depicts seven angels surrounding the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Christ Child. An additional pair of sculpted angels then surround this painting.
Santa Maria della Vittoria
(Our Lady of the Victory)
Via XX Settembre 17
Rome, Italy
*This church is located north of Piazza della Repubblica.
*Located here is Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s famous sculpture entitled The Ecstasy of St Teresa.
Santa Maria in Aquiro
(Our Lady in Aquiro)
Via della Guglia 69/B
Rome, Italy
*This church is near the Pantheon.
*The third chapel on the left side of the nave is dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes
Santa Maria dell'Umilta
(Our Lady of Humility)
Via dell'Umilta 30
Rome, Italy
*This church is south of the Trevi Fountain. It is the church at the Casa Santa Maria.
Santa Maria della Pace
(Our Lady of Peace)
Vicolo del Arco della Pace 5
Rome, Italy
*This church is near Piazza Navona.
Santa Maria dell' Anima
(Our Lady of the Soul)
Via Santa Maria dell'Anima 64
Rome, Italy
*This church is near Piazza Navona. It is the German national church.
Santa Maria in Campitelli
(Our Lady in Campitelli)
Piazza di Campitelli 9
Rome, Italy
*This church is near the Jewish quarter.
*The body of St John Leonardi (d. 1609) is enshrined in the second chapel on the left side of the nave.
Santa Maria in Domnica
(Our Lady in Domnica)
Via della Navicella 10
Rome, Italy
*This church is south of the Colosseum.
*The 9th century mosaic within the apse depicts Pope Paschal I (d. 824) humbly kneeling at the foot of the Blessed Virgin Mary as angels to the right and to the left look on.
Santa Maria della Consolazione
(Our Lady of Consolation)
Piazza della Consolazione 94
Rome, Italy
*This church is east of Tiber Island.
*In 1506 a hospital was founded adjacent to this church. It was at this hospital that St Aloysius Gonzaga (d. 1591) contracted the plague while caring for the sick. He eventually died from this disease at the age of twenty-three.
*The image of the Blessed Virgin Mary above the main altar was purchased in 1385 to console the nearby prisoners who were awaiting execution.
Santa Maria della Scala
(Our Lady of the Staircase)
Piazza della Scala 23
Rome, Italy
*This church is located in Trastevere.
*A miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin Mary entitled Madonna della Scala is venerated in the left transept.
Santa Maria dei Miracoli
(Our Lady of the Miracles)
Via del Corso 528
Rome, Italy
*This church is at Piazza del Popolo
*Within the second chapel on the right side of the nave is a statue of Mary entitled Our Lady of Betharram.
Santa Maria di Montesanto
(Our Lady of Montesanto)
Via del Babuino 197
Rome, Italy
*This church is at Piazza del Popolo
Santa Maria in Monticelli
(Our Lady in Monticelli)
28 Via di Santa Maria in Monticelli
Rome, Italy
*This church is near the Largo di Torre Argentina.
*The painting in the main sanctuary depicts the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Santa Maria in Trivio (Our Lady in Trivio)
Piazza dei Crociferi 49
Rome, Italy
*This church is near the Trevi Fountain.
Santa Maria in Monterone
(Our Lady in Monterone)
75 Via Monterone
Rome, Italy
*This church is located south of the Pantheon.
Santa Maria Annunziata in Borgo
(Annunciation of Mary in the Borgo)
Borgo Santo Spirito
Rome, Italy
*This small church is near the Vatican and the Corso Vittorio Emanuele Bridge.
Santa Maria delle Grazie alle Fornaci
(Our Lady of Graces at the Furnaces)
Piazza di Santa Maria alle Fornaci 30
Rome, Italy
*This church is south of the Vatican.
Santa Maria Odigitria al Tritone
(Our Lady Odigitria at the Tritone)
Via del Tritone 82
Rome, Italy
*This church is just west of the Barberini metro stop.
Sant'Andrea della Valle
(Saint Andrew of the Valley)
Piazza Vidoni 6 / Piazza Sant'Andrea della Valle
Rome, Italy
*This church is located along the Corso Vittorio Emanuele.
*The chapel in the left transept is dedicated to the purity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Il Gesu (The Jesus)
Via degli Astalli 16
Rome, Italy
*This church is located along the Corso Vittorio Emanuele.
*The small chapel to the left of the main sanctuary is entitled Our Lady of the Way Chapel. It is named after the previous church that was located here and contains a number of very humble and prayerful images of our Lady including one from the 15th century that St Ignatius would have known from the previous church.
*St Ignatius of Loyola (d. 1556) is buried under the altar in the left transept.
*An arm of St Francis Xavier (d. 1552) also rests within a reliquary above the altar in the right transept.
