It would be an understatement to say that Rome is filled with churches. The catholic church has a presence in the city since the time of Peter. Following the recognition of the church by Constantine, physical structures sprang to life throughout the city. A visitor to Rome can be overwhelmed: which church is "important" (whatever that means) or which church is the most beautiful?
I recently learned of the Lenten churches of Rome. That is to say, during the time of Lent there were established certain churches - one each day - that would serve as the church where the Pope, as the Bishop of Rome, would attend mass. This was formalized by Pope Gregory the Great, who served as pope from 590-604.* Although the participation of the Pope every day has stopped, the practice has continued, with revivals during the Council of Trent in the mid 1500s, and still observed today.
What this meant for me was that I have an approach to studying the churches of Rome for the next 40 days! These buildings and surrounding streets have fascinating histories that span centuries! I am looking forward to taking a look at each church.
I should point out that my recent inspiration is the book, Sacred Places - Rediscovering the Churches of Rome - An Epic Journey Through Sixty Churches in Eleven Walks, by Gregory J Pulles. Part guidebook, part history book, this is a well-written, approachable work that I would highly recommend to anyone with a broad interest in church history.
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*A note on dates: I find it easier to remember 600 for the date of Pope Gregory the Great. When dates of, well, anything span a century it makes it quite convenient. Most notable among the date-spanners is the first Roman Emperor, Augustus. Christ was born under his rule, and his dates are listed as 27 BC - AD 14. I think of him as being the Emperor in the year, 0. (Fascinating how the Roman Empire and Christianity began at, historically speaking, the same time.)
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