Sant'Ambrogio della Massima

Sant'Ambrogio della Massima is an ancient Catholic church in Rome with a cross-shaped layout and side chapels flanking the central nave. The interior displays a basilica design with a dome and gold stucco ornamentations that define the overall spatial character.

The church was founded around 353 by Saint Marcellina on the site of her family home and later developed into a monastery under the guidance of a woman named Maxima. It faced abandonment during the Napoleonic Wars but survived and remains as one of Rome's oldest religious sites.

The church houses relics of Saint Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, and continues to serve religious communities with deep roots in monastic traditions. Visitors can sense the living connection to early Christian practices that still shape the space today.

The church is located at Via di Sant'Ambrogio 5 near Piazza Mattei, with its facade partially hidden by surrounding buildings. Access is straightforward when exploring the narrow streets of Rome's historic center and looking for the distinctive features of the Renaissance architecture nearby.

This is one of Rome's oldest religious houses, having survived centuries of urban changes and challenges. Few visitors realize that this site functioned as a spiritual center long before the medieval period and reflects the continuous history of the communities that dwelled here.