Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere

Santa Maria dates back to about 350 AD when Contstantine recognized the Christian faith and it is said that the first public mass took place here. In the 1200s columns from the Baths of Caracalla were used inside and are mismatched. It is the first church to depict Jesus and the Virgin Mary; thus the name. I lit a candle for and said a little prayer for Mom here.

Legend has it that 38 years before Christ's birth an oil-like substance unexplainably spurted out of the ground. It was later thought to have been a sign of Christ's coming and the site was chosen for the church to commemorate this event.

The church includes a strip of the original 3rd century paving, the Romanic bell tower and a 17th century mosaic of Madonna and child. Other mosaics from the 12th and 13th century adorn the interior and exterior walls. The church has a gilded wooden ceiling which is painted with incredible frescoes and an authentic Cosmatesque marble floor.

The spacious Piazza itself is the main 'heart' of Trastevere where people hang and it and the streets leading into it are full of stores and cafes and really come alive in the evening as we were to see later during our food tour.

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