Basilica dei Santi Cosma e Damiano (Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian), Rome

The Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian is a significant titular church. The lower portion of the building is accessible through the Roman Forum and incorporates original Roman structures, while the entrance to the upper level is situated outside the Forum. At the entrance of the Forum, visitors will find a circular building that currently houses a small archaeological exhibit. This structure is believed to have been constructed in the early 4th century and may have served as a Roman temple, possibly dedicated to Valerius Romulus, the deified son of Emperor Maxentius. The main building, which is now the basilica, was likely the library of an imperial forum.

The basilica was converted into a church in 527 and contains significant early Christian art, although much of it has been restored, particularly in its mosaics. Today, it is one of the ancient churches known as tituli, with cardinals serving as patrons as cardinal-deacons. As of November 28, 2020, the title has been held by Cardinal Mario Grech.

The basilica is devoted to the Arabian Christian brothers, doctors, martyrs, and saints Cosmas and Damian. It is situated in the Forum of Vespasian, also known as the Forum of Peace. The temple, originally believed to have been dedicated by Emperor Maxentius to his son Valerius Romulus, who died in 309 and was deified, was later Christianized and dedicated to Saints Cosmas and Damian in 527. This conversion occurred when Theodoric the Great, the king of the Ostrogoths, and his daughter Amalasuntha donated the library of the Forum of Peace (Bibliotheca Pacis) and a portion of the Temple of Romulus to Pope Felix IV.

Adjacent to the new entrance of the complex, visitors can explore the rooms with the original marble paving of the Forum of Peace and the wall where the 150 marble slabs of the Forma Urbis Romae were hung. The mosaics within the basilica are masterpieces of 6th- and 7th-century art. At the center is Christ, with Saint Peter presenting Saint Cosmas and Saint Theodorus on the right, and Saint Paul presenting Saint Damian and Pope Felix IV on the left. Pope Felix IV is depicted holding a model of the church. These intricate mosaics add to the historical and artistic significance of the Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian, attracting visitors with their beauty and religious symbolism.