Rome - Santa Maria Antiqua Church

As its name indicates, the church of Santa Maria Antiqua (badly damaged and rarely open to the public) is the oldest and the most important Christian building in the Forum. Converted from a building of the Roman Imperial period in the sixth century and richly furnished by various eighth century Popes (John VII, Zacharias and Paul I), the church thereafter fell into a state of dilapidation before being restored in the 13th century. This extensive complex at the foot of the Palatine hill is of interest for its architecture and for its wall paintings, ranging in date between the sixth and eighth centuries.