Church · Christian
Christian Rome
Lazio, Italy
Historic Centre of Rome is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (inscribed 1980)
Church · Christian
Lazio, Italy
Beyond Vatican City itself, Rome contains several of Catholicism's other major basilicas — including St. John Lateran, the Pope's actual cathedral as Bishop of Rome, and St. Mary Major — together forming a wider pilgrimage circuit.
The four papal basilicas of Rome (St. Peter's, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, and St. Paul Outside the Walls) hold particular significance, with pilgrims traditionally visiting all four, especially during Jubilee years.
Christian Rome's major churches were founded from the 4th century onward, following Emperor Constantine's legalisation of Christianity, with continuous rebuilding and expansion across nearly two millennia.
April–June and September–October for comfortable sightseeing weather.
Modest dress is expected at all major basilicas, consistent with the rule at St. Peter's.