Jospers' Posterous

It may seem odd to look for spiritual inspiration inside an ancient, subterranean jail cell, but then the story of the Mamertine Prison and its significance to the history of the early Christian Church is full of surprises. A new, multi-media tour run by Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi’s Roma Cristiana that opened this summer takes pilgrims through the chambers of this underground prison, revealing new details about a legend that is nearly as old as the Church itself: that St. Peter was imprisoned here before his crucifixion.

The prison, widely believed to be ancient Rome’s first maximum security prison, is located on (or under, we should say) the periphery of the Roman Forum. It lies below the Chiesa di San Giuseppe dei Falegnami (pictured above). The prison dates back to the 6th Century B.C. and has a brutal history. High-profile prisoners, often officers from defeated armies, were incarcerated here before they were paraded through the streets of Rome and executed, historians say. Tradition says both St. Peter and Paul were held here as well, chained to a marble column.

The story of Peter’s incarceration is particularly vivid. It contends that Peter pounded on the stone floor of the prison, miraculously splitting the stones and sending forth a spring of water into the chamber. As Carol Glatz of Catholic News Service reports, “tradition holds that after [Peter] miraculously made the water gush forth, he converted and baptized his two prison guards as well as 47 others while he was imprisoned there.”

There is still no definitive proof that Peter and Paul were held here, despite the many stories dating back to the first centuries after Christ that contend they were. However, archaeologists recently uncovered new findings in a series of excavations at the prison site that give further support to the belief Peter was indeed imprisoned here.

The new findings are explained in full detail in this hour-long tour, which is narrated in Italian, French, Spanish and English, says Raffaela Scarano, general manager of Roma Cristiana.

To book a place, please visit ORP's online reservation portal. It's also possible to buy tickets at the entrance of the prison at no extra cost.

Or email us at: usp@orpnet.org

TEL. +39 06.69896357 or +39 06.69896380

About Jospers
Jospers is a virtual community for pilgrims and those travelers with a deep interest in spiritual, historically significant, eco-conscious travel. It was created by Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi and its sub-brand, Journeys of the Spirit – hence the name, Jospers. You can follow us on Facebook at "Jospers World" or on Twitter at @JospersWorld.