Santa Costanza

Located three Roman miles outside Rome's ancient walls, the Mausoleum of Constantina (Santa Costanza) might just be one of the Eternal City's most unique yet underrated churches. Originally built around 350 by the Emperor Constantine to house the remains of his daughter Constantina, it was part of the much larger Basilica of Saint Agnes, only a small portion of which remains today. Santa Constanza later became a church in its own right, making it one of the few remaining ancient churches of Rome not to be in the structure of a basilica. Instead, it is in a circular plan common among ancient Roman mausoleums.

What truly makes Santa Costanza stand out are its mosaics surviving from the 4th century in the apses and ambulatory vault. Some of these mosaics have secular or even pagan themes, giving a glimpse into a time in which Christianity coexisted openly with older religions. The church also once housed two large porphyry sarcophagi, believed to belong to Constantina and her sister Helena. They have since been moved to the Vatican, however a replica of one is still on display here.