San Giovanni Battista dei Genovesi, Baroque parish church in Trastevere, Rome, Italy
San Giovanni Battista dei Genovesi is a Baroque church in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome, featuring a two-story facade with Doric pilasters and a side bell tower. The coat of arms of Genoa is carved into the upper section of the facade, marking the building's origins.
The church was built at the end of the 15th century by a wealthy Genoese banker named Meliaduce Cicala, who wanted to give the large number of sailors arriving at the nearby port of Ripa Grande a place of their own. Over the following centuries the building took on the Baroque appearance it has today.
The name of this church ties directly to the Genoese community that once gathered here, far from home. Walking through the courtyard today, with its old lemon trees, myrtle, and climbing roses around a travertine well, still feels like stepping into a private world apart from the rest of the neighborhood.
Entry is through a 15th-century portal that opens directly onto a planted cloister with a travertine well at its center. Trastevere is best explored on foot, as the narrow streets around the church make parking nearly impossible.
A palm tree growing in the courtyard is said to be the first ever planted in Rome, placed there in 1588 and recorded by a commemorative plaque still visible on the grounds. It has survived for centuries within the same enclosed garden where the Genoese sailors once sought shelter.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
