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Located at the base of the Palatine Hill in the Roman Forum, the sixth-century church of Santa Maria Antiqua is one of the earliest surviving Christian monuments in Rome. The church was adapted from an Imperial Roman building dating to the reign of Domitian in the first century. (...)

Located at the base of the Palatine Hill in the Roman Forum, the sixth-century church of Santa Maria Antiqua is one of the earliest surviving Christian monuments in Rome. The church was adapted from an Imperial Roman building dating to the reign of Domitian in the first century. Santa Maria Antiqua contains a unique collection of wall paintings spanning a period from the sixth - late eighth century; they are of utmost importance for understanding the development of early medieval and Byzantine art. Santa Maria Antiqua was abandoned in the ninth century and was subsequently buried during an earthquake. The church was rediscovered in 1900 and restored, but over time the large sanctuary space became a storage space for artifacts from elsewhere in the Roman Forum.