The Basilica of Saints Sylvester and Martin at the Monti district is one of the most ancient churches of Rome. An iconic place because this building is related to a man who, according to the Christian sources, helped to deeply change the social and religious balances in the ancient Rome. 

The St Sylvester and Martin titulus dates back even to the III century a.D., when the family of the Equizi donated their private land to the Catholic Church, and founded, perhaps, a real place of worship. Today we see the church in its latest forms from the eighteenth century, but some traces remain of the ancient structure, both in historical documents or in the traditions and in some architectural element. If you go under the altar, in the beautiful ring crypt, you will get in touch with the relics of some saints and martyrs, translated here by Sergius II in 845, when the shrine was renovated. Or, down in an underground crypt, a plaque reminds us about the reason why, actually, this church became important in the eyes of christians, especially of the era. On the plaque it's written, in fact, the name of Pope Sylvester who, at the beginning of the IV century, baptized Constantine converted him to Christianity.

This is only one of the several versions of the story, but it seems certain that right here, above the ground of the Equizi, Sylvester and he built an oratory to give refuge to the christians still being persecuted. Before the Edict of Milan in 313 a.D., that marked the recognition of Christianity as one of the religions allowed in the Roman Empire, even Sylvester himself fled from Rome, taking refuge in the hermitage of Monte Soratte. It will be there that Constantine will expressly look for, after that to the emperor, (dying because of a strong disease), appeared in a dream to St Peter and St Paul, advising him to bring back to Rome the pope. And when Sylvester baptized the emperor he returned here, in this oratory, which later was transformed into a basilica.

As you can see Saint Sylvester is the basis of the act of faith that, according to a tradition that was never really confirmed, will bring Constantine to change the course of events and history, opening Rome for the first time to Christianity. In addition to some historical sources, which have never really proven, tell how the inside of this church was a sort of pseudo-council in 324 a.D, before the important Council of Nicaea, convened by Constantine himself for the next year. A series of preparatory meetings in anticipation of the greatest event, perhaps, assisted and managed directly by Sylvester, who, as a true spiritual guide, would have helped Constantine in the difficult task of finding a balance between the different instances within the multiple currents of the fragmented christian community of the time! It is true, therefore, that in the times of Rome do not need to be fascinated by the extraordinary artistic beauties. Even the places that seem to be anonymous, or without any interest, hide interesting curiosities...