Basilica of Santa Prassede

Hidden on a narrow street near Santa Maria Maggiore, this ninth-century basilica shelters some of the finest Byzantine-style mosaics in Rome. The apse and triumphal arch shimmer with gold and richly robed figures, but the highlight is the small Chapel of Saint Zeno, its walls and vault entirely sheathed in mosaic and glowing when lit. A fragment of a column said to be from Christ's flagellation is preserved there. Founded by Pope Paschal I, the church remains a serene stop off the tourist trail.