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St Peter in Chains is a Roman Catholic titular church and minor basilica in Rome, Italy, best known for being the home of Michelangelo's statue of Moses and the tomb of Pope Julius II. The basilica was first rebuilt on older foundations in 432–440 to house the relic of the chains that bound St Peter when he was imprisoned in Jerusalem. It was consecrated in 439 by Pope Sixtus III and has undergone several restorations. A restoration by Pope Adrian I was completed in the eleventh century. From 1471 to 1503, in which year he was elected Pope, Julius II, the nephew of Pope Sixtus IV, effected notable rebuilding. The front portico, attributed to Baccio Pontelli, was added in 1475. The cloister (1493–1503) has been attributed to Giuliano da Sangallo. Further work was done at the beginning of the 18th century, under Francesco Fontana, and another renovation in 1875. The interior has a nave and two aisles, with three apses divided by antique Doric columns. The aisles are surmounted by cross-vaults, while the nave has an 18th-century coffered ceiling, frescoed in the center by Giovanni Battista Parodi, portraying the Miracle of the Chains (1706). In this scene, Pope Alexander heals the neck goiter of St Balbina by touching her with the chains that once bound St Peter. Michelangelo's Moses (completed in 1515) became the centerpiece of the Pope Julius II's funeral monument. Moses is depicted with horns, connoting "the radiance of the Lord", due to the similarity in the Hebrew words for "beams of light" and "horns". This kind of iconographic symbolism was common in early sacred art, and for an artist, horns are easier to sculpt than rays of light. 
St Peter in Chains Exterior Views 
St Peter in Chains Interior Views (Last 3 Photos) Relic of the Chains of St Peter Tomb of Pope Julius II (Sculpture of Moses in the Center) Michelangelo's Statue of Moses (Note the Horns on Moses!) St Peter in Chains - The liberation of the apostle Peter is an event described in the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 12 in which Peter is rescued from prison by an angel. Although described in a short textual passage, the tale has given rise to theological discussions and has been the subject of a number of artworks. Acts 12:3–19 says that St Peter was put into prison by King Herod, but the night before his trial an angel appeared to him and told him to leave. St Peter's chains fell off, and he followed the angel out of prison, thinking it was a vision (verse 9). The prison doors opened of their own accord, and the angel led Peter into the city. Reference: 'San Pietro in Vincoli' on WikiPedia.org 'Liberation of Peter' on Wikipedia.org All Photographs are from Commons.WikiMedia.org 
Popes & Basilicas - Pope Julius II & Bramante's Plans 162 (1953) The Renaissance Pope - Pope Julius II 1539 (2013) Jubilee Popes 1300-1525 - Pope Sixtus IV 1070 (1998) Martyrdom Sts Peter & Paul in 64 A.D. - St. Peter 448 (1967) 26th Holy Year - St. Peter 568 (1974) Martyrdom of Saint Peter 1950th Anniversary 1653 (2017) |
