Church of San Cosimato
The Church of San Cosimato is a medieval Roman Catholic church and former convent complex in the Trastevere neighbourhood of Rome, dedicated to the physician saints Cosmas and Damian. The complex originated in the tenth century and was substantially rebuilt and expanded by the Franciscan Poor Clares from the thirteenth century onwards, incorporating an ancient Roman bath structure into its foundations. Today the former convent buildings house a public hospital, while the church and its two surviving cloisters — one Romanesque, one Renaissance — remain among the quieter early-Christian landmarks of Trastevere.
At a glance
- Type
- Roman Catholic church and former Franciscan convent
- Period
- Founded c. 10th century; enlarged 13th–16th century
- Style
- Romanesque and Renaissance
- Location
- Piazza di San Cosimato, Trastevere, Rome, Italy
- Coordinates
- 41.8867° N, 12.4703° E
Overview
San Cosimato is one of the lesser-known but historically layered religious complexes in Trastevere, occupying a site that has been in continuous ecclesiastical use for over a thousand years. The church preserves two distinct cloisters: a small Romanesque cloister from the eleventh or twelfth century and a larger Renaissance cloister added when the Poor Clares occupied the site. The surrounding convent buildings were converted in the nineteenth century into a civil hospital, the Nuovo Regina Margherita, which continues to operate today.
History
The complex traces its origins to a Benedictine monastery established on this site around the tenth century, possibly incorporating remnants of ancient Roman baths beneath its foundations. In the thirteenth century the Franciscan order of Poor Clares took possession and undertook extensive rebuilding, giving the church its current basilical plan. Further modifications were made during the Renaissance, including the construction of the larger cloister. Secularisation during the nineteenth century transferred the conventual buildings to civic use as a hospital, a function they retain to this day.
What you see
The church exterior is modest and largely unadorned, typical of Franciscan austerity, fronting the lively Piazza di San Cosimato market square. Inside, the nave retains its medieval proportions, and fragments of early frescoes can be glimpsed in the side chapels. The smaller Romanesque cloister, accessible through the complex, features a double row of slender columns with carved capitals and offers one of the most tranquil corners in Trastevere. The larger Renaissance cloister, now within the hospital precinct, can occasionally be viewed from certain access points.
Cultural significance
San Cosimato illustrates the layered history of Rome — Roman, early Christian, medieval monastic, and modern civic functions stacked on the same site over eleven centuries. The Romanesque cloister is considered one of the best-preserved examples of its kind in Trastevere, a neighbourhood that retains more medieval fabric than any other in the city.
Practical information
- Address
- Piazza di San Cosimato, 00153 Roma RM, Italy
- Opening hours
- Check official website or local listings; the church may have limited visiting hours
- Admission
- Free entry to the church
Getting there
The church is located in the heart of Trastevere. Take bus lines 8, 23, or 280 to the Trastevere stops, or walk from Trastevere railway station (approximately 10 minutes). The piazza is a well-known neighbourhood market square and easy to find on foot.