My Journey

Santa Cecilia in Trastevere

Santa Cecilia in Trastevere is a Roman martyr basilica built over the traditional house and tomb of Saint Cecilia, with relics, mosaic, crypt, and excavations layered into one compact pilgrimage church.

ITALY · ROME 41.8874° N · 12.4752° E
Location
Rome, Italy 41.8874° N · 12.4752° E
Type
Titular minor basilica Early medieval basilica with Baroque facade and layered Roman excavations
Dedication
Saint Cecilia Tomb and body relics of Saint Cecilia, beneath the high altar
Time Needed
30 minutes to half a day Crypt and excavations keep separate, limited hours
Why Go

A Martyr Church in Trastevere

Come here for one of Rome’s most intimate saint churches: Cecilia’s tomb, Maderno’s statue, the apse mosaic, the crypt, the excavations, and a quieter kind of Roman pilgrimage away from the biggest basilicas.

House, Martyr, Basilica

Christian tradition places the house and martyrdom of Cecilia, a Roman noblewoman and patron of music, on this ground in Trastevere. She was buried in the catacombs of San Callisto on the Via Appia; in the early ninth century Pope Paschal I rebuilt the basilica here and brought her relics, with those of her husband Valerian and his companions, to rest beneath the altar. In 1599, when the tomb was opened, the basilica records that her body was found incorrupt, lying on its side; Stefano Maderno carved the marble statue that still lies beneath the altar to show her as she was found. The church has kept her memory in unbroken prayer ever since, now in the care of a Benedictine monastic community.

The building carries many Rome layers at once: ancient domestic remains below, the ninth-century basilica plan and apse mosaic, Arnolfo di Cambio's ciborium of 1293 over the altar, Cavallini's Last Judgment in the nuns' choir, a Baroque forecourt and facade, and a living monastery. Its power is not size but density.

Santa Cecilia is one of Rome’s most evocative martyr churches because saint, house, tomb, art, and monastery overlap.

The basilica was rebuilt by Pope Paschal I in the early ninth century.

The 1599 discovery of Cecilia’s body inspired Maderno’s famous marble statue.

The excavations reveal Roman structures under the basilica, including spaces associated with the saint’s house tradition.

Opening times for the crypt and excavations can differ from the church, so check before going.

Spiritual Significance

Saint, house, tomb, and song gathered into one small Roman church.

Santa Cecilia avoids the feeling of a giant monument. It is best approached slowly as a church where martyrdom, relics, art, and the hidden life of prayer sit close together.

Above the Altar The Apse Mosaic Read the basilica vertically: the saint below, the altar at the centre, and above it the ninth-century mosaic of Christ among the saints, with Pope Paschal I, who rebuilt the church and brought Cecilia's relics here, holding a model of it.
Do Not Miss · 5 stops

Five things, not fifty.

  1. Maderno's Statue and the Tomb of Saint Cecilia

    Beneath the high altar, Stefano Maderno's marble of the saint as the basilica records her body was found in 1599, with her relics venerated below. The devotional heart of the visit.

  2. The Ninth-Century Apse Mosaic

    Christ among the saints, with Pope Paschal I holding a model of the church he rebuilt. He brought Cecilia's relics here from the catacombs in the early ninth century.

  3. Arnolfo di Cambio's Ciborium

    The Gothic marble canopy of 1293 over the altar, signed by Arnolfo, framing the tomb beneath it.

  4. Cavallini's Last Judgment

    In the nuns' choir above the nave, Pietro Cavallini's fresco of around 1290 is among the great works of medieval Roman painting. It is shown on limited days; ask before counting on it.

  5. The Crypt and Roman Excavations

    Below the basilica, the crypt and the remains of the ancient house traditionally identified as Cecilia's, where the church's memory of her martyrdom is rooted.

What to notice
  • That saint, house, tomb, art, and monastery overlap in one compact church. Few places in Rome hold so many layers of Christian memory in so small a space.
  • That Maderno carved the saint lying on her side, turned away, with the marks of martyrdom at her neck. It is an image of a body entrusted to the Church's memory, not a portrait.
  • That the basilica was rebuilt by Pope Paschal I in the early ninth century, when he translated Cecilia's relics here from the catacombs of San Callisto on the Via Appia.
Visit Plans · 3 plans · add to a journey

How much time, and what to do with it.

  • Duration 30 min Best for First visit, limited time

    The tomb and the statue

    3 ordered stops

    Enter through the walled forecourt, go to the high altar, and pray before Maderno's statue and the tomb of Saint Cecilia. Look up to the ninth-century apse mosaic before you leave.

    1. Enter through the walled forecourt
    2. Pray at the altar and Maderno's statue over the tomb
    3. Look up to the ninth-century apse mosaic
  • Duration 1 hr Best for Pilgrims and art-minded visitors

    The whole basilica

    3 ordered stops

    Add Arnolfo di Cambio's ciborium over the altar and a slow turn through the nave, then descend, if open, to the crypt and the Roman house excavations beneath the church.

    1. Altar, tomb, and Maderno's statue
    2. Arnolfo di Cambio's ciborium of 1293
    3. The crypt and Roman house excavations, if open
  • Duration Half day Best for A Trastevere pilgrimage

    Cecilia and the quarter

    3 ordered stops

    Begin at Santa Cecilia, then walk the older streets of Trastevere to Santa Maria in Trastevere, with its golden facade mosaics. A half day holds both churches and the neighbourhood between them without rushing.

    1. Santa Cecilia in Trastevere
    2. The streets of old Trastevere
    3. Santa Maria in Trastevere

Begin at the tomb, not the art. Maderno's statue and the relics beneath the altar are the reason the church exists; the mosaic, the ciborium, and the excavations deepen that, rather than competing with it.

How to Visit

Entering as a pilgrim, not a tourist.

Begin at the altar and Maderno statue, then look up to the apse mosaic. If open, visit the crypt and excavations beneath the church. Check current hours for the basilica and underground areas before planning around them.

  • When to Come Trastevere is quietest in the morning. The basilica keeps a Roman rhythm, closing for midday and reopening in the afternoon, and the crypt and excavations have their own hours, so confirm all of them before building a visit around the underground.
  • Where to Begin Enter through the walled forecourt and walk to the altar. Begin with Maderno's statue and the tomb, then look up to the apse mosaic and Arnolfo di Cambio's ciborium before going below.
  • Cavallini's Fresco Pietro Cavallini's Last Judgment, around 1290, survives in the nuns' choir above the nave and is shown separately on limited days. Ask, or check ahead, if you hope to see it.
  • The Crypt and Excavations Below the basilica are the crypt and the remains of the Roman house associated with Cecilia. Visit them if open to understand the layers the church is built on.
  • A Monastic Church A community of Benedictine nuns keeps the basilica. Move quietly and dress as for any Roman church, shoulders and knees covered.
Current Practical Information · reviewed July 9, 2026

Plan around the Roman midday closure.

Basilica
Mon-Sat 10:00 AM-12:30 PM, 4:30-6:30 PM
Holidays
11:30 AM-12:30 PM, 4:30-6:30 PM
Crypt and excavations
Basilica hours, offering asked
Cavallini frescoes
Mornings only
Liturgy
The Benedictine nuns keep the basilica's daily liturgy; Mass and office times are posted by the monastery. Move quietly; this is a working monastic church.
Basilica and excavations
Monday to Saturday 10:00 AM-12:30 PM and 4:30-6:30 PM; holidays 11:30 AM-12:30 PM and 4:30-6:30 PM. The church keeps a Roman rhythm; it closes through midday.
Cavallini frescoes
Shown from the nuns' choir in the morning: weekdays 10:00 AM-12:30 PM, holidays 11:30 AM-12:30 PM.
Additional schedule notes

Guided visits

  • The monastery arranges guided visits of the archaeological area, the basilica, the monastic choir, and the Cavallini frescoes, requested by email.
  • A separate visit of the cloister and gardens can also be arranged with the community.

Hours follow the monastic day and can change for liturgies and feasts; confirm before building a visit around the underground areas.

Official sources Monastery hours (Orari) Visits (Visite)

Relics, Tombs, Sacred Objects

What pilgrims come to venerate here.

Body relics of Saint Cecilia

Tomb and body relic

Yes, beneath the high altar

Basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere
Documented

Translated here from the catacombs of San Callisto by Pope Paschal I in the early ninth century and venerated beneath the high altar. The 1599 opening of the tomb and Maderno's statue belong to this tradition.

Relics of Saints Valerian, Tiburtius and Maximus

Associated relics

Associated with the basilica

Basilica tradition
Traditional

Venerated with Cecilia in the basilica: her husband Valerian, his brother Tiburtius, and Maximus, martyred with them in the tradition.

House of Saint Cecilia (excavations)

Roman domestic remains

By visit to the excavations, hours permitting

Basilica excavations
Documented

Roman structures beneath the basilica, including spaces traditionally identified with Cecilia's house and martyrdom.

Source note Traditional attributions are presented as tradition, with documentation named where it exists.

Connected Saints

How this place gathers the saints.

This basilica gathers the saints of Cecilia's martyrdom in one church, raised over the house that tradition remembers as hers, and sets her among the young martyrs of Rome.

Saint Cecilia Relics and martyr home Built over the house associated with Saint Cecilia, where pilgrims venerate her relics beneath the altar.
Saint Valerian Cecilia's husband, martyred with her in tradition In the tradition, the husband converted by Cecilia, martyred with his brother Tiburtius. Their relics are venerated with hers in the basilica.
Continue Your Pilgrimage · Continue the day

Quiet corners of Trastevere.

  • Basilica

    Santa Maria in Trastevere

    A short walk across the neighbourhood, one of the oldest churches in Rome dedicated to the Virgin, with golden medieval mosaics on its facade and apse.

Sacred Connections

Follow Cecilia's Roman story

Place and path

Cecilia's relics rest beneath this altar. Continue to the catacomb on the Via Appia that preserves the memory of her first burial.

Connections are curated from Eternal Roam's saint, place, relic, route, and Rome records. Traditional attributions are identified in context.

Map · Rome, Italy

Plan around this place.

Editorial sources

Edited from the basilica's Benedictine source, the Wikimedia image provenance in the credits, and Eternal Roam destination records. The 1599 discovery of the body and Maderno's statue are described as the basilica and tradition hold them, without asserting incorruptibility as established fact.

Official

benedettinesantacecilia.it

Last reviewed

July 9, 2026

Photo credits
  1. Hero. ClaudiaDurand / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Source. CC BY-SA 4.0.
  2. The Apse Mosaic. NateBergin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0). Source. CC BY 4.0.
  3. The Maderno Statue. Jacek Durski / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Source. CC BY-SA 4.0.