ROMA 2025 OCT

 

https://www.lateranensi.org/sanpietroinvincoli/

Basilica of St. Peter in Chains

Church opening hours

Morning:

From Monday to Saturday      7.30am – 12.20pm

Sundays and holidays   09.00 – 12.00

Afternoon:Everyday     (solar time) 3.00 pm – 5.50 pm     

(summer time) 3.00 pm – 6.50 pm

Holy Mass Schedule

WEEKDAYS:    7.30 am

HOLIDAY:    11.00 am

 Basilica di San Clemente

MONDAY TO SATURDAY:

from 9.00 to 12.30 (last entrance at 12.00)

from 14.00 to 18.00 (last entrance at 17.30)

SUNDAYS AND HOLIDAYS:

from 12.00 to 18.00 (last entrance 17.30)

The is unique for its layered historical structure  which includes significant medieval relics and art, particularly the 12th-century apse mosaic depicting the Tree of Life, and the 11th-century frescoes in the lower church with some of the earliest known examples of written Italian vernacular. Other unique elements are the Cosmatesque floor, the relics of Pope St. Clement in a relic chest, and the underground levels containing a 1st-century Roman house and a well-preserved 3rd-century Mithraeum. 

Artistic & Architectural Uniqueness

• 12th-Century Apse Mosaic: This vibrant mosaic features a cruciform acanthus vine, symbolizing the Tree of Life and eternal life, a common theme in Roman art but executed here with Christian symbolism. 
• Cosmatesque Floor: The floor is made from a stunning geometric pattern of colored inlaid marble, many pieces of which were recycled from older buildings, including tombstones, making it a fascinating historical document in itself. 
• 11th-Century Frescoes: The lower church contains a significant collection of early medieval frescoes, most notably one depicting a fragment of the Passio Sancti Clementis (the life of St. Clement). This particular fresco is considered one of the earliest examples of the Italian vernacular being written and used artistically, with the first part written in a language bridging Latin and early Italian. 
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• Chapel of St. Catherine : In the upper church, the Chapel of St. Catherine features frescoes by the early Renaissance painter Masolino da Panicale. 
• Frescoes

Relics & Subterranean Levels

• Relics of Pope St. Clement: The basilica houses a relic chest containing the relics of the namesake Pope St. Clement, emphasizing the church's connection to the saint. 
• Mithraeum: The underground levels contain one of the best-preserved Mithraea (temples to the god Mithras) in the world, showcasing ancient pagan religious practices with its depictions of Mithras. 
• 1st-Century Roman House: Beneath the church, the remains of a Roman-era building, believed to be a house, can be found. 
• Schola Cantorum: The medieval choir (Schola Cantorum), with its distinctive two ambos and twisted paschal candle column, was relocated from a previous basilica and is now a key feature in the current church. 

Basilica di Santo Stefano Rotondo al Celio

Wednesday

10 AM–1 PM

3:30–6:30 PM

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Thursday

10 AM–1 PM

3:30–6:30 PM

ST PETERS

Here are the seven Jubilee altars inside St. Peter's Basilica, with their locations, as an alternative pilgrimage to the Seven Churches of Rome: 

• Altar of St. Jerome (also containing the tomb of Pope St. John XXIII)
• Altar of St. Simon and St. Jude (Left transept)
• Altar of St. Thomas (Left transept)
• Altar of the Lie (opposite the Sacristy entrance)
• Altar of the Transfiguration (Clementine Chapel)
• Altar of St. Basil (Left transept)