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StumbleUponSan Pietro in Vincoli (St Peter in Chains), Rome
Aerial view of San Pietro in Vincoli. Image © Google Earth.
St. Peter's chains enshrined at the Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli.
Photo licensed under GFDL.
Michelangelo's Moses (1515). Photo
Prasenberg. San Pietro in Vincoli (Saint Peter in Chains) is a minor basilica in Rome, Italy. It is most famous for housing Michelangelo's statue Moses.
The basilica was first built in the middle of the 5th century to house the relic of the chains that bound Saint Peter while imprisoned in Jerusalem.
According to legend, when Empress Eudoxia (wife of Emperor Valentinian III) gave Pope Leo I the chains as a gift, he compared them to the chains of St. Peter's first imprisonment in the Mamertine Prison in Rome and the two chains miraculously fused together.
The chains are kept in a reliquary under the main altar in the basilica.
The basilica has undergone several restorations and rebuildings, including a restoration by Pope Adrian I, a rebuilding by Pope Sixtus IV and another by Pope Julius II. There was also a renovation in 1875. Some modernizations were made at that time.
Michelangelo's Moses, which dates from 1515, is the most notable piece of artwork in the basilica. Originally intended as part of a 40-statue funeral monument for Pope Julius II, "Moses" became the Pope's funeral monument and tomb in his family's church.
Quick Facts
| Address: | Piazza San Pietro in Vincoli 4A, Rome, Italy |
| Location: | Off Via degli Annibaldi |
| Phone: | 06-4882865 |
| Metro: | V. Cavour |
| Foot: | From Metro station, cross the boulevard and walk up the flight of stairs. Turn right, and you'll head into the piazza; the church will be on your left |
| Hours: | Spring/summer: daily 7am-12:30pm and 3:30-7pm Autumn/winter: to 6pm |
| Cost: | Free |
More Information
- St. Peter in Chains (San Pietro in Vincoli) - Frommer's Attraction Review
- San Pietro in Vincoli - Fodor's Online Travel Guide
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Location Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of San Pietro in Vincoli. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Rome Map or get our free Google Earth download.
