Tourists and pilgrims flock to Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli to see both the legendary chains of St. Peter, which are said to have bound him when he was imprisoned in Jerusalem, and Michelangelo's statue of Moses, built as part of a tomb of Pope Julius II. The church, consecrated in 439 CE, underwent several major restorations over the centuries. The most notable renovation and expansion effort added the front portico and the cloister in the 15th century. Michelangelo's "Moses," with two small horns sticking out of his head, was intended as part of a massive, 47-statue monument for Pope Julius II, but it eventually became the centerpiece of the funeral monument and tomb. Moses' horns, once the subject of much curiosity, simply represent beams of light, a kind of iconographic symbolism common in early sacred art. To visit Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli on your holiday in Rome, and find out what else Rome has to offer, use our Rome.
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Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli reviews
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At the age of 77, knowing for around 70 years about this iconic sculpture and never being there - It is a pleasure and excitement to go and see it yourself.
At the age of 77, knowing for around 70 years about this iconic sculpture and never being there - It is a pleasure and excitement to go and see it yourself. more »
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Came across this church on the way to the colloseum. Not a Christian or a historian but the tombs with skeletons are pretty quirky and the Michelangelo sculpture of Moses particularly interesting as..... more
Came across this church on the way to the colloseum. Not a Christian or a historian but the tombs with skeletons are pretty quirky and the Michelangelo sculpture of Moses particularly interesting as..... more »
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From the outside this place is very deceiving and appears to be simple but once you enter you'll be blown away! The 2 stars of the show here are Michelangelo's Moses sculpture and the chains that bound Saint Peter when he was imprisoned in Jerusalem. The church feels very welcoming and calm, and it's free to enter. I highly recommend stopping here when in Rome, if even just for a few minutes.
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Mostly visited because of the Mausoleum of Julius II with Michelangelo’s Moses, the church deserves more justice than its famous sculpture. Being a pilgrim church for centuries, it keeps the chains that bounded St Peter before martyrdom (hence the name of the church in Italian: Saint Peter in Chains). The chains are kept inside an old mechanism that closes the reliquary. The apse also deserves a close look as the ceiling above the nave. The times posted at Google Maps might be tricky so try to approach the church in a decent time to assure your entrance. Bring some spare euros to light the sculptures and the reliquary.
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