Basilica dei Santi Cosma e Damiano

The Basilica dei Santi Cosma e Damiano is a small church right next to the Roman Forum, built in the 6th century when an old pair of Roman buildings was turned into a Christian church. From the outside you see thick ancient brick walls and columns that once belonged to the old temples; the church feels like a quiet, historic spot tucked among huge ruins. Its location on Via dei Fori Imperiali makes it easy to spot while walking through the heart of ancient Rome.

Inside, the church is distinguished by one of Rome’s finest early medieval mosaics in the apse, dating to the 6th century, which portrays Christ enthroned flanked by saints and imperial donors, reflecting the continuity between Roman imperial and Christian iconography. The basilica also houses ancient sarcophagi and chapels containing art from later periods, and it functions both as a place of worship and a museum-like site where visitors can observe the interplay of antiquity and Christianity in Rome’s urban fabric.

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