Good Attractions in Centro Storico (Rome)

San Lorenzo in Lucina

The church was built on the remains of a Roman noblewoman's home. Her name was Lucina, from which the church takes its name. San Lorenzo's was first restored at the beginning of the 12th Century. The interior was completely restructured in 1600; its design was changed so as to have Baroque-style side chapels replacing the two aisles. One of the chapels has busts by Bernini and Guido, and Reni's painting The Crucifixion has pride of place above the main altar. The French artist Nicolas Poussin is buried here and a sepulchral monument was created here in his honor.

Santa Maria della Concezione

Santa Maria della Concezione was founded by the brother of Pope Urbano VIII Barberini, the cardinal Antonio Barberini at the beginning of the 17th Century. The church has a modest appearance in regard to other churches of the baroque period, as it reflects the Capuchin order to which the cardinal belonged. This church is known to Romans as the charnel house of the Capuchins, throughout the centuries, the friars arranged the bones and skulls of their fellow brothers into the form of crosses or other Christian symbols. Although the church is simple in style, it still houses some important works, like the painting by Guido Reni, which depicts St Michael the Archangel crushing Lucifer, as well as works by Andrea Sacchi, Pietro da Cortonoa, Domenichino and in the entrance of the sacristy, a work entitled St Francis in prayer, which is attributed to Caravaggio.

Sant'Agnese in Agone

Sant'Agnese church, which looks onto Piazza Navona, was originally the chapel of the Pamphili family, who lived in the building next door. It was built in the 8th Century on a site that had been a place of worship dedicated to St Agnes (who was martyred in the piazza), since the 18th Century. Work began under the guidance of Carlo Rainaldi, who was succeeded by Borromini. The latter stuck to his predecessor's designs for the interior, but modified the façade. The interior is rich in precious marbles, gilded stucco and frescoes. There are altarpieces in marble, and statues, all works of Bernini's pupils. A stairway leads underground to where St Agnes was killed, and on the altar a marble relief records the miracle by which the martyr's hair grew to cover her body.

Santa Maria in Cosmedin

Santa Maria in Cosmedin is one of the most represented sites in Rome thanks to cinema fans. How can you not rememberd Audrey Hepburn who placed her hand inside the Bocca della verità (Mouth of Truth) in Roman Holiday? It is here that the famous stone mask is located that, according to legend, bites off the hands of liars who place their hands inside. This basilica was constructed on the ancient site of a grocery market. Its famous façade consists of a portico with arches, inside which is a stone mask known as The Mouth of Truth, reputed to bite off the hand of any liar who dares to reach inside. Inside the basilica is a mosaic-covered floor and a wooden ceiling, added during successive restorations. Later restorations added the choir with two pulpits and the high altar in red granite. The seven story, Romanesque bell tower is considered the most beautiful in Rome.

San Giovanni Battista dei Fiorentini

This church was built at the beginning of the 16th Century for the Florentine community in Rome as St John the Baptist is the city's patron saint. A competition was held by the Medici Pope Leo X and Jacopo Sansovino was declared the winner. The work continued by Antonio da Sangallo il Giovane, who built the foundations, and then by Giacomo Della Porta and Maderno, who built the dome. Michelangelo submitted a design but it was never used. San Giovanni Battista dei Fiorentini holds many works by famous artists: an altar-piece by Salvator Rosa depicting the saints Cosma and Damiano, frescoes by Pomarancio, and a lovely sepulchral monument by Borromini who is buried in this church together with his relative Carlo Maderno.

Statua di Pasquino

The Pasquino is one of Rome's best-loved statues although its origins are unknown. It was found during the digging of the foundations of Cardinal Carafa's palace. Experts have attempted to identify the figure portrayed and several hypotheses have been put forward. The most probable is the one suggested by Michelangelo and Bernini, who both believed that it was a portrait of Menelaus dragging the dead body of Patroclus. The name Pasquino has several origins; some thought it might have been the name of the owner of an inn in the district, others a tailor who spoke ill of prelates and nobles, others a barber.

Ara Pacis

The altar, commissioned by the Senate following pacification work launched by Emperor Augustus, dates from 9 BC. The first panels were found in 1500 and ended up in Paris and Florence. Made from marble and beautifully sculpted, probably by Greek artists, the panels formed an enclosure around a base with an altar in the center. The figures are from the imperial family. Restoration work was begun in 1938. Now the altar is protected by a glass covering.

Palazzo del Quirinale

Construction of the Palazzo del Quirinale began in the late 16th Century, commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII, who chose the top of this hill as the location for the new papal residence. Various architects contributed to the design, including Carlo Maderno who devised the chapel, Bernini to whom one of the wings was entrusted, and Pietro da Cortona who decorated parts of the interior. It later became a royal palace, and is now the residence of the President of the Republic.

Santa Maria della Pace

Pope Sixtus IV called on the architect Baccio Pontelli for the construction of this church at the end of the 15th Century, during a period of peace after the end of the war with the Turks. It was, indeed, dedicated to the Madonna, as a token of thanks for that peace. At the beginning of the 16th Century Bramante added the cloister, which, though modest in itself, lent an effect of size to the church. Among the frescoes present are Raphael's Sybil and Prophets, designed by Raphael but executed by his pupil Timoteo Viti.

Sant'Andrea al Quirinale

This church was designed by Bernini and is a fine example of his Baroque period. The interior, which is decorated with pink marble, takes its inspiration from the Pantheon. The light coming from the windows of the cupola and the lamps, highlights the stucco work and the gold leaf. This church was built for the Jesuits and so there are some works by Baciccia, the Jesuit artist of the period. His works are also in the Church of Jesus. Above the main altar, you will see a painting by Borgognone representing the Martyrdom of St Andrew.

Santi Vincenzo e Anastasio

This church which occupies a corner of the famous Piazza di Trevi, was built on the wish of the French cardinal Mazzarino in the second half of the 17th Century. It is one of the most beautiful baroque churches in Rome. The façade, with its beautiful columns, is a baroque masterpiece. The interior has a main altar in alabaster and the crypt contains papal praecordials - a part of the heart traditionally removed from popes prior to the embalming process. This custom, which started at the end of the 16th Century, came about due to the church's proximity to the Quirinal Palace, which was a papal residence for many years.

Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza

This church is considered to be Borromini's masterpiece. He started working on it in the mid-17th7th Century. It is located in the interior courtyard of the Palazzo della Sapienza, former site of the University of Rome, which was founded by Pope Boniface VIII in 1300 and moved in 1935 to the Città Universitaria. Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza is famous for its spiral cupola, by which it can be recognised from any distance. It bears a wrought-iron sculpture of a tiara, a globe, and a cross. Art historians have suggested that this cupola represents the tower of Babel, while popular tradition prefers to see it as a stylized bee, from the coat of arms of Pope Urbano VIII Barberini, during whose papacy the construction of the church began. The white of the plaster works and stuccoes dominates the interior - these are Borromini's work, as is the geometric tiling on the floor. There is an altarpiece by Pietro di Cortona, consecrated to Sant'Ivo.