Santa Cecilia in Trastevere
Early Christian basilica sheltering a famous marble effigy and a ninth-century golden apse mosaic.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to Santa Cecilia in Trastevere in Rome follows the 1599 discovery of a sealed marble sarcophagus during renovations, and the sculptor Stefano Maderno's commission to record exactly what was found inside. It traces the legend of Cecilia, a Roman noblewoman martyred in the third century, and Pope Paschal I's ninth-century rebuilding of the church, whose gold mosaic still glows in the apse. Look for the marble figure lying at the base of the altar.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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