Rome is filled with churches. It has been the center of the Catholic Church for almost two thousand years. You might know the most famous ones, like Saint Peter's Basilica or St. John Lateran. These churches are amazing. But they are not the only ones. If you are looking for something special to visit on your trip to Rome, pick out a few less know churches. You often find the most amazing and unexpected things inside them. I love showing people these lesser known churches, because you can show people something they did not expect at all. In this guidebook, I take you to all the amazing churches in Rome. I'll tell you all the interesting and funny stories about the big Papal Basilicas, like Saint Peter's, but I will also take you to the lesser known gems, like the San Clemente, where there are two churches built on top of each other and under that you can visit an ancient Roman house. I will show you the Sant'Ignazio, where you will be amazed by the perspective in the ceiling fresco. I'll show you where you have to ring a doorbell so a nun appears behind iron bars that you can pay a euro so she opens the door to an amazing chapel with frescos from the early middle ages. In this eBook, you will find interesting stories about the most important churches in Rome. I'll talk about Saint Peter's Basilica, St. John Lateran, Santa Maria Maggiore, Saint Paul outside the walls and many more. You will find detailed maps of all the churches, so you will know exactly where to find that Caravaggio painting I have been talking about. Also, the book is filled with pictures, so you know what I am talking about. Churches in this book: Saint Peter's Basilica, St. John Lateran, Santa Prassede, Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Santa Maria Maggiore, Santa Maria in Trastevere, Santa Maria del Popolo, San Clemente, St. Paul outside the Walls, The Pantheon/Santa Maria ad Martyres, Sant'Agnese, Santa Maria dell'Anima, Sant'Ignazio, San Luigi dei Francesi, San Bartholomeo, Cripta dei Cappuccini, Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Scala Sancta and the Santi Quattro Coronati.
Paul den Arend grew up in the Netherlands and has been travelling for most of his adult life. He studied art history in Salamanca, Spain, wrote reports for the Dutch Embassy in Santiago de Chile and studied Chinese in China. In between, he has been working as a tour guide. For many years he lived in Rome, Italy and guided groups of all backgrounds through the city. He has been a guide in the Vatican Museums, Saint Peter's and the Galleria Borghese, but he also loves to show groups around Sicily or Tuscany. His guidebooks reflect a profound love for the Eternal City and the many stories about its beautiful piazza's and landmarks.
This is a good overview of some of the most outstanding churches in Rome and the art therein. It is educational but a superficial introduction to the many "must see" sites, but lacks any in-depth historical review of any of the 25 or so churches it highlights. Nevertheless, it is good preparatory material for anyone about to visit the eternal city and explore its religious treasures. For its purposes, it does well.