Stock Photo - Rome Colle Aventino, Basilica of Santa Sabina .Fr. Philipp Johannes WAGNER, O.P. Rector of the Basilica of Saint Sabina. The basilica of Santa Sabina all'Aventino is a Catholic place of worship in the historic center of Rome, located on the Aventine hill, in the territory of Rione XII Ripa. Built in the 5th century on the tomb of Santa Sabina, as well as one of the best preserved early Christian churches ever, The Basilica of Saint Sabina (Latin: Basilica Sanctae Sabinae, Italian: Basilica di Santa Sabina all'Aventino) is a historic church on the Aventine Hill in Rome, Italy. It is a titular minor basilica and mother church of the Roman Catholic Order of Preachers, better known as the Dominicans. Santa Sabina is the oldest extant Roman basilica in Rome that preserves its original colonnaded rectangular plan and architectural style. Its decorations have been restored to their original restrained design. Other basilicas, such as Santa Maria Maggiore, are often heavily and ornately decorated. Because of its simplicity, the Santa Sabina represents the crossover from a roofed Roman forum to the churches of Christendom. It is especially famous for its 5th-century carved wood doors, with a cycle of Christian scenes (18 now remaining) that is one of the earliest to survive. Santa Sabina is perched high above the Tiber to the north and the Circus Maximus to the east. It is next to the small public park of Giardino degli Aranci (""Garden of Oranges""), which has a scenic terrace overlooking Rome. It is a short distance from the headquarters of the Knights of Malta. History Santa Sabina was built by Peter of Illyria, a Dalmatian priest, between 422 and 432 near a temple of Juno on the Aventine Hill in Rome. The church was built on the site of early Imperial houses, one of which is said to be of Sabina, a Roman matron originally from Avezzano in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Sabina was beheaded under the Emperor Vespasian, or perhaps Hadrian, because she had been converted to. - Rome/Italy/Italien