There are countless beautiful churches in Rome, but Chiesa Santa Maria is pretty close to my idea of perfection. It’s one of the earliest churches where masses were openly celebrated in the city. A church has stood on this site since 340 AD, although the current building dates back to the 1140s.

Located in the main piazza of the old Trastevere quarter, it’s a perfect spot to enjoy an after-dinner gelato in the evening when the piazza buzzes with street entertainers, bars, and restaurants.

You enter the church through a cool portico decorated with broken marble plaques from ancient Roman tombs, inscribed in Latin and Greek. (Did you notice the backpacker napping when we were there?)

Inside, the church is adorned with stunning mosaics and frescoes, bursting with color. The columns lining the nave were taken from the ancient Roman Baths of Caracalla.

To the left of the altar, there’s a 17th-century chapel with exquisite painted frescoes. Look up, and you’ll see the magnificent ceiling.

Despite all this grandeur, the church still feels like a neighborhood place of worship. If you have a special prayer request, you can write it on a piece of paper provided and leave it in the arms of St. Anthony, or light a candle in the crimson side chapel.