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This is one of the most impressive monuments of the late Roman Empire age, which can be visited in Rome. Its location is very peaceful and quiet, maybe because it is quite far from the historical centre of Rome. Is part of the bigger yet St Agnes Outside the Walls, which also has catacombs.

Where : In Rome, Via Nomentana, 349

How to get there : From Termini station take bus 36 or 90 and get off at the stop Mausoleo Santa Costanza.

When : The opening hours are: from 9 am to noon, then from 4 to 6 pm , the church is closed from noon until 4 pm, which would be otherwise the normal time for visits to the monuments and museums in Rome.

The church – initially, a mausuleum of the Constantine’s family – was built close to the site of a much bigger “basilica” (temple), which remains are unfortunately almost entirely lost, besides part of the exterior walls.

As a mausuleum, it is similar to other examples of the Roman architecture (the Pantheon, the Augustus’ mausuleum) , and in particular to the Martyrium, built by Constantine’s mother (Helen) in Jerusalem just a few years before Santa Costanza church. Constantine was the first Christian Roman Emperor, as a Christian was his mother, who spent most of the last years of her life in pilgrimage to the holy land.

The Santa Costanza church was built under Constantine age (it can be dated back to the mid-fourth century A.D.), probably by his daughter Constantina (or “Constantia”, in Latin), next to the cemetery of the church of “Santa Agnese fuori le mura”, where the young S. Agnes, who allegedly healed Constantina, was buried (there is still a coffer in the nearby catacombs whit the name of Saint Agnes, which is said to contain some of her bones). After the death of the daughters of Constantine, Constantina and Helena, they were buried there.

In 1254 the mausoleum was consecrated as a church by Pope Alexander IV, since Constantina was venerated as a saint (as evidenced in some documents dating back to the ninth century). The church was later (in 1620) restored under Cardinal Fabrizio Veralli, but the restoration works unfortunately destroyed most of the originary mosaics and paintings. At that time, the porphyry sarcophagus of Constantina was translocated to the Vatican (where it can be currently seen in its Museums), so today you can see in the church only a copy of it.

The church of Santa Costanza is close to the church of Sant’Agnese fuori le mura (St Agnes outside the walls) and its catacombs, which is certainly worth a trip), and it can be easily reached – even by public transportation – by travelling three kilometers north of Porta Pia, a major gate of the Aurelian Walls, on the Via Nomentana .

The circular building is an example of late Roman emperial architecture; it is twenty-nine meters in diameter; its central circular chamber is eleven and a half meters wide, and it is separated from a ring-shaped ambulatory by twelve pairs of radiating columns, made of fine red and green marble.

The church’s exterior still survives today quite well preserved, save for the loss of its outer ambulatory. Of its originary interiors, you can still see some beautiful tesserae mosaics with flowers, animals, and human figures of young people, which represent a mix of classical myth and early Christian beliefs. As already said, most other mosaics and painting have unfortunately got lost with the time.

And after a day of sightseeing you will be grateful to relax in My Hotel Rome, our comfortable 3 star hotel in the centre of Rome, near Rome major attractions and good Rome’s restaurants.