A mural depicting a Madonna and Child in the company of saints Peter, Paul, Sabina and Serafia has been discovered in the basilica of S. Sabina on the Aventine hill. Described as an exceptional find, experts date the work to between the end of the seventh century and the beginning of the eighth century. Measuring 2.80 x 4.35 m, the mural provides a rare example of painting and mosiac from the Byzantine era; indeed, further probing suggests traces of even earlier artwork underneath the mural, posssibly dating to the foundation of the basilica in the fifth century.

Built during the reign of Pope Celestine I (422-432), the basilica remains one of Rome