Vatican Necropolis and Tomb of St. Peter
Route: THE PATRONS OF ROME. HISTORY OF PETER AND PAUL
Piazza San Pietro www.vatican.va www.scavi.va By reservation…
You are along the route: IN HOC SIGNO VINCES. CONSTANTINE CHRISTIAN EMPEROR
Piazza San Pietro
www.vatican.va
www.scavi.va
By reservation only. Admission fee.
The Vatican necropolis is situated under the Basilica of St. Peter. It is a pagan, underground, cemetery, from between the end of the first and fourth centuries AD; the graves, each belonging to a family whose name is commemorated by the memorial stone over the front door, are aligned along a small road, The tomb of the Giulii family of stands out for its mosaic decoration in Christian theme with the Good Shepherd, the Fisherman – alluding to St. Peter – and the prophet Jonah brought ashore by the sea monster. In correspondence with the canopy by Bernini above, lies the Tomb of Peter, a humble grave dug at the foot of the hill, around which, in the second century AD, a small shrine, called ”di Gaio”, was erected indicating the point underground where the remains of the saint were kept.
Foto ©Fabbrica di San Pietro in Vaticano
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