The Basilica of Santa Sabina. and other Rome, Italy Off The Beaten Path Tips

This beautiful church near the Circo Massimo was built in the 5th century and still has most of it's original features. I was fortunate enough to attend a wedding here. The interior is relatively plain compared to other churches around Rome but this is, I think, what makes it so beautiful. Glass was an expensive item 1500 years ago so the windows are actually made from a type of marble cut very thinly. This allows an amazing amount of light in. The doors at one end of the church are original and carved from cypress.

In the courtyard outside the church is a beautiful fountain made from a mask-style drain cover, similar to the one called the 'Boca della Verit?'. The church is very popular for weddings.

There is a quiet park next to the church for a break from the bustle of the city.

This photo shows the inside of the church, decorated for the wedding we attended.

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This is the former palace of the Barberini family and is now a museum of paintings. The collection includes works by Caravaggio, Fra Lippi, El Greco and Tintoretto. Hans Holbein's famous portrait of Henry VIII is there as well.

Open 8.30 - 7.30, Tues - Sun. via Quattro Fontane, 13. Admission charge, allow approximately 45 mins.

The symbol of the Barberini family is the bee and everywhere in the area of Piazza Barberini are stone carvings of bees.

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