The Seven Churches (Italian: Sette Chiese) are seven churches in Rome that have a special connection to pilgrimages to the city. Pilgrims were traditionally expected to try and visit all of them during their stay, and during Holy Years indulgences are granted to those who do so.
The canonical list is, a defined by St Philip Neri, is:
- San Pietro in Vaticano
- San Paolo fuori le Mura
- San Giovanni in Laterano
- Santa Maria Maggiore
- Santa Croce in Gerusalemme
- San Lorenzo fuori le Mura
- San Sebastiano fuori le Mura
On some occasions, one of the churches has been exchanged for another. For instance, during the Jubilee Year of 2000, San Sebastiano was replaced by the Santuario della Madonna del Divino Amore by Pope John Paul II to honour the Blessed Virgin Mary, while on other occasions flooding or plague has led to changes.