Prior to the 13th century, the seats of the surrounding semi-ruined amphitheater were used to dry the wares produced by the string- and rope-makers (funari), hence, the name of the church.

The original church was a three-naved basilica, called "Santa Maria Dominae Rosae in Castro Aureo",[1] named for the first time in 1192 in a document of Pope Celestine III.

[2] It was rebuilt in the 9th century with a single nave and dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria and later also called Santa Caterina dei Funari.

He established in this church the Conservatorio di Santa Caterina della Rosa to provide for the education of poor and homeless girls.

In particular, he relied considerably for his design on that of the church of Santo Spirito in Sassia, built by his teacher Antonio da Sangallo the Younger.

The façade bears the inscription FEDERIC CAESIVS EPISC CARDINALIS PORTVEN FECIT M.D.LXIIII (“Federico Cesi, Cardinal Bishop of Porto built 1564”).

[4] The groundplan of the church's interior has a single nave, defined by half-columns with Corinthian capitals along the walls, with a vaulted ceiling and lunettes in the upper part.

In the apse Raffaellino da Reggio frescoed some monochrome friezes of putti and of Saints Romanus, Augustine, Sisinius and Saturninus, while several of the decorations in the sanctuary (scenes from the live of St. Catherine and a panel) are by Federico Zuccari.