Walk this epic pilgrimage route around Rome to visit its seven most magnificent churches

Rome is simply a splendour of belief riches that attracts complete 30 cardinal visitors annually, and 2025 is simply a peculiarly important twelvemonth for this cradle of Catholicism.

The Vatican is celebrating a Jubilee Year pinch dozens of events. The ceremonial of Pope Francis and nan election of a caller pontiff person besides shone a spotlight connected nan Italian capital.

If you are heading to Rome to marvel astatine its myriad belief monuments, it tin beryllium difficult to cognize wherever to start.

For a peculiarly meaningful measurement to sojourn Rome’s awesome churches - and to sidestep nan crowds - effort pursuing successful nan footsteps of a 16th-century saint.

Though you whitethorn not expect it, nan Eternal City is simply a delight to research connected foot.

In fact, a caller ranking by GuruWalk placed Rome first arsenic nan astir walkable metropolis successful nan world, describing it arsenic “an open-air depository that deserves to beryllium explored thoroughly, measurement by step”.

Follow successful nan footsteps of a 16th-century saint

St Philip Neri conceived nan Pilgrimage of nan Seven Churches astir nan twelvemonth 1553, and tracing nan way has go 1 of Rome’s oldest belief traditions.

There are flimsy variations you tin take, but it is astir 25 kilometres and snakes astir nan full metropolis betwixt nan 7 awesome basilicas.

If you commencement early successful nan morning, it tin make for an awesome full-day challenge. Otherwise, you tin divided it complete days and easy return nationalist carrier to return to nan spot you near off.

Admire a sculptural circuit de unit and Byzantine icons

It is simply a bully thought to statesman nan way astatine St Peter’s Basilica. Given that nan religion is very busy astatine nan moment, it makes consciousness to subordinate nan queue arsenic early arsenic imaginable for nan shortest waiting time.

It will make it easier to spot nan creator treasures wrong nan cavernous church, from Michelangelo’s Pietà sculpture to Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Baldacchino - a richly carved bronze canopy surmounting nan precocious altar.

To spot sights en way during daylight and opening hours, it’s champion to make nan adjacent extremity nan Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, astir an hour’s locomotion away.

The way takes you past nan hulking Sant’Angelo castle and complete nan homonymous span lined pinch drapery-clad chromatic angels pinch views down nan Tiber River.

The cobbled, atmospheric Via dei Coronari leads you to Piazza Navona, location to nan aquatic theatrics of Bernini’s Four Rivers Fountain. The roadworthy continues on, passing straight successful beforehand of nan majestic Trevi Fountain.

Another 20 minutes stepping takes you to nan 2nd of Rome’s awesome churches, wherever Pope Francis chose to beryllium buried.

Santa Maria Maggiore is simply a cardinal spot of believe for Marian devotion, containing a ineffable Byzantine icon featuring nan Virgin known arsenic nan Salus Populi Romani, aliases Protectress of nan Roman people.

Seek retired ineffable relics of saints and martyrs

A half hour’s walk, passing successful beforehand of nan Termini railway position and on nan wide boulevard Via dei Ramni, takes you to nan religion of San Lorenzo Fuori le Mura.

The building was reconstructed aft bombing during nan Second World War, but it lies connected nan ancient tract of nan martyrdom of St Lawrence, who was roasted live connected a grill successful 258. The saint’s relics are housed inside.

Another half-hour agelong leads to nan Basilica of Santa Croce successful Gerusalemme, passing nan ancient Roman Porta Maggiore gateway and aqueducts en route.

The ray chromatic Baroque building was envisaged arsenic a elephantine reliquary and houses immoderate of nan astir celebrated relics successful Christianity recovered by St Helen, mother of nan Emperor Constantine, during her visit to Jerusalem successful 325.

Among them are nan Holy Nail, immoderate fragments of nan True Cross, a thorn from nan Crown of Christ and a bony from nan digit of St Thomas nan Apostle.

From here, travel nan ancient Aurelian walls on Via Carlo Felice for 15 minutes to nan monumental Papal Basilica of San Giovanni successful Laterano.

This is nan Cathedral of Rome, arsenic good arsenic nan oldest and astir important basilica successful nan West.

Consecrated successful nan 4th century, it houses nan relics of nan heads of nan Apostles of Rome, Peter and Paul, kept successful an exquisite gilded Gothic canopy complete nan papal altar.

Delve into Rome’s agrarian delights on nan ancient Via Appia Antica

The adjacent agelong to nan sixth religion takes conscionable complete an hour, passing on nan 3rd-century Aurelian Walls and down nan Via Appia Antica, an ancient roadworthy wherever you suffer nan metropolis for a infinitesimal and look transported to bucolic countryside.

The Basilica of San Sebastiano Fuori le Mura is simpler, astatine slightest compared to nan majesty of nan erstwhile churches.

It contains an arrow and portion of nan file from St Sebastian’s martyrdom and nan Bust of nan Saviour, nan past sculptural masterpiece by Bernini, rediscovered successful 2001 successful nan adjacent convent.

The last religion is reached on nan Via delle Sette Chiese, named for nan 7 churches pilgrimage.

The serene road done Rome’s outskirts leads to nan Basilica of San Paolo Fuori le Mura, nan second-largest religion successful Rome. Founded successful nan 4th century, it was rebuilt successful neo-classical style pursuing a occurrence successful nan 19th century.

Make judge you sojourn nan cloister, a vestige from nan 13th century, and its graceful, mosaic inlaid columns.

If you clip your time right, you tin past meander for a sunset-tinged hr backmost on nan banks of nan Tiber, pinch a small detour done nan characterful, labyrinthine Trastevere neighbourhood, to return to St Peter’s.