The basilica known as Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli was founded in the 5th century (around 432-440 AD) by the Empress Licinia Eudoxia to house a relic: the chains with which Saint Peter was bound in Jerusalem.
The name ("in Vincoli" = "in chains") comes directly from those chains, celebrated in a legend that their two separate sets — one from Jerusalem, one from Rome's Mamertine Prison — miraculously fused when compared.
Over the centuries, the church was rebuilt and remodelled: major renovations under Pope Julius II in the early 16th century and later under various architects.
Inside the central nave, you'll find a coffered ceiling whose central oval hosts a fresco by Giovanni Battista Parodi from 1706 titled "Miracle of the Chains".
The scene depicts Pope Alexander III healing Saint Balbina's neck by touching the chains of Peter — a narrative meant to celebrate the relic's power and the basilica's sacred status. Among other treasures, the basilica houses the famous sculpture of Moses ("Moses" by Michelangelo) by Michelangelo Buonarroti, created for Pope Julius II's tomb. Urban legends here include the miraculous merging of Peter's chains and Michelangelo striking Moses' knee, commanding "speak!" after sculpting it.
Opening hours: Monday–Saturday 07:30-12:20 and 15:00-17:50 (winter hours) according to the official site. lateranensi.org
Website: lateranensi.org/sanpietroinvincoli lateranensi.org
Entrance: No regular ticket fee (entry is generally free); donations welcome.
Rome rises on seven hills, and this walk takes us across two of its most revealing ones — Esquiline and Palatine. The Esquiline, once the city’s eastern edge, still carries traces of imperial gardens, hidden nymphaea, magical gates, and traditions that survived the fall of the empire. The Palatine, the hill of the emperors, preserves stadiums, palaces, terraces and views where the entire history of Rome — Republic, Empire, Middle Ages, Baroque and modern Italy — lies in a single panorama. Along the way, we meet the monuments, streets and layers we uncovered in this journey: the baths of Trajan, the Domus Aurea beneath the grass, the Palatine stadium, the Forum’s arches and temples, and the buildings that reshaped Rome across two millennia. And we pause for something timeless: a pastry shop on the Esquiline that has kept its flavours unchanged for more than a century — a taste of Rome as constant as its stones.
