# Santa Maria in Trastevere, Rome

> Santa Maria in Trastevere is one of Rome's oldest churches, where Christians gathered as early as the 3rd–4th centuries; the present building dates from the 1140s. Its glory is the golden 12th-century apse mosaic and Pietro Cavallini's scenes of the Virgin's life from 1291. Entry is free and it's open from morning until late evening; 30 minutes is enough.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-in-trastevere

- City: [Rome](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome), Italy
- YesGo score: 50/100 (Yes, go)
- Time on site: 30 min
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Entry: Free
- Opening hours: ≈ 7:30–21:00 daily
- Highlights: 12th-century apse mosaics and Cavallini (1291)
- Dress code: Shoulders and knees covered
- Time needed: 30 minutes
- Location: Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere; tram 8
- Coordinates: 41.88944, 12.46972
- Facts checked: 10.11.2026

## Key facts

- **4th century** — Pope Julius I built the first basilica here (source: English Wikipedia)
- **1140–1143** — the present church was built under Innocent II (source: English Wikipedia)
- **22 columns** — of granite, reused from ancient Roman buildings (source: English Wikipedia)
- **1291** — Pietro Cavallini's mosaic cycle of the Life of the Virgin (source: English Wikipedia)
- **1702** — Carlo Fontana added the portico (source: English Wikipedia)

## The mosaics

The treasure here is the **12th-century apse mosaic** on a gold ground: **Christ and Mary** enthroned side by side, flanked by saints and Pope Innocent II holding a model of the church. Above is the starry heaven with the evangelists' symbols; below, lambs process from Bethlehem and Jerusalem.

Beneath, between the windows, are six panels by **Pietro Cavallini** from **1291**, showing **scenes from the Life of the Virgin** — her birth, the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi, the Presentation and the Dormition. Cavallini worked before Giotto, and his figures already have weight and life: you can see Byzantine tradition turning into Renaissance painting.

There's mosaic on the **façade** too — the Madonna and Child with ten women carrying lamps — best seen from the square in the evening, when it's floodlit.

## A short history

Santa Maria in Trastevere is counted among **Rome's oldest churches**. Tradition says Christians met here in the 3rd century under Pope Callixtus, and in the **4th century** Pope **Julius I** built the first basilica — one of the first in the city dedicated to the Virgin.

The present building went up in **1140–1143** under Pope Innocent II, of the local Papareschi family. Its builders reused **22 granite columns** with mismatched capitals from ancient monuments, some said to come from the Baths of Caracalla. The 12th-century Romanesque **bell tower**, with a tiny mosaic image near the top, is a landmark of the district.

## What to see

- **Apse mosaic** — Christ and Mary enthroned, 12th century.
- **Cavallini mosaics** — six scenes from the Life of the Virgin, 1291.
- **Façade mosaic** — the Madonna with ten lamp-bearing women.
- **Portico** — walls lined with ancient and early Christian inscriptions.
- **Cosmatesque floor** — geometric patterns in coloured marble.
- **Coffered ceiling** — 17th century, with Domenichino's Assumption.
- **Fountain on the square** — one of Rome's oldest, remodelled by Carlo Fontana.

> **Seeing the mosaics well** The apse is far from the entrance and the Cavallini panels are high up: go up to the rail by the altar and bring binoculars or use your phone's zoom. Light is best in the daytime, and some areas have coin-operated lighting.

## Opening hours and the square

The basilica is usually open **from about 7:30 to 21:00** and entry is **free**. In the evening the Sant'Egidio community holds prayers here — beautiful to hear, but visitors are asked not to walk around. The piazza outside, with its octagonal fountain, is the heart of [Trastevere](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/trastevere): children play by day, and at night the fountain steps fill up and the cafés with diners.

## How to get to Santa Maria in Trastevere

1. Tram **8** to Belli, then a 5-minute walk.
2. From the centre, cross Ponte Sisto and Piazza Trilussa — 15 minutes from Campo de' Fiori.
3. Buses 23 and 280 to the Lungotevere, then 5–7 minutes on foot.
4. From [Villa Farnesina](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/villa-farnesina), 10 minutes via Via della Lungara and Via della Scala.

## Is it worth visiting?

Yes — it's one of Rome's most beautiful churches and an essential stop in Trastevere. It's free, and the 12th-century gold mosaics and Cavallini's panels are of a quality rare even in Rome. Come in daylight for the mosaics, and pair it with a wander through the neighbourhood and dinner.

## Before you go

Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser.

- [ ] Cover shoulders and knees
- [ ] Bring binoculars for the Cavallini panels
- [ ] Visit in daylight for the best light
- [ ] Come back after dark for the lit façade
- [ ] Wander the lanes of Trastevere

## Rome's churches: compare and choose

Churches and basilicas in Rome rated by YesGo.

- [Pantheon](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/pantheon) — YesGo score 82/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · ≈ €5
- [St Peter's Basilica](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/st-peters-basilica) — YesGo score 71/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Free; dome ≈ €8–15
- [Sistine Chapel](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/sistine-chapel) — YesGo score 64/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Vatican Museums ticket ≈ €25
- [Archbasilica of St John Lateran](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/lateran-basilica) — YesGo score 64/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free; cloister ≈ €5
- [Santa Maria Maggiore](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-maggiore) — YesGo score 62/100 (Yes, go) · 40 min · Free
- [Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/st-paul-outside-the-walls) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free
- [Church of the Gesù](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/church-of-the-gesu) — YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free
- [Sant'Ignazio](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/sant-ignazio) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free
- [Santa Maria sopra Minerva](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-sopra-minerva) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free
- [Santa Maria in Trastevere](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-in-trastevere) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free
- [Piazza del Popolo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-del-popolo) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free
- [Mouth of Truth](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/bocca-della-verita) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Donation ≈ €2
- [Catacombs of Rome](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/rome-catacombs) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ €10–12 with guide
- [San Pietro in Vincoli](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-pietro-in-vincoli) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free
- [San Luigi dei Francesi](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-luigi-dei-francesi) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free
- [Santa Maria della Vittoria](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-della-vittoria) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free
- [San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-carlo-alle-quattro-fontane) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free
- [Tempietto](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/tempietto) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free
- [Santa Sabina](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-sabina) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free
- [Trastevere](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/trastevere) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free
- [Baths of Diocletian](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/baths-of-diocletian) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Basilica free; museum ≈ €10–12
- [Basilica of San Clemente](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-clemente) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Upper free; excavations ≈ €10–12

## Trastevere in half a day

Santa Maria in Trastevere and the lanes around it, Villa Farnesina with Raphael's frescoes, then up to Bramante's Tempietto on the Janiculum slope.

1. [Trastevere](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/trastevere) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free
2. [Santa Maria in Trastevere](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-in-trastevere) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free
3. [Villa Farnesina](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/villa-farnesina) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ €12
4. [Tempietto](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/tempietto) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free

## Don't mix it up

Santa Maria in Trastevere isn't Santa Maria Maggiore near Termini, nor Santa Cecilia in Trastevere in the same district. Rome has more than sixty churches dedicated to Mary.

## Tips

- See the apse mosaics in daylight.
- The Cavallini panels are high — bring binoculars.
- The façade mosaic is floodlit at night.
- The square's fountain is one of Rome's oldest.

## Questions

### Is Santa Maria in Trastevere free?

Yes.

### What is Santa Maria in Trastevere famous for?

Its golden 12th-century apse mosaics and Pietro Cavallini's 1291 mosaics of the Life of the Virgin.

### When was it built?

The first church in the 4th century under Pope Julius I; the present one in 1140–1143.

### What are the opening hours?

Roughly 7:30–21:00 daily.

### Where is Santa Maria in Trastevere?

On the main square of Trastevere; tram 8 to Belli.

### How long do you need?

About 30 minutes.

## How we checked

History, mosaics and architecture from English Wikipedia. Opening hours weren't confirmed with an official source at the time of checking — hence the 'checking' badge.

## Sources

- English Wikipedia, Santa Maria in Trastevere
- Community of Sant'Egidio: prayer schedule at the basilica

---

This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.