Basilica of Our Lady in Trastevere

Santa Maria in Trastevere was originally one of the tituli, the parish churches of palaeochristian Rome. It was, according to tradition, the first church in Rome where Mass was celebrated openly.

It was probably built by Pope Julius I (337-352), as he is on record as having built a basilica trans Tiberim. Limited archaeological investigations recently under the Altemps Chapel, as well as epigraphic evidence, has established a mid-4th century foundation date as being fairly sound.

However, tradition claims that it may have been built soon after Pope St Callixtus' death in 222. According to tradition, that pope was martyred near this place, where the church of San Callisto now stands, and it was imagined that the basilica stands on the site of his house-church. There is no historical evidence for this, although the pope's residence was probably close by. He was buried in the Catacomb of Calepodius on the Aurelian Way, and Pope Julius built a basilica there dedicated to him.

in the acts of a synod of 499 the titulus is given as titulus Iulii. However, by the time of another synod in 595 the dedication had become Iuli et Callisti. This re-naming of the titulus after Callixtus as well as the founding pope is the apparent source of the tradition mentioned above, that the church was founded as his memorial chapel. But this is surmise.

It used to be believed that this was the first church in Rome to be dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, but it is now thought that it was re-dedicated to her by Pope Adrian I towards the end of the 8th century when he ordered a restoration. The motivation is thought to have been the presence of an already old miraculous icon of Our Lady (just possibly the one now in the Altemps Chapel).

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