Description

Essentials about San Pietro in Vincoli in brief

The church of San Pietro in Vincoli (“St. Peter in Chains”) is one of the oldest churches in Rome. Located just north of the Colosseum on the Esquiline Hill, the church is named after the chains in which Peter lay during his imprisonment in Rome and Jerusalem. Another highlight of the church is the imposing tomb of Pope Julius II, on which Michelangelo also played a leading role.

The history of San Pietro in Vincoli

San Pietro in Vincoli is also known as “Basilica Eudoxiana”, after Licinia Eudoxia, wife of Emperor Valentinian III. Eudoxia brought to Rome the chains in which Peter had lain during his imprisonment. Therefore, many believe that the church was founded in the 5th century as a repository for this important relic. In fact, however, the church is much older, because a previous building, originally dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, was built as early as around the year 400. In the 6th century the church was damaged during the invasion of the Ostrogoths and was repaired by Pope Pelagius I. Between the 8th and 15th centuries it was restored several more times and even partially rebuilt in 1475. However, much of the interior, including the ceiling paintings, dates from the 18th century.

In the 5th century, Juvenal, bishop of Jerusalem, gave the chains in which Peter had allegedly been imprisoned in Jerusalem to Eudoxia’s mother, who in turn sent them to her daughter in Rome. Eudoxia gave the chains to Pope Leo I, who eventually kept them in this church, along with the chains in which Peter had lain in the Mamertine dungeon in Rome. According to a medieval legend, the two chains then miraculously joined together. Today, the chains are conspicuously displayed in a magnificent golden reliquary in front of the high altar.

The tomb of Pope Julius II.

However, most people visit the church not for Peter’s chains, but to see the tomb of Giuliano della Rovere, who served as Pope Julius II in 1503. In 1505, the pope had Michelangelo come to Rome to work on his tomb. He planned to have the tomb placed directly under the dome of the new St. Peter’s Basilica. Michelangelo designed a huge tomb with 40 statues. He traveled to Florence to acquire the best blocks of Carrara marble and began work. In 1508, however, the decoration of the Sistine Chapel attracted the Pope’s attention, and so Michelangelo was asked to do the ceiling painting of the chapel instead. Michelangelo reluctantly complied – considering himself more a sculptor and architect than a painter – and created his famous ceiling painting.

Shortly after completing the work, Julius II died, and his successors commissioned Michelangelo with other tasks. They showed no particular interest in the tomb of one of their predecessors, so Michelangelo was able to work on it only intermittently. When Michelangelo died in 1564, only the statues of Moses, Lea, Rachel and two dying slaves were finished. No one knows exactly what the tomb would have looked like, but in the most likely case, the statue of Julius was planned as the centerpiece of the work, with Moses and Jesus at the top. Instead, the statue of Moses now stands prominently in the center. Flanking him are Leah and Rachel, both created late in Michelangelo’s life. The two statues of dying slaves are now on display in the Louvre in Paris and the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence. The statues of Moses were created by Michelangelo’s students, though the reclining statue of Julius II could also be a creation of the master himself – experts still disagree.

The statue of Moses attracts the viewer’s attention not only because of its striking position, but also because of its captivating effect. The majestic and terrifying figure of the prophet depicts Moses returning from Mount Sinai with the Tablets of the Law at the moment when he finds the Israelites dancing around the golden calf. Veins and muscles are so emphasized that it seems as if the whole statue is quivering with rage; the facial expression also shows seriousness and anger.

Even Michelangelo considered the statue one of his best works, and reportedly thought the statue so lifelike that he began talking to Moses. When the statue did not answer, Michelangelo became enraged and threw a chisel at Moses’ knee in anger. This story could explain the cut that is visible on the statue’s right knee. Incidentally, the horns on Moses’ head are the result of a mistranslation of the Old Testament. In the Middle Ages, it was believed that the original scriptures described Moses as horned. Today we know that the text actually only attributes the expression “radiant” to his face.

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Opening hours

Opening hours Apr. – Sep.:

Admission fees

None.

Address

Getting there

By public transport:

Metro line B: Stop Cavour

Bus lines 75, 117, MB and nMB: Stop Cavour

By car:

There are no parking garages in the immediate vicinity of San Pietro in Vincoli.