A perennial appeal for both religious pilgrims and aficionados of Late Antiquity art, the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore is one of the finest surviving examples of an early Christian church, with some of its architectural details spanning more than a millennium. One must not miss out on some of the oldest and best-preserved depictions of the Virgin Mary in mosaics that date back to the 5th century, as well as the mosaics portraying how Moses led the Jews out of Egypt.

Be fascinated by the dazzling stonework and Baroque facades and look out for the tallest belfry in Rome, rumored to be gilded with gold from the 15th-century voyages of Christopher Columbus. Behold the glory of the Crypt of the Nativity, where fragments of the manger that used to hold the holy infant are kept in a crystal reliquary. Be sure to catch showers of white rose petals released from the dome every August 5th, which are meant to commemorate the legend of the miraculous snowfall.