The construction of the building dates back to the 14th century, when the Augustinians decided to build a new church and their convent, dedicating it to the patron saint of the order. The church, completed in 1420, proved to be too small and poorly protected from the floods of the Tiber River, so towards the end of the 15th century, it was expanded and rebuilt. Indeed, the church was built in an elevated position thanks to an imposing entrance staircase, the work of Jacopo da Pietrasanta and Sebastiano da Firenze. 

The majestic and imposing facade of the basilica, inspired by the Church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, was created using travertine blocks taken from the Colosseum in 1483 by Jacopo da Pietrasanta. Inside, the church surprises and marvels visitors with its numerous works of outstanding historical and artistic significance.

To the right of the main entrance, we find the famous Madonna del Parto, sculpted from a single block of marble by Jacopo Tatti, known as Sansovino,  between 1516 and 1521. It is among the most venerated Madonnas in Rome and the patroness of expectant mothers.

By Andrea Sansovino is, in the central nave, the marble group “Saint Anne uniting the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child in a single embrace,” which is part of a cycle of 12 stories from the life of the Virgin.

An undisputed masterpiece is the Madonna of the Pilgrims by Caravaggio. The canvas was commissioned at the beginning of the 17th century by the Bolognese notary Ermete Cavalletti. The work was donated to the church by the author as an expression of gratitude for the sanctuary granted to the painter when he fled there to escape arrest. This followed an incident in nearby Piazza Navona, where he had wounded a notary over a romantic dispute. The woman in question was Lena, who lent her face to the Madonna depicted here as she leans against the doorway of her home to receive two elderly pilgrims. The message of this work reflects Augustinian spirituality: “The movement towards God.”

Another masterpiece is present in the church: the fresco of the Prophet Isaiah, painted by Raphael in 1512. “Isaiah announces the birth of the Messiah and holds a scroll written in Hebrew inviting people to enter the family of Christ: the Church.”.  

The high altar was designed by Bernini in 1627 and executed by Orazio Torriani; above it sits the Byzantine icon depicting the “Virgin and Child,” which came from the church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.

To the left of the altar, we find the Chapel of Saint Monica: the remains of Augustine's mother arrived here by order of Pope Martin V in the 15th century.

The chapel dedicated to Saints Augustine and William is one of Lanfranco’s masterpieces, featuring inside the pictorial cycle with Saint William tended by the Virgin, Saint Augustine meditating on the Holy Trinity, and, on the altar, the Coronation of the Virgin with Saints Augustine and William.

To the right is the Chapel of Saint Augustine, which houses Guercino’s work “Saint Augustine between Saint John the Baptist and Saint Paul the Hermit” and, on the sides, two works by Giovanni Lanfranco depicting the saint washing the feet of the Redeemer and defeating heresies.

The walls and vault of the central nave feature a cycle of frescoes painted between 1858 and 1868 by Pietro Gagliardi. The frescoes dedicated to the Virgin represent twelve Stories of the Life of the Virgin,  and, between the large windows, six famous heroines of the Old Testament: Rebecca, Ruth, Jael, Judith, Abigail, and Esther.