Churches in Rome and Latium

The massive Abbey of Montecassino rests on a bluff at 519 meters above sea level near the town of Cassino, between Rome and Naples.

This still-operational abbey was once an influential city-state that controlled hundreds of villages and a large swath of central Italy.

The glorious and celebrated Sistine Chapel is a crowning jewel of Renaissance painting and a sight that leaves millions speechless every year.

The Church of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem is filled with important relics, yet is overlooked by many tourists.

While many think Saint Peter's is "it", the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano is the actual cathedral church of Rome.

When the young, aristocratic Roman named Cecilia was dying a martyr's death in 230 AD, she is said to have sung out songs of praise to God.

Tucked away on the Janiculum Hill is a lovely yet largely overlooked treasure.

On the celebrated Via *Veneto is a church whose crypt has garnered more attention than the paintings inside the church itself.

The master of illusion Francesco Borromini created a Baroque jewel with the church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane.

Take a trip through Rome's architectural history in just one church!

The monumental Piazza del Popolo hosts three churches dedicated to Mary.

This lovely church is in the center of Rome, near Via del Corso, Piazza Navona and the Pantheon.

The church of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza is an architectural gem hidden in a courtyard near the Piazza Navona.

The most important church in Christendom, Saint Peter's Basilica is one of Rome's great landmarks.

This popular basilica was built over the temple Juno Moneta (home of the early Roman mint, hence the English word "money").

Packed with opulent mosaics dating from the 9th century, the Basilica of Santa Prassede can claim the title of the most important monument of Byzantine art in Rome.

A minor basilica with some big treasures, Saint Peter in Chains is a common stop for faithful pilgrims.

Rome's first Baroque facade was inaugurated on the church of Sant'Andrea della Valle.

The Church of Jesus (Chiesa del Gesù) in Rome, is a beautiful blend of Renaissance and Baroque styles,and the symbol of the Jesuit order.

One of the highest point of Celio (the XIXth rione of Rome) houses the church of St Mary in Domnica, also known as Church of Navicella (bark) because of the lovely fountain just in front of the portico, shaped as a Roman bark: early XX century copy of a sixteenth-century finding.

A lovely chapel sits inauspiciously in the heart of Rome, a small church with a big effect in its genius.

Facing Piazza Navona, the fanciful church of Sant'Agnese in Agone is a Baroque blend of masters.

The charming church of San Francesco a Ripa is in the lively Trastevere quarter of Rome.

A beautiful church near Rome's Piazza Navona often gets passed by as tourists rush to the better-known sights, which is a shame as it has some lovely art and an interesting history.

One of Rome's highest churches is perched above the Spanish Steps and is, perhaps ironically, a French church.

Tucked away outside the Aurelian walls is the gem of Santa Costanza.

This marvellous church probably was the first Christian place of worship in Rome, founded by Pope Callistus I in the third century, when Christians were a minority and Roman emperors still heathen.

For a small town, it Civita Castellana sure has an impressive cathedral.

Il Chiostro del Bramante is a Renaissance respite in the heart of Rome.

The beautiful Baroque church of Santa Susanna is the American church in Rome.