Rome: Private Mosaic Masterpieces of the Eternal City Tour｜Italy

Our mosaic masterpieces tour begins in the church of Santi Cosma and Damiano. Originally built in honor of the son of the Emperor Maxentius, this pagan temple is built right into the fabric of the ancient Roman Forum, and was transformed into a Christian church in the ⁣⁣year 527 by Pope Felix IV. Dedicated to the Greek doctor brothers Cosmas and Damian, the church boasts amazing sixth-century mosaics depicting apocalyptic imagery.

Next we’re heading into the heart of one of Rome’s most beautiful neighborhoods. Thousands of years ago the streets of Monti were an ancient Roman slum, a vast area that extended from the Imperial Fora to the Esquiline Hill.

The next stop on our tour is the extraordinary church of Santa Pudenziana.Despite the fact that you won’t see it on most tourist itineraries in Rome, this basilica is home to an extraordinary treasure. The church itself is one of the oldest in Rome, with origins dating all the way back to the second century. The highlight is the apse mosaic, a stunning example of early-Christian art.

Commissioned by Pope Innocent I in 410 AD, the mosaic portrays Christ seated on an emperor's throne, flanked by apostles dressed in the distinctive togas of Roman senators - a fusion of Roman imperial iconography and classical style with Christian themes. This mosaic was to have a seismic impact on the history of western art, and established many aspects of Christian iconography that you’ll see repeated all across Rome and beyond.

Perhaps the most spectacular result of this happy coming together is the marvelous church of Santa Prassede. A series of glittering mosaics decorate the church’s sanctuary, featuring an array of apostles and angels, as well the pious sisters Prassede and Pudenziana themselves, dressed in the opulent outfits of Byzantine princesses.

On our tour we’ll also get to take a look at the stunning chapel of San Zeno, one of the greatest artistic hidden gems in all of Rome. Here jaw-dropping golden mosaics portray Christ being carried aloft by four angels alongside scenes from the Bible and the lives of the Saints. The amazing chapel was commissioned as the final resting place for Paschal’s mother Theodora, who you can spy in one of the mosaics - her square nimbus halo indicates that she was still alive when the mosaics were completed.

Our tour concludes in one of the most important churches in Rome. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary and founded, according to tradition, in the wake of a miraculous 5th-century snowfall, Santa Maria Maggiore has been a pilgrimage destination for the faithful and art lovers alike for over 1,500 years. First amongst equals in the church’s stunning array of artistic masterpieces is the mosaic cycle portraying key events from the Old Testament that adorn its nave.