Santa Maria della Luce, Romanesque church in Trastevere, Rome, Italy.
Santa Maria della Luce is a Romanesque church in the Trastevere neighborhood that stands out for its bell tower built in the 12th century. The tower rises in four stories with stone columns decorated with carved cornices running along each level.
This church was originally called San Salvatore in Corte and was founded in the 4th century by Saint Bonosa on the site of a former Roman military station. The location marks where the VII Brigade excubitorium once stood before the building's creation.
The church functions as a center for Latin American migrants seeking spiritual guidance and community support in the Diocese of Rome. You can see how different groups gather here to practice their faith together.
You can reach this church by walking along Via della Lungaretta or Via della Luce in the Trastevere area of Rome. The location is easy to find and explore on foot without any significant obstacles.
The bell tower contains 17 remaining bacini, which are glazed ceramics of Arabic origin set into the stone in decorative patterns. These pieces offer a visible connection to medieval trade networks that brought exotic materials to Rome from distant lands.
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