Coliseum TOUR ROME History |
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IMPERIAL FORUM TOUR
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Opposite the Curia Iulia, buried a few metres beneath the foot of the north eastern slope of the Capitoline Hill is the notorious Mamertine Prison (Tullianum). Christians believe that St. Peter was incarcerated in the deeper chamber there before his execution in c. 64 AD, so it is no surprise to learn that not one, but two churches now occupy the original site. On the overground with it's back to Via dei Fori Imperiali is S. Giuseppe dei Falegnami, which covers the entrance, while below the chapel of S. Pietro in Carcere complete with inverted cross can be seen. A self-serving attraction to perpetuate the tradition that St. Peter was crucified upside down. The Tullianum was reserved for political prisoners, foreign military leaders and other enemies of the state. Inmates were detained prior to an undignified end by strangulation. Under Roman law, imprisonment was not punishment for a crime, rather a holding stage before trial or execution. The story of St. Peter's unproven connection with the Mamertine Prison has popularised the site for over 1,500 years. Christian pilgrims flock to the tiny altars which have been 'disneyfied' with the recent addition of a multimedia entrance and walkway. However, the prison today still comprises two underground levels built in c. 620 BC over an ancient cistern, which later became part of the Cloaca Maxima (600 BC), Rome's earliest sewer.
[Previous Page / Next Page] ** This page introduces the Mamertine Prison |
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