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Basilica of Santa Sabina, Rome

Brick apse and walls of the early Christian basilica of Santa Sabina among garden greenery on the Aventine
Photo: Fiat 500e, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
Free
Opening hours
Mornings and afternoons, closed midday
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
20 min
With kids
Fine with kids
Highlights
5th-century cypress doors, the 24-column nave
Nearby
The Orange Garden and the Knights of Malta keyhole
Time needed
20–30 minutes
Location
Aventine; 15 minutes' climb from Circo Massimo metro
Coordinates
41.88444, 12.47972YesGo MapGoogleApple

Key facts

c. 422–432built by the priest Peter of Illyria
SourceEnglish Wikipedia
24 columnsof Proconnesian marble with Corinthian capitals
SourceEnglish Wikipedia
5th centurycarved cypress doors with Bible scenes
SourceEnglish Wikipedia
Crucifixionone of the oldest known depictions, on the doors
SourceEnglish Wikipedia
1222the basilica was given to the Dominican order
SourceEnglish Wikipedia

A short history

The priest Peter of Illyria built the basilica around 422–432, on the site of a house traditionally said to belong to a Roman matron named Sabina. It's one of very few Roman churches almost unchanged in 1,500 years: 20th-century restorers stripped away later Baroque additions to reveal its early Christian form.

In 1222 the pope gave the basilica and convent to St Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers, and Santa Sabina has been the Dominicans' mother house ever since. By tradition Lent begins here: on Ash Wednesday the pope comes to Santa Sabina for a procession.

Inside is a bright, austere, spacious nave: two rows of 12 columns of white Proconnesian marble with Corinthian capitals, possibly taken from a nearby temple of Juno. High under the roof, large windows with selenite grilles diffuse a soft light. Above the arches runs a 5th-century marble inlay frieze, and over the door a mosaic inscription of the same date — gold letters on blue, with two female figures symbolising the Church of the Jews and of the Gentiles.

The cypress doors

The great treasure is the 5th-century cypress doors in the portico, among the oldest carved wooden doors in the world. Their panels show Old and New Testament scenes, and the top-left one holds one of the earliest known images of the Crucifixion: Christ between two thieves against city walls, without a visible cross. Eighteen of the original 28 panels survive.

What to see

  • Cypress doors — 5th century, in the portico, left of the entrance.
  • The 24-column nave — a luminous early Christian hall.
  • Mosaic inscription over the door — 5th century.
  • Selenite windows — soft light under the roof.
  • St Dominic's orange tree — glimpsed through a hole in the portico wall.
  • The Orange Garden — next door, with a view over Rome.

How to get there

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Where are you starting from?

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On foot

More tips

  1. Metro line B to Circo Massimo, then 15 minutes uphill along Via di Valle Murcia.
  2. Buses 23 and 280 to Lungotevere Aventino, then 10 minutes up the steps.
  3. From the Mouth of Truth, 10 minutes up Clivo di Rocca Savella.
  4. The Orange Garden and keyhole are 2–3 minutes away.

Is Santa Sabina worth it?

Yes — especially if you're heading up the Aventine for the keyhole and the Orange Garden: Santa Sabina sits right between them, it's free, and its calm light is the opposite of the centre's Baroque churches. There's no better place in Rome to feel what the first Christians' churches looked like. Cover shoulders and knees; it closes at midday.

Before you go

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Rome's churches: compare and choose

Churches and basilicas in Rome rated by YesGo. Click a column header to sort.

Pantheon8230 min≈ €528 min walk
St Peter's Basilica711 h 30 minFree; dome ≈ €8–152.9 km
Sistine Chapel6430 minVatican Museums ticket ≈ €252.9 km
Archbasilica of St John Lateran6445 minFree38 min walk
Santa Maria Maggiore6240 minFree37 min walk
Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls5745 minFree2.9 km
Church of the Gesù5330 minFree22 min walk
Sant'Ignazio5130 minFree28 min walk
Santa Maria sopra Minerva5130 minFree26 min walk
Piazza del Popolo5030 minFree2.9 km
Santa Maria in Trastevere5030 minFree17 min walk
Mouth of Truth4920 minDonation ≈ €28 min walk
Catacombs of Rome481 h 30 min≈ €10–12 with guide33 min walk
San Pietro in Vincoli4820 minFree26 min walk
San Luigi dei Francesi4720 minFree30 min walk
Santa Maria della Vittoria4620 minFree44 min walk
San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane4620 minFree37 min walk
Santa Sabinayou are here4520 minFree—
Tempietto4520 minFree21 min walk
Trastevere442 hFree21 min walk
Baths of Diocletian421 hBasilica free; museum ≈ €10–1244 min walk
Basilica of San Clemente391 hUpper free; excavations ≈ €10–1227 min walk

Palatine to Aventine

The Palatine on your Colosseum ticket, then down to the Circus Maximus, the Mouth of Truth and up the Aventine to the keyhole.

  1. Palatine Hill1 h 30 min · ≈ €18 with Colosseum
  2. 5 min walk from the previous stopCircus Maximus30 min · Free
  3. 7 min walk from the previous stopMouth of Truth20 min · Donation ≈ €2
  4. 10 min walk from the previous stopAventine Keyhole45 min · Free
  5. 4 min walk from the previous stopSanta Sabinayou are here20 min · Free

5 places · about 3 h 51 min with walks · 26 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby and on the way

Aventine Keyhole

Rome, Italy

45 min · Free · 4 min walk

Mouth of Truth

Rome, Italy

20 min · Donation ≈ €2 · 8 min walk

Circus Maximus

Rome, Italy

30 min · Free · 9 min walk

Palatine Hill

Rome, Italy

1 h 30 min · ≈ €18 with Colosseum · 13 min walk

How to do it right

  • The 5th-century doors are in the portico, on the left.
  • The peephole to St Dominic's tree is by the entrance.
  • Quiet and full of light inside.
  • The Orange Garden is steps away.

Questions

Where is Santa Sabina?

On the Aventine next to the Orange Garden, 15 minutes from Circo Massimo metro.

Is Santa Sabina free?

Yes.

When was Santa Sabina built?

Around 422–432.

What's special about its doors?

They're 5th-century carved cypress doors with Bible scenes, including one of the earliest Crucifixions.

What is the orange tree at Santa Sabina?

By tradition a descendant of the tree St Dominic planted; you see it through a hole in the portico wall.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • English Wikipedia, Santa Sabina
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 10.11.2026 ·
How we checkedHistory, architecture and doors from English Wikipedia. Opening hours weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge.

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