圣巴西德堂

Beautiful altar surrounded by mosaics and lovely chapels, some with Roman carving. More impressive than many bigger churches.

Don't miss it! Near Santa Maria Maggiore, This Church is closed at lunch time.Cerca de Santa Maria Maggiore, es magnifica! Cierra al mediodia, controlar hoarios de visita.

A great church in a small alley, that you have to visit! It has beautiful mosaic pictures, statues and the most important thing its the fact that it is a very ancient church and so it allows you to see the different work that has been done comparing with the newer churches!

Beautiful old church that doesn't look much from the outside, but inside it is very impressive. Situated close to the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore so can be seen together.

A very quiet an beautiful church with lots of mosaics and paintings on the wall. We went there when it was dark, I think by daylight it's even more beautiful.

Looking and judging from the exteriors, you would never expect such a hidden treasure to be waiting for you . The entrance itself is sort of camouflaged midst all the other buildings and more overpowering structures around this busy street and unless you pay really close attention, you would not even consider stooping here to see some beautiful works aging back to 9th century.

It is a very ancient church ( you may feel it only when You enter it), from the outside it doesn't look like a church, though it is quite spacious inside. Pay specia; attention to the beautiful ancient pictures and mosaics on the ceoling and on the walls!

Basilica di Santa Prassede, this is an old 9 century church with terrific mosaics. If you can’t make it to Ravenna, near Venice, then this is a good alternate option. The mosaics are Byzantine in design, rich in colour and fine in detail. What is fascinating about this Basilica is the blend of architectural and decorative styles. The apse and some of the chapels are pure Byzantine, whereas parts of the ceiling is Renaissance. The floor of the basilica is a swirling, intricate cosmati design in many colours. Like many of the buildings in Rome, the columns that line naves were salvaged from Ancient Roman structures. The apse walls and ceiling over and behind the altar are covered in mosaics which tell a number of stories and also hold much symbolism. Take the square nimbus around Pope Paschal I’s head. This indicates that the person was living and highly regarded when the scene was made; the covered hands; it was practice to cover these when giving or receiving a gift from the Emperor or the Mystic Lamb with 12 sheep representing Jesus and the Apostles.Descending stairs near the main altar will lead you to the crypt where there are 4 sarcophagi, stacked 2 per wall; one on top of the other. These are said to hold the remains of St Prassede and her sister St Pudenziana, along with the gathered remains of early Christian martyrs; St Prassede and St Pudenziana were martyred for this Christian act. The cosmati work on the small altar is eye catching but the fresco behind the altar which is from the 1700s but is in very poor condition.Off the naves are a number of dedication chapels with the most ornate of these being the Chapel of St Zeno. Apparently it is the only chapel in Rome that is entirely covered in mosaics pictures. Absolutely stunning!!! My favourite scene from this chapel is Madonna and Child who is blessing Sts. Prassede and Pudenziana. I like the interplay of light from the mosaic and the gold lunette with the transfiguration. The Cesi Chapel has an ornate ceiling, lots of gold gilt; while the ceiling paintings are subdued, they balance well with the gilt. In contrast the St Charles Borromeo Chapel is almost austere in presentation. The walls are off white but have large paintings hanging. The artists have skilfully chosen their colours, so the eye is drawn to a particular point or subject within each painting. The technique used on the Olgiati Chapel ceiling reminded of the Sistine Chapel. Of course it isn’t as large and wasn’t painted by Michelangelo. For me the connection is the way the area is divided into subjects each having a clearly defined parameter. The St John Gualbert Chapel is another beautiful chapel. This is dedicated to the founder of the Benedictine Monks of Vallombrosa who are the caretakers of this church. The mosaic dome of this chapel shows the Assumption of Mary surrounded by the Vallombrosa monks and nuns. This piece is delicate and strong at the same time. The Basilica also holds the tomb of Cardinal Pantaleone Anchier, titular of the Basilica during the last half of 12th century. His tomb is carved by an unknown sculptor in the 13 century. There’s a fluidity of the fabric of his robes and the sheet covering the sarcophagus. The funerary monument of Cardinal Alain Coevity (titular from 1448 to 1474) is rather more ostentatious and includes not only a sarcophagus but sculptures of St Peter and Paul and Sts. Prassede and Pudenziana.I visited late afternoon and almost had the whole church to myself. There are so many surprises in the Basilica and I think its well worth a visit. Its open 7.00am to 12.30pm and 4.00pm to 6.30pm.There is a souvenir desk. From here I purchased a stack of postcards and a small book (A5 size) on the basilica. I thought the book a worthwhile purchase; it outlined the basilica with explanations of the points of interests and included many colour photos. I forget exactly how much the book was, but I think between E6-10, the postcards were only E0.50c and these are better than average quality.Photos are OK without a flash.

Pudentiana and Praxedes were two girls that collected, and helped bury, the remains of martyred Christians. Eventually they were caught and martyred themselves. In the year 780 Pope Hadrian the First built them a church on this sight.Yes, this Basilica is a bit difficult to find, best to locate it on line. Easy.It is very different to most of the other, huge, marble Roman Churches. The interior is rich with century old mosaics, paintings and heaps of gold leaf. Very like Greek Orthodox.The small side door brings you into this ancient world. I just sat there for some time and experienced it. There is a crypt there too that you can visit.Yes, well worth a visit.Brian, from Perth W. Australia

When in Rome, I always try to stay at the Mecenate Palace, which faces the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. That basilica is amazing in so many ways, so much that, it wasn't until my 3rd visit to Rome that I even noticed the Basilica di Santa Prassede. The entrance that we stumbled upon is kind of hidden in a street corner, off to the west of the Mecenate Palace, and there isn't anything that makes you think there is something worth seeing here. Luckily, I did notice the sign out front, and pushed my way inside. Glad that I did!Really impressive mosaics here (one whole room is aglow with the gold tile pieces), and the rest of the basilica is just as ornate.This doesn't compete with the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, but, on it's own, it's quite impressive. You know, you're in the area, this is across the street, so, take the extra 20-30 minutes and duck inside. You'll be glad you did.

Gorgeous little church with 9th century Byzantine mosaics. Breath of fresh air after all the Roman and Baroque stuff. Don't miss it.

This hidden church is worth seeing because of its bizantine architecture and style, which is quite different from the roman renaissance churches

There are several levels to this church but they can be closed at times. Try to go below the main church for exceedingly earlier levels.

Don't be fooled by the unimposing exterior of this old Basilica. The interior is amazing. The mosaics are beautiful and the floor pattern is lovely. There are some interesting relics here too - so look for them. One is the Column of Flagellation, where Christ was scourged. One of the stops on the Pilgrim's tour of churches in Rome.

Rich in artifacts, relics, history, beautiful mosaics, don't let the modest exterior dissuade you from entering and experiencing an amazing church with tremendous historical significance.