Basilica di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva Tours and Tickets

There are plenty of ways to experience the Basilica di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Renaissance Scarlet Ladies Tour: Caravaggio's and Borgia's Women

• Rome: Tuk-Tuk Private Tour of the City Center

• Essential Rome Private Highlights Tour

• Virtual Tour Guide: Pantheon, Iconic Sites, and Pasta Experience

• Unique Rome, Churches, Angels, and Art Photo Tour and Workshop

The Basilica di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, a public church in central Rome, is free to visit, though you’re welcome to leave a donation. You can also visit on an art-focused sightseeing tour for a fee; group tours start at US$45, while private guides charge US$150 and more.

Yes, the Basilica di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva is well worth visiting, as it's one of only a few Gothic churches in Rome and features art by major names including Michelangelo, Bernini, and Filippino Lippi. Located right behind the Pantheon, the church is easy to visit while strolling through central Rome—though it's also a popular stop on guided tours that fill you in on local history and show you more of the city's important churches, squares, and monuments.

Per one customer who booked the Unique Rome, Churches, Angels, and Art Photo Tour and Workshop, "Another amazing tour! This was my second tour with Giulio, and he continued to impress me with his knowledge in photography and local history. He knows Rome so well that we're able to visit numerous churches and sites in just a single morning. This tour was an excellent value!"

This 12th-century church near the Pantheon was built over the ruins of an ancient Roman temple and is remarkable for its unique Gothic interiors. It houses the remains of St. Catherine of Siena and the artist Fra’ Angelico and is decorated with frescoes by Filippino Lippi and a Christ the Redeemer statue by Michelangelo.

Yes, the church is open to the public, and visitors come to admire the Gothic architecture—one of the few examples of the style in Rome’s historic center—and artistic masterpieces in the Caraffa Chapel and presbytery. Pilgrims gather here in April for the Feast Day of St. Catherine, buried in the church.

No, Roman churches are free to enter, and Santa Maria Sopra Minerva is no exception. A coin-operated light illuminates the Filippino Lippi frescoes in the Caraffa Chapel for a few minutes, but you can admire the soaring architecture and artistic masterpieces for free.

Yes, many guided walking tours of Rome’s historic center make a short stop at the church to take in its singular design and notable works of art. Art-focused tours linger longer to delve into the history of its Gothic architecture and medieval and Renaissance masterpieces in more detail.

The Basilica is an active place of worship, and Mass and other religious services are held daily. In April and February, special ceremonies honor the two saints buried inside the church on the Feast Days of St. Catherine and Fra’ Angelico. The church is also a popular venue for live performances of classical and sacred music.

Santa Maria Sopra Minerva sits in Rome’s historic center just steps from the Pantheon, and famous sights like Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain, and Campo de’ Fiori are all nearby. Bernini’s elephant, known as the Pulcino della Minerva forms the base of an Egyptian obelisk in the square just outside the church.

There are tons of things to do when you're done visiting the Basilica di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. According to travelers, these are some of the top attractions in Rome:

• Colosseum

• Roman Forum

• Sistine Chapel

• Vatican Museums

• Palatine Hill

View Viator's guide to all the best attractions in Rome.