Rome’s Best Hidden Churches

Rome is a city overflowing with rambling ruins and alluring vistas, but sometimes a traveler hankers for just one delicious bite of perfection– a drop of espresso, a single painting, a foil wrapped bacio. Exquisite treasures are hidden right under your nose in Italy and few are more satisfying to stumble upon than stepping off a bustling street into the sudden hush of one of Rome’s many secluded churches and discovering unexpected masterpieces within.

For hundreds of years Rome’s wealth was pooled in its churches which served as pilgrimage destinations for Europeans both rich and poor who braved months of weary travel plagued by disease, hunger and the threat of attack in the pursuit of redemption. At every church like this one, the soul was revived by the blessings received and the visual splendor of the interior.

Today’s Rome has churches tucked into every nook and cranny, packed between shop fronts and apartments, a jumble of the sacred and profane. Humble facades open onto gilded caves of worship lit by the flicker of candles and the glow of sunlight through stained glass. Take a stroll through these exquisite churches and discover hidden works of art that any museum would be envious of and soak in every last drop of beauty, wealth, and the sacred. Click on the images to read more.