St. Peter's	St. John in Latern	St. Peter in chains
St. Clemente	Holy Steps	St. Paul

The Churches of Rome

The city of Rome is home to 430 churches. The most important are the Basilicas.

The Basilica of Saint John in Lateran(S. Giovanni in Laterano).
Built on the site of the horse guards quarters of The pagan Emperor Maxentius,
St. John in Latern was the see of the Pope ever since the period of Constantine
until the Avignon exile in 1307.
Plundered by barbarians, and damaged by the earthquake of 1349,
it was systematically restored by the Popes. It was Pope Innocent X who commissioned
Borromini to rebuild it.

A few metres away are The Holy Steps or The Santa Scala, the wooden staircase
(now covered with marble for preservation), that Jesus climbed to his trial .
Originally from the palace of Pontius Pilate it was brought to Rome
by the mother of the Emperor Constantine….Saint Helena.

Half a kilometre down the road is the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme
(The Holy Cross in Jerusalem).
This basilica has the honour to house the relics most precious to Christianity.
A relic of the Holy Cross, two thorns from the crown of Jesus,
a nail that pierced his hands or feet, fragments of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Title of the Cross.
The finger of Saint Thomas is also among these sacred relics.
The only clone of The Robe of Turin was added later.

The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore
The original Basilica built in 353 by Pope Liberius, was the first basilica
to be commissioned by a Pope and not an Emperor.
Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it has the tallest bell tower in Rome,
built in 1377, it is inlaid with the first gold from the newly discovered America.
In 1200 Pope Innocent III commissioned the Chapel of the Crib,
to house the relics of the manger of The Holy Babe.
The simple tomb of one of Rome's great architects,
Bernini is also found in this basilica.

The Basilica Of Saint Clemente
Built in the 4th century over the remains of the ancient Imperial Mint
3rd. century, itself built over the remains of the Temple dedicated
to the Persian God Mitras, 2nd. Century.
This is the only place where the three levels of the city can be explored.

The Church Of San Pietro in Vincoli
Built in the 5th century to house the chains that bound St. Peter
when he was a prisoner in Jerusalem four centuries earlier.
Ironically, this church is not famous for it's religious relic but
for a work of art. The Moses by Michelangelo.
Since 1545 people have visited the church to see the magnificent
statue carved from 25 tons of marble, and placed before the modest tomb of Pope Julius II.

A visit to The Catacombs
Drive out of the city centre and visit these underground cemeteries.
Of pagan origin, the catacombs became the burial ground of the Christians
because they corresponded with the belief of an equal mode of burial.
Being the burial sites of the martyrs, Christians used to venerate the catacombs,
and it was used as a refuge during times of persecution.
These underground burial chambers were decorated with frescoes
that are still visible in the catacombs of St. Calixtus.

Note: For this tour gentlemen to wear long pants, ladies arms and knees covered

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