As Margaret Vissar took a walk around a small church in Rome, she found herself in the midst of a fascinating story about a building and how it came to be there. The 7th-century church of St Agnes is a constant memorial to a young girl, raped and murdered, whose body lies in the catacombs beneath. In this book, Vissar opens up the spiritual, cultural and historical riches that St Agnes - or any church - has to offer. As she explores the small consecrated space, she goes beyond factual explanations to delve into the significance of the objects, ancient and modern, magnificent and commonplace, that are found there.