The First Pope & Bishop of Rome
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St. Peter, originally known as Simon the Fisherman, was one of the 12 apostles, was given the Keys to the Kingdom by Jesus in the Gospels, and became the first bishop of Rome. According to tradition and archaeological research carried out in the 20th century, he is buried underneath the main altar of St. Peter's Basilica. St. Peter was martyred by being crucified upside down on a cross during the Christian persecutions ordered by Emperor Nero in 64 AD after the Great Fire in the city of Rome. Vatican City and Via della Conciliazione leading up to St. Peter's Basilica was once the location of the circus in which St. Peter and countless other Christians were martyred for their faith.
Sts. Peter and Paul are celebrated as the patron saints of Rome. Their statues stand as twins in front of St. Peter's Basilica, an iconic reminder of the authority, priesthood, tradition and mission of the Catholic Church disseminating the sacraments and Word of God in the Bible. Their feast day is celebrated on June 29th.
Footsteps of St. Peter
Estimated Time: 5 Hours
Locations in Rome:
St. Peter's Basilica
Burial Place of St. Peter, Heart of the Catholic Church, and Largest Basilica in the World
St. Peter's Basilica began construction during the pontificate of Pope Julius II in 1506 and was completed in 1615 under Pope Paul V. Its design features a three-aisle Latin cross with a high altar at the cross-section where Michelangelo's Dome and Bernini's Baldacchinno mark the place of St. Peter's tomb and relics.
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Church of St. Peter in Chains
Early Christian Church holding the Chains of St. Peter & Michelangelo's Moses
The Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli, built on the Esquiline Hill, originated from Empress Eudoxia's gift of St. Peter's chains to Pope Leo I. Initially a chapel dedicated to St. Paul, it was reconstructed by Pope Sixtus III in 439 and renamed to honor the chains, which were believed to have miraculously fused together.
The church features a simple interior with the chains as its central relic and Michelangelo's renowned sculpture of Moses in the mausoleum of Pope Julius II.
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Mammertine Prison
Location of Sts. Peter and Paul's Imprisonment
The Church of San Guiseppe dei Falegnam stands on the Mammertine Prison, or Carcer Tullianum, the oldest prison in Rome, built by King Ancus Marcius in the 7th century BC. Made up of two superimposed rooms, the monument housed the ancient Church of San Pietro in Carcere, where, according to legend, the apostles Peter and Paul were locked up before suffering martyrdom; in 1540, the place was rented to the Archconfraternity of Carpenters.
In 2018, the ceiling of the church collapsed with the Archconfraternity of Carpenters celebrating their first mass after restorations in 2021.
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Church of Santa Maria in Via Lata
Underground House of Sts. Peter and Paul
The Church of Santa Maria in Via Lata boasts both a baroque style church at street level and an underground crypt that dates to the arrival of the early Christians and has been verified as being a church from the 3rd century AD. According to local tradition, the underground is believed to be one of two possible locations where St. Paul was placed under house arrest during his first visit to Rome. St. Peter is also believed to stay at the location as one of his early residences with the first Christians. The place also served as a "Diakoni" as early as the 7th century AD, which were distribution centers to the poor and vulnerable that were designated by the popes during ancient times and the middle ages.