Santa Maria in Via Lata

Welcome to Santa Maria in Via Lata, a name that translates poetically to 'Saint Mary on the Broadway'. We are standing on the modern-day Via del Corso, but in ancient times, this was the Via Flaminia, the wide, straight road that…

Descending into the underground crypt, we leave the noise of modern Rome behind. This subterranean space consists of several rooms belonging to a Roman building from the first century. …

In the center of the subterranean rooms, your attention is drawn to a significant Roman pillar. Upon this stone column, you will find a Latin inscription that reads 'Verbum Dei non est alligatum,' which translates to 'The Word of…

Emerging from the crypt, we find ourselves in the stunning seventeenth-century upper church. The contrast is deliberate. …

The spiritual heart of the upper church is the ancient icon of the Virgin Mary, located at the high altar. Known as 'Mary Advocata,' or 'She who Intercedes for Us,' this icon dates back to the twelfth century, though it is said…

Above the apse of the church, you will find a striking image that captures the culmination of Mary’s life: her Assumption into Heaven. The scene shows two angels flying toward a space where Mary has already departed, leaving…

Finally, we visit the Altemps Chapel, located to the left of the choir. This chapel is a dense repository of history and art, commissioned by Cardinal Marco Altemps in the late sixteenth century. …

As we exit back onto the bustling Via del Corso, the noise of Rome may seem louder after the quiet devotion of Santa Maria in Via Lata. We have traveled from the first-century home of Peter and Paul, through the charitable…