The Basilica of Santa Sabina was built by one Peter of Illyria during the reigns of Popes Celestine I (422-432) and Sixtus III (432-440), as testified by the magnificent golden mosaic inscription opposite the apse. This is the only surviving mosaic, as many others would have decorated the space between the arcades and the clerestory.

Upon entering the basilica from the original narthex (and not the present-day side entrance), attentive visitors will spot a magnificent door made of cypress wood dating back to the fifth century, surrounded by a marble door frame. Historians believe this door frame and the 24 Corinthian-style columns that line the interior nave (the third on the left has a mysterious inscription that says “Rufeno”), may have been spolia from a pagan temple to Juno Regina, also located on the Aventine.