Steph C.
Yelp
lWe spent three nights at a hotel in the Piazza della Minerva and walked into this church because it was right there. After a week in Rome, we weren't surprised to find that this random neighborhood church was, in fact, an impressive basilica. Naturally, it has its own Wikipedia page.
Basilica di Santa Maria sopra Minerva, or the Basilica of Saint Mary above Minerva, is a minor basilica church, consecrated in 1370. It's a beautiful gothic church with a ton of art, including its own Michelangelo statue, the Cristo della Minerva. There was a helpful map showing where to find the art--though it was strangely bootleg, made with clipped print-outs and construction paper like a diligent child's school project.
Unfortunately, the church was undergoing some kind of renovation when we went in, and a lot of the interior was inaccessible, including the area with the Michelangelo. The church was gorgeous, though, even with construction scaffolding all over the place. Lots of marble, which almost goes without saying, and a striking vaulted ceiling, painted bright blue with colorful religious figures and a sparkly smattering of gilded stars.
We only went in for five to ten minutes, and I'm sure we missed plenty in this cursory visit. I'm glad we peeked in, though. It was a quick, rewarding thing to do on our last day of wandering around Rome. If you find yourself around Piazza della Minerva, the basilica is quiet and free and well worth checking out.