Rome - San Giorgio in Velabro

The name Velabro refers to the marshy area on the banks of the Tiber where according to Roman legend Faustulus found the twins Romulus and Remus. The first church on the site was built by Leo II (682-683), the second by Gregory IV (827-844); the campanile and porch were added in the 12th century. The present church, a handsome Romanesque building incorporating ancient elements (columns and capitals), stands near the Arch of Janus (see Arco di Giano). It is a popular wedding church. In 1993 the church was partly destroyed in a bomb attack by the "Falange Armata".