The Churches of Rome

The locations of all places are shown on my Google-Earth Map

Non-Catholic Sanctuaries and other Roman Oddities

Google-Maps (increase the magnification this map is in 3-D)

The Mosque of Rome
Via Mosche northwest of Villa Ada, 1995

Interior of the new Mosque in Rome

The mosque of Rome was commissioned and funded by King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. The building was designed and directed by Paul Portuguese , Vittorio Gigliotti , Sami Mousawi and Nino Tozzo.
Its construction took more than two decades: the donation of land was approved by the City Counci ofl the Rome in 1974 , but the first stone was laid only ten years later, in 1984, inauguration took place on 21 June 1995


The Great Synagogue of Rome

Lungotevere de'Cenci, in the old Jewish quarter, 1901-1914

The Jewish community of Rome goes back to the 2nd century BC when the Roman Empire had an alliance of sorts with Judea under the leadership of Judah Maccabeus. At that time, many Jews came to Rome from Judea.

Shortly after the unification of Italy in 1870, Victor Emmanuel II dismantled the Roman Ghetto and granted the Jews of Rome full citizenship. The building that had previously housed the main synagogue was demolished and the community began making plans for a new and impressive building.

The present Great Synagogue was built between 1901-1904 on the banks of the Tiber River and overlooks the former ghetto area.
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Jewish Catacombs
There are 6 known Jewish catacombs in Rome, two of which are open to the public: Vigna Randanini and Villa Torlonia.
Villa Tolonia,
2nd-5th century

Painting in the Jewish catacombe in the Villa Torlonia

The Jewish catacombs at Villa Torlonia were discovered in 1918, and archaeological excavations continued for twelve years. The structure has two entrances, one on via Syracuse and the other inside Villa Torlonia. The catacombs extend for more than 13,000 square metres (140,000 sq ft), and date back to the period between the 2nd and 3rd centuries, and possibly remained in use until the 5th century. There are almost a century of epitaphs, but these do not show any examples of a particular relief, beyond some rare frescoes showing the classic Jewish religious symbols.

The other catacombs are not open to the public because of the instability of their structure and the presence of radon.
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Israelite Cemetery
Jewish Grave Section in the Verano Cemetery 19th-21st cent




Ospedale d'Israelitico
Tiber Island,
16th-21st cent

The Jewish hospital and the tower of St. Bartholomeo on the River Island seen from the left bank of the river.

This hospital, going back to the 16th cent, is still operational as an outpatient clinic. In partnership with the Italian Nat. Health Service the Israelite Hospital inaugurated new headquarters near the district of Magliana in 1970, acquiring a building appropriate to accomodate a large number of beds in a modern facility: Ospedale d'Israelitico on Via Fulda 14, 00148 Roma.


Protestant Cemetery
Cimitero Acattolico, next to the Piramid Cestia, 1738-21st cent

The grave of August von Goethe (1789–1830), son of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe;
Medallion by Bertel Thorvaldsen

The earliest known burial at this cemetery is that of an Oxford student named Langton in 1738. The most famous graves are those of the English poets John Keats (1795–1821) and Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822). Keats died in Rome of tuberculosis.
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Santa Maria dell'Orazione e Morte
Via Julia near the Tiber, Piazzale dei Fiori and Villa Farnese, 1576

"A haunting reminder of one woman's life, an inscribed skull rests with others in a hallway of the crypt below the church of Santa Maria dell'Orazione e Morte. Built in 1576, the church was the headquarters of the Society of a Good Death, which was dedicated to providing proper burials for the poor. Over a 300-year period, some 8,000 bodies were buried in the church's underground chambers, but most were destroyed during the construction of the Tiber River's embankment during the late 1800s."
Quoted from “Ruins Under Rome", Nat. Geographic Magazine


Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini
Via Vittorio Veneto near Piazza Barberini, 18th cent

The church is unimportant, the attractions are the Crypts of the Cappuccini underneath the church! -