points of interest in Rome
Underground basilica of Porta Maggiore
The underground basilica of Porta Maggiore is an underground basilica in Rome near the Porta Maggiore, built between 14 and 54 AD.
It was used for meetings of Neopythagoreans. The ground plan shows a basilica with three naves and an apse similarly to early Christian basilicas that appeared only much later in the 4th century. The vaults are decorated with white stuccoes symbolizing Neopythagorean beliefs but whose exact meaning remains a subject of debate.