Explore Religious Heritage Across Europe

The Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta is a 14th-century basilica and the mother church of Alcamo. The church, opened for worship in 1402, was built in Catalan Gothic style with three naves. It was extended and modified in 1471, 1530-1558 and 1581. The bell tower with mullioned windows (restored in 1942), the Chapel of the Holy Thorn and the baptismal font are still visible from this original construction. The church was rebuilt in 1699 by Giuseppe Diamante and Angelo Italia, while the neoclassical façade dates from 1786 by Emanuele Cardona and was designed by the architect Francesco Alessandro.

The Basilica of Santa Maria dei Servi was built between 1346 and 1383 as a church of the Order of the Servants of Mary, and was probably designed by the Bolognese architect Antonio di Vincenzo. From the date of its completion and over the following centuries, the church was modified and redecorated several times. The bell tower was erected in 1453. In 1797, following the arrival of Napoleon's troops in Bologna, the church and the monastery were used as barracks. In 1802, the church became a parish church and, after the Restoration, the Servants of Mary were able to return in 1815.

The church of Santa Maria del Carmine is a Catholic church built in the thirteenth century. She is famous for the cycle of painting presented in the chapel Brancacci, a fundamental work of Renaissance art, directed by Masaccio and Masolino.

The Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, commonly called I Frari, was built throughout the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries by Franciscan fathers. The belfry, the highest in the city after that of San Marco (80 metres), was completed in 1396. The façade was not completed until 1440, but under Napoleon I, monastic life came to an end and the church was entrusted to a diocesan priest. The sanctuary contains many works of art, including works by Titian, and numerous funerary monuments to great Venetian men.

The Basilica of Santa Maria Immacolata was built between 1856 and 1873 in the neo-renaissance style. The building suffered considerable damage from aerial bombardments during the Second World War, in November 1942 and August 1943. The building's value lies in its façade, which is decorated with precious marble, sculptures and mosaics. The interior is in the form of a Greek cross with three large naves and eight chapels.

The Basilica of Santa Maria di Montesanto is, together with its twin church, Santa Maria dei Miracoli, the base of the so-called "trident", three streets leading from Piazza del Popolo: from the left, Via del Babuino, Via del Corso and Via di Ripetta. The origin of the churches dates back to the 17th century in what was the main entrance to Rome in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, via Via Flaminia. Pope Alexander VII commissioned the architect Carlo Rainaldi to design the monumental entrance to the Via del Corso. The project included two churches, but the different configurations of the two available locations meant that major changes had to be made to the plans.

The Basilica of Santa Maria in Valvendra was built between 1473 and 1483, on an imposing artificial terrace. Its construction was commissioned by the rich woolen cloth producers of Lovere. The church was carefully restored between 1990 and 2014. The basilica and the adjoining convent, now the Cesare Battisti National Boarding School, were run for centuries by the Franciscan Friars Minor of the Observance.

The Basilica of Santa Maria Novella is a Gothic church and monastery complex built in place of the 10th century devotional halls of the Dominicans of Santa Maria delle Vigne. Construction began in the mid 13th century and lasted until the mid 14th century. It was designed by two Dominican friars, Fra Sisto da Firenze and Fra Ristoro da Campi. Leon Battista Alberti was commissioned by the Rucellai family to design the dark green and white marble façade of the church (1456-1470). Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) was the architect of the first reconstruction of the church, which removed the original rood screen and gallery. The second reconstruction was planned by Enrico Romoli and carried out between 1858 and 1860. The interior is built as a Latin cross in three naves. In the left nave is the fresco The Holy Trinity by Tommaso Masaccio. This fresco shows perspective at an early stage in the history of painting.

The Basilica Santa Maria Sopra Minerva is a 15th century basilica near the Pantheon. It is a rare example of Gothic architecture in Rome. It is in the contiguous convent of the church that, on June 22, 1633, Galileo Galilei, suspected of heresy, abjured his scientific theses.

The Basilica of Santa Rita da Cascia was built between 1937 and 1947 because the growing number of pilgrims visiting the shrine where the remains of Saint Rita are located made the old church unsuitable for such numbers. The construction costs of the initial project, drawn up by the architect Armando Brasini, were too high. The project had to be modified by the architects Giuseppe Calori and Giuseppe Martinenghi.