Santo Stefano Rotondo

Santo Stefano Rotondo Review

This 5th-century church likely was inspired by the design of the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Its unusual round plan and timbered ceiling set it apart from most other Roman churches. So do the frescoes, which lovingly depict the goriest martyrdoms of 34 different Catholic saints. You've been warned: these are not for the fainthearted, cataloging, above the names of different emperors, every type of violent death conceivable.