Basilica of Saint Mary in Cosmedin

The Basilica of Saint Mary in Cosmedin is a minor basilican church in Rome, Italy, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is located in the rione of Ripa. Constructed first in the sixth century as a diaconia in an area of the city populated by Greek immigrants, it celebrated Eastern rites and currently serves the Melkite Greek Catholic community of Rome. The church was expanded in the eighth century and renovated in the twelfth century, when a campanile was added. A Baroque facade and interior refurbishment of 1718 were removed in 1894-99; the exterior was restored to twelfth-century form, while the architecture of the interior recalls the eighth century with twelfth-century furnishings. The narthex of the church contains the famous Bocca della Verità sculpture.