Rome.us
  • TAXI FARES CALCULATOR
  • BOOK PRIVATE TOUR
  • ABOUT US
  • TIPS
    • How to Choose a Hotel in Rome
    • Tickets to Vatican museums
    • Rome Three Day Itinerary
    • 2025 Pilgrims of Hope Jubilee
    • Rainy Days in Rome
    • Buying a Sim Card in Italy
    • Renting a Car in Rome
    • Apps for Tourists
    • Souvenirs from Rome
    • Free Things to Do
    • Unusual Things to do
    • Public Transport
    • Shopping
    • Instagram
    • ASK US
    • Pinterest
  • WHERE TO STAY
    • Hotels with Best Views
    • Hotels near Termini
    • Hotels near the Colloseum
    • Hotels near Navona Square
    • 3 Star Hotels
    • 4 Star Hotels
    • 5 Star Hotels
    • Apartments For Rent
    • Best Hostels
  • WHAT TO SEE
    • Colosseum
    • Pantheon
    • Borghese Gallery
    • Roman Forum
    • Trevi Fountain
    • Spanish Steps
    • Castel Sant’Angelo
    • Navona Square
    • Ancient Sites and Ruins
    • Caravaggio’s Paintings
    • Churches
    • Galleries and Museums
    • Parks and Gardens
    • Squares and Fountains
    • Hills
  • VATICAN CITY
    • St Peter’s Basilica
    • Sistine Chapel
    • Vatican Museums
    • Raphael’s Rooms
    • Michelangelo’s Pieta
    • St Peters Dome
    • St Peter’s Square
    • Vatican Gardens
    • Vatican Military
    • Swiss Guard
  • DAY TRIPS
    • To Tivoli
    • To Ostia Antica
    • Beaches near Rome
    • To Alberobello
  • WEATHER: WHAT TO WEAR?
    • January
    • February
    • March
    • April
    • May
    • June
    • July
    • August
    • September
    • October
    • November
    • December
  • HOW TO GET
    • Fiumicino Airport
    • Ciampino Airport
    • Termini Railway Station
    • To Venice
    • To Florence
    • To Ostia Antica
    • To Naples
    • To Milan
    • To Pisa
    • To Siena
  • WHERE TO EAT
    • Famous Roman Dishes
    • Best Pizza Places
    • Best Pasta Places
    • Local Italian Food
    • Best Gelato Places
    • Best Rooftop Bars
  • NEIGHBORHOODS
    • Campo Marzio
    • Jewish Ghetto Quarters
    • Quartiere Coppedè
    • Monti
    • Sant’Eustachio
    • Trastevere
    • Trevi
  • EMPERORS
    • Marcus Aurelius
    • Gaius Julius Caesar
    • Nero
    • Octavian Augustus
    • Caligula
    • Hadrian
    • Vespasian
    • Commodus
    • Trajan
Home / Famous Catholic Churches in Rome /

Basilica di Santa Maria in Ara Coeli

Written by: Kate Zusmann

Basilica di Santa Maria in Ara Coeli
Opening Hours
Sunday: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Closest bus stops
Capolinea4 min 189 m: 46
Fori Imperiali/Campidoglio4 min 183 m: 51
Closest subway stations
Termini34 min 1.7 km: B
Vittorio Emanuele 33 min 1.7 km: A
Address Scala dell'Arce Capitolina, 12, Roma

The Basilica di Santa Maria in Ara Coeli (English: Basilica of St. Mary of the Altar of Heaven; Latin: Basilica Sanctae Mariae de Ara Coeli in Capitolium) is a titular basilica, located on the highest summit of the Capitoline hill.

Save this on Pinterest to read the article later!👇

Basilica di Santa Maria in Ara Coeli

 

It is the designated Church of the city council of Rome, which uses the ancient title of Senatus Populusque Romanus

The current Cardinal Priest of the church is Salvatore De Giorgi.

Contents

Toggle
  • The History of the Construction of Basilica
    • An Incarnation of the Temple of Juno Moneta
  • Basilica Interior – What to Look for?
  • Famous Artworks and Tombs inside Basilica di Santa Maria in Ara Coeli
  • Nearby Attractions

The History of the Construction of Basilica

Basilica di Santa Maria in Ara Coeli Rome

Previously, the Basilica di Santa Maria in Ara Coeli was called Sancta Maria in Capitolio because of its location on Capitoline Hill, which is one of the seven hills of Rome. However, in the 14th century, the church had been renamed. According to the legend from the 12th century, the basilica was built over an Augustan Ara primogeniti Dei, in the location where the Tiburtine Sibyl prophesied to Emperor Augustus the coming of Christ. Moreover, the figures of Augustus and of the Tiburtine Sibyl are represented on either side of the arch above the high altar.

In the Middle Ages, condemned criminals were executed at the foot of the steps; there the self-proclaimed Tribune and reviver of the Roman Republic Cola di Rienzo met his death, close the spot where his statue commemorates him

An Incarnation of the Temple of Juno Moneta

The anthropologist Jack Weather in his work “History of the Money” clarifies how the Basilica di Santa Maria in Ara Coeli was previously conceived as an incarnation of the Temple of Juno Moneta, the old Roman sanctuary that stood on the main summit of the Capitoline Hill, overlooking the Roman Forum:

“According to Roman historians, in the fourth century B.C., the irritated honking of the sacred geese around Juno’s temple on Capitoline Hill warned the people of an impending night attack by the Gauls, who were secretly scaling the walls of the citadel. From this event, the goddess acquired surname-Juno Moneta, from Latin monere (to warn). . .As patroness of the state, Juno Moneta presided over various activities of the state, including the primary activity of issuing money.

. . . from Moneta came the modem English words mint and money and, ultimately, from the Latin word meaning warning.

Today, the site of the Temple of Juno Moneta, the source of the great stream of Roman currency, has given way to the ancient . . . brick church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli. Centuries ago, church architects incorporated the ruins of the ancient temple into the new building.”

Basilica Interior – What to Look for?

The facade of the Basilica di Santa Maria in Ara Coeli has lost the mosaics and frescoes that originally decorated it. The church is built as a nave and two aisles that are separated by Roman columns.

Interior Basilica di Santa Maria in Ara Coeli Rome

All columns in the basilica are different and taken from diverse antique monuments

Moreover, inside the Basilica Santa Maria in Ara Coeli, you can see Pinturicchio’s 15th-century frescoes representing the life of Saint Bernardino of Siena in the Bufalini Chapel, the first chapel on the right. The wooden ceiling and inlaid Cosmatesque floor make this church different from all other Roman churches.

Here’s what the tomb of Cecchino dei Bracci by Michelangelo looks like:

The tomb of Cecchino dei Bracci by Michelangelo Basilica di Santa Maria in Ara Coeli in Rome

The floor is covered by tombstones of celebrated personages who made their mark on Roman history; the side aisles are lined with the chapels of memorable Roman families. A gilded ceiling, built between 1572 and 1586, commemorates the triumph of Lepanto when the papal fleet helped put an end to Turkish naval expansion within the Mediterranean.

The main treasure of the basilica is the statue of the Santo Bambino of Aracoeli from the 15th century. In Rome, the Santo Bambino has worked wonders down through the ages. Upon request, the statue is transported to hospitals or to the beds of Rome’s sick and dying and has been known to bring around mystifying cures. Until a few years ago the Holy Child made his charitable visits in a gilded carriage given by the people of Rome.

Santo Bambino Santa Maria in Aracoeli Rome

Being one of the most famous, central and rich basilicas, Santa Maria in Ara Coeli nowadays is one of the most popular places for weddings

Famous Artworks and Tombs inside Basilica di Santa Maria in Ara Coeli

  1. Pinturicchio’s 15th-century frescoes represent the life of Saint Bernardino of Siena in the Bufalini Chapel, the first chapel on the right.
  2. Transfiguration painted on wood by Girolamo Siciolante da Sermoneta.
  3. The tombstone of Giovanni Crivelli by Donatello.
  4. The tomb of Cecchino dei Bracci by Michelangelo (friend and lover, who also wrote sonnets in his dedication).
  5. Madonna Aracoeli (Our Lady of the Golden Hands) – Byzantian icon from the 10th century on the Altar.
  6. Sepulchral monument by Arnolfo di Cambio in the transept.
  7. The basilica was famous because of the statue of the Santo Bambino of Aracoeli, carved in the 15th century of olive wood coming from the Gethsemane garden. However, it was stolen in 1994. A copy was made from Gethsemane wood, which is now displayed in its own chapel by the sacristy.
  8. The relics of Saint Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine are housed inside the basilica, as are the remains of Saint Juniper, one of the followers of Saint Francis of Assisi.
  9. Pope Honorius IV and Queen Catherine of Bosnia are buried in the church.
  10. The tablet with the monogram of Jesus that Saint Bernardino of Siena used to promote devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus is kept in Aracoeli.

Nearby Attractions

Mamertine Prison
2 min 260 ft 80 m
Fountain of the Goddess Roma
2 min 300 ft 90 m
Capitoline Hill
2 min 360 ft 110 m
Capitoline Square
2 min 360 ft 110 m
Capitoline Museums
3 min 490 ft 150 m
Roman Forum
4 min 620 ft 190 m
Altar of The Fatherland
4 min 620 ft 190 m
The House of the Knights of Rhodes
5 min 820 ft 250 m
Piazza Venezia
5 min 850 ft 260 m
Colossus of Constantine
6 min 950 ft 290 m

Author: Kate Zusmann

Kate Zusmann

I have lived in the Eternal City for the past 12 years. They say every angle of Rome has its history, and I'm here to tell you about the most intriguing historical facts and city legends. :)

Dive Deeper into Rome's Stories

Fiumicino Airport Terminal 3

21523 views

How to Get from Fiumicino Airport to Rome City Center

Visiting Sistine Chapel

931445 views

Sistine Chapel

The Borghese Gallery and Museum The Ultimate Guide for Visitors

14342 views

The Borghese Gallery and Museum

Vatican Museums Guide

988911 views

The Vatican Museums

The Colosseum

108418 views

Colosseum

Visiting Pantheon in Rome

33585 views

Pantheon

What to See in Rome

24356 views

What to See in Rome – TOP 30 Tourist Attractions & Places

Hotels with best views in Rome

7379 views

Hotels with Best Views in Rome

Hotel Near The Colosseum in Rome

16912 views

Hotels Close to the Colosseum in Rome

Show more

About us

About us ROME.US Authors Kate Zusmann and Artur Jakucewicz
2025.We're Kate and Artur, a duo bound by our shared fascination with the Eternal City – Rome. Our paths, driven by a mutual passion for its timeless stories and architectural marvels, converged in a way we had never imagined.

Explore Rome

  • The Best Irish Pubs in Rome

  • santa maria sopra minerva

    Santa Maria sopra Minerva

  • who created the colosseum

    Who Created the Colosseum?

  • December Weather in Rome

    What to Wear in Rome in December?

  • Gladiator school in Rome

    Guide for Families with Kids in Rome

Rome.us
  • social logo
  • social logo
  • social logo
  • social logo

This website uses cookies. For more info read the cookies policy

Rome.us © 2025. Created with love by Roman experts and guides.

  • Español