We accessed it through a small street. We didn't think we would encounter such beauty. The façade says nothing, only its reddish color caught our attention. The beginnings of this church were commissioned by Pope Hadrian I in the year 780. Dedicated to Práxedes and Pudenciana, murdered for wanting to bury the first martyrs, defying the law of that time. It is said that on the main altar there are traces of blood from some of them that was collected by one of the sisters. Little light inside, but you can still see impressive mosaics and frescoes.

Saint Prassede is a 9th-century basilica just a couple minutes walk from Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore and is well worth visiting if you are sightseeing in the area. Opening hours are now 10am to 12pm and 4-6.30pm (March 2024). The exterior looks like any old Roman building. However, the inside is remarkable, starting with the apse mosaics behind the alter, geometric marble patterned floor and the light frescos that line the wall of the main nave. A highlight is the small room with low ceiling frescos of Christ and a column fragment relic from the large column of Jerusalem, from which it is believed that Jesus was flogged. In the end, is a gem of a church visit in Rome one that we have been lucky to have visited several times over the years. It never disappoints.

Beautiful! Every time I go back it's always like it's the first time. The Church is dedicated to S.Prassede, sister of S.Pudenziana and daughter of the Roman senator Pudens who was a follower of S.Paul. It is said that Praxedes and Pudenziana were killed by the Romans as they recovered the lifeless bodies of the martyrs persecuted and killed under the reign of Antoninus Pius and buried them in a Christian manner in the wells located on their father's properties. According to tradition, part of the column used by the Romans for the flagellation of Jesus is kept here.

The popularity of this basilica suffers greatly from the proximity to Santa Maria Maggiore and the inconspicuous entrance to it. However, Santa Prassede is not much inferior in age to the famous neighbor, and its symbolic importance for Catholics increased in 1223, when the "flagellation column" was transferred here, to which Christ was allegedly tied in the courtyard of the pretoria (in the chapel of San Zeno). At the same time, the very origin of the name of the church is unclear. It is unclear who Saint Praxeda was. Either she was one of the virgin daughters of Roman Senator Pudens, as the legend of the VI century says, or just a woman who financed the construction of the church. The very construction of the basilica in the 8th century under Pope Paschal was facilitated by the emigration of monks who fled from Byzantium as a result of the iconoclastic movement. Thanks to them, a mosaic appeared in the church. However, as a result of the loss of ancient knowledge, the basilica was poorly built. The columns and walls of the nave are not parallel to each other, and the transept is not at right angles to the nave. After the 9th century, Santa Prassede was rebuilt several times, each time in the spirit of the prevailing fashion: Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque. In the XX century, they tried to remove the alterations of the last thousand years and return to their original state. Where it was possible...The main thing that is seen in the basilica is the chapel of San Zeno with a flagellation column and mosaics. In the basilica on the tomb of Bishop Giovanni Battista Santoni there is a small bust of the cardinal by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. This is his early work, at the age of 22. I somehow missed it... Probably, in 2 days I had enough of Bernini's more significant works...

The Basilica of Santa Prassede is one of the most beautiful in the historic center of Rome, consecrated to Santa Prassede Martyr. The structure has ancient origins, dating back to the 10th century, built on the remains of the ancient Titulus Praxaedis. The splendid interior, distinguished by three naves, has granite columns supported by a continuous entablature and a wonderful apse basin. The center of the visit is the beautiful Chapel of San Zeno, entirely adorned with beautiful Byzantine mosaics with a gold background, especially in the cross vault, depicting Christ and the Four Evangelists. In a reliquary is contained the alleged leftover of the column of the flagellation of Christ. The crypt is also worth a visit. The underground room has a single nave, with a frescoed apse, and contains the sarcophagi with the mortal remains of Saints Praxedes and Pudenziana. Visit absolutely recommended.