Rome - Basilica of Maxentius Basilica di Massenzio

Must-see attractions nearby: Colosseum Pantheon Trevi Fountain Vatican City Roman Forum Palatine Hill National Museum / Baths Museum

The basilica was modeled on the gigantic Baths erected by Caracalla and Diocletian. The main piers were fronted by massive Corinthian columns, one of which, bearing a statue of the Virgin, now stands in front of the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. This last great building of the Roman Imperial period - inaugurated in the year in which the capital was moved to Constantinople - provided the inspiration for later European architecture, including St Peter's. The ruin of the basilica was hastened when Pope Honorius I removed the bronze roof-tiles and used them to roof Old St Peter's. An earthquake in the ninth century caused further damage. The remains of a statue of Constantine, which once stood in the first apse of the basilica, may be seen in the courtyard of the Palazzo dei Conservatori.