Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
are at the turnstiles, look for the tour meeting point just past the ticket desk; pay the guide
directly.
With Limited Time:
With a single glance, you can basically see the entire interior. It's
not necessary to go upstairs or circle the place.
▲
Arch of Constantine
If you are a Christian, were raised a Christian, or simply belong to a so-called “Christian
nation,” ponder this arch. It marks one of the great turning points in history: the military
coupthatmadeChristianitymainstream.In
A.D.
312,EmperorConstantinedefeatedhisrival
Maxentius in the crucial Battle of the Milvian Bridge. The night before, he had seen a vis-
ion of a cross in the sky. Constantine—whose mother and sister had already become Chris-
tians—became sole emperor and legalized Christianity. With this one battle, a once-obscure
JewishsectwithahandfuloffollowersbecamethestatereligionoftheentireWesternworld.
In
A.D.
300, you could be killed for being a Christian; a century later, you could be killed for
not being one. Church enrollment boomed.
The restored arch is like an ancient museum. It's decorated entirely with recycled
carvings originally made for other buildings. By covering it with exquisite carvings of
high Roman art—works that glorified previous emperors—Constantine put himself in their
league. Hadrian is featured in the round reliefs, with Marcus Aurelius in the square reliefs
higher up. The big statues on top are of Trajan and Augustus. Originally, Augustus drove a
chariot similar to the one topping the modern Victor Emmanuel II Monument. Fourth-cen-
tury Rome may have been in decline, but Constantine clung to its glorious past.
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St. Peter-in-Chains Church (San Pietro in Vincoli)
Built in the fifth century to house the chains that held St. Peter, this church is most famous
for its Michelangelo statue. Check out the much-venerated chains under the high altar, then
focus on mighty Moses. (Note that this isn't the famous St. Peter's Basilica, which is at Vat-
ican City.)
Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to build a massive tomb, with 48 huge
statues, topped with a grand statue of this egomaniacal pope. The pope had planned to have
his tomb placed in the center of St. Peter's Basilica. When Julius died, the work had barely
been started, and no one had the money or necessary commitment to Julius to finish the pro-
ject.
In 1542, some of the remnants of the tomb project were brought to St. Peter-in-Chains
and pieced together by Michelangelo's assistants. Some of the best statues ended up else-
where, such as the
Prisoners
in Florence and the
Slaves
in the Louvre.
Moses
and the
Louvre's
Slaves
are the only statues Michelangelo personally completed for the project.
