Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere

One of the oldest churches in Rome — possibly the very first church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, with origins in the 3rd century AD. The current building dates to the 12th century and is famous for its 22 ancient granite columns repurposed from the Baths of Caracalla, and for its golden mosaics: the 12th-century scene above the apse shows Christ enthroned beside Mary, while Pietro Cavallini's late-13th-century Life of the Virgin cycle below is a milestone in pre-Renaissance painting. The piazza outside is the heart of Trastevere's nightlife — the church steps function as the neighbourhood's living room every evening.