San Pietro in Vincoli, Minor basilica in Monti district, Rome, Italy
San Pietro in Vincoli is a basilica in the Monti district of Rome. The three naves are separated by twenty ancient Doric columns made of Greek marble, while the vaulted ceiling is painted with frescoes.
Empress Licinia Eudoxia founded the church between 432 and 440 to preserve the chains that held Peter in Jerusalem. In the 16th century, Julius II had his tomb built here and commissioned Michelangelo for its design.
The name refers to the chains of Saint Peter, kept beneath the main altar in a gilded reliquary. Visitors often come to see the Moses statue by Michelangelo, positioned in the right transept before the tomb of Julius II.
The church is open daily from morning to afternoon, with a midday break between the two opening periods. Admission is free, but modest clothing is expected as this is an active place of worship.
Two sets of chains, said to come from Jerusalem and Rome, are believed to have joined miraculously before Pope Leo I. The reliquary beneath the altar still displays the linked pieces to visitors today.
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