Rome - Relics of the Passion & Holy Week

Written on 01/16/2023

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About this Experience

Dive into Lenten and/or Holy Week spirituality by learning about relics of passion of Jesus in Rome. In this video, we show you the churches, chapels, and outdoor places where one can enter into contact with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. From Ponte Sant'Angelo to the Colosseum and the Scala Sancta, be prepared to make this pilgrimage virtually or in real life.

Locations in this Video

Rome - Relics of the Passion & Holy Week

Colosseum

A Beloved Icon of Roman History

Best known as the Coloseum, the Flavian Amphitheatre is one of the most iconic symbolds of ancient Rome. Built in the first century, the purpose of the ediffice has varied over the centuries, from hosting animal hunts and gladitorial games to eventually becoming the home of systematic restoration and excavation work and hosting millions of visitors a year.

During times of Christian persecution in ancient Rome, this site also bore witness to thousands of martyrdoms. For this reason, a Via Crucis is held on the site each Good Friday, often attended by the Holy Father.

Church of San Pietro in Montorio

Bramante's Tempietto on the Gianicolo with a Via Crucis

Translated to "St. Peter's on the Golden Mountain", an alternative tradition states that St. Peter was crucified at this location instead at present day, Vatican City. In the courtyard, Bramante's Tempietto is an architectural experiment and prototype for larger domes that was designed initially as a tomb.

He designed it in the early 16th Century and is considered an excellent example of High Renaissance art. Take the staircase to the right below the church to artistic reliefs of the 14th Stations of the Cross where you can pray as a pilgrim.

Papal Basilica of St. John Lateran (San Giovanni in Laterano)

Papal Basilica and first church constructed after legalization of Christianity. Seat of the Bishop of Rome - the Pope

Known in Italian as San Giovanni Laterano, this is the odlest of the four major basilicas in Rome, which include St. Peter's Basilica, St. Mary Major, and St. Paul Outside the Walls. The property originally belonged to the Lateran family, and was inherited by Constantine's wife, Fausta. Emperor Constantine then donated it to Pope Miltiades I after the legalization of Christianity around the year 311.

The papal basilica to this day is the cathedral of Rome and official ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of Rome. It was the papal residence until the Avignon Papacy. Pope Martin V, the pontiff who brought the papacy back to Rome, is buried before the main altar.

The relics of the heads of St. Peter and Paul are located in the ciborium above at the center of the church. Tradition holds that a large relic of a table on the left side of the church was the table on which Jesus and the apostles celebrated the Last Supper.

Holy Stairs (Scala Santa)

Participating in the Passion of Christ

Empress St. Helena brought the stairs according to tradition from Palace of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem. These would be the same steps that Jesus would have climbed during his Passion. The complex also houses the Sancta Santorum, which is the first private chapel of the popes, as the place was previous attached to the Lateran Palace across the road.

Pilgrims are welcome to climb the Holy Stairs on their knees as a means to participate in Christ's Passion.

Ponte Sant'Angelo

Medieval Fortress with Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel

Castel Sant'Angelo was originally constructed to be Emperor Hadrian's mausoleum and was later turned into the fortress of the popes in case of attack. In 847, Pope Leo IV had a wall constructed that extended from the castle around the local neighborhood, present day Vatican City, and parts of Trastevere. The fortress also played a role in protecting Pope Clement VII during the 1527 Sack of Rome. The Holy Father took up residence there for several months as the surrounding city was being looted.

According to tradition, St. Michael the Archangel appeared during a procession led by Pope St. Gregory the Great during a plague, and was observed as a sign to end the pandemic. Pope Boniface IV then had a church built inside the Castel in honor of St. Michael. Castel Sant'Angelo then became a place of devotion for prayers of intercession to heal the sick.

Basilica of Holy Cross in Jerusalem (Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme)

Home of Saint Helena's Treasures

According to a collection of testimonies of the lives of saints, known as the "Golden Legend", St. Helena, in 326 A.D. made a journey destined to remain imprinted in history. She decided to travel to the Holy Land to visit the sites of Christ's Passion. And from this pilgrimage she brought back to Rome important relics; one of which was a fragment of the 'True Cross of Jesus'.

This church holds according to tradition the relics of Christ's passion and death. According to the book Liber Pontificalis, a biography of Pope St. Sylvester I (314-335 AD), it was founded by Emperor Constantine. It earned the dedication to the Holy Cross during the Middle Ages.