Although it might seem insignificant and old, take a moment to gaze at the top of the church of Santa Marie in Trastevere before entering. The architecture and art work located above is quite extensive and historic, but I am only going to talk about the façade of this ancient church for now.
The façade was restored in 1702 by Carlo Fontana (the same man who revamped the centrally located fountain). Right in front of the façade stands four Baroque marble statues which represent St. Calixtus, St. Cornelius, St. Julius, and St. Calepodius. The actual façade contains mosaics are most likely medieval, dating back to the 12th century. They tell the story of the parable of the wise and the unwise maidens. The Blessed Virgin Mary stands in the middle, while the maidens surround her. Notice that on the right side the maidens are not
wearing crowns. Supposedly, this is because they have let their lamps burn out. The maidens on the left however, still possess their crowns. Only when I stopped to look at the eerie clock which sits on top of the church did I even realize how gorgeous the statues and façade were. I am thankful I did not miss this brilliant piece of art, and I hope if you are in the neighborhood, you do not miss it either!
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