Lenten Station Church
Tuesday of Holy Week
St. Prisca
(Santa Prisca)

St Prisca is a titular church devoted to St Prisca, a 1st-century martyr. It was built in the 4th or 5th century over a temple of Mithras. Damaged in the Norman Sack of Rome, the church was restored several times. The current aspect is due to the 1660 restoration, which included a new facade. The interior columns are the only visible remains of the ancient church. Also, a baptismal font allegedly used by St Peter is conserved. The frescos in the crypt have an altar that contains the relics of St Prisca. The Mithraeum under St Prisca was first discovered in 1934, having been excavated by Augustinian Catholic Fathers who had been in charge of the monastery. Excavations by the Dutch began in 1952–59. Upon beginning the excavations in 1952, the Dutch cleared away mounds of earth which were thought to have been a sort of trench. During this period, many artifacts were discovered. Some of these discoveries included frescoes, mosaics, remains of various vases, stucco, as well as fragments of mosaic and brick. The original Mithraeum had a central aisle, a niche, and side benches. Fine frescoes were found on the walls of the ancient Mithraeum as well as a stucco sculpture of Mithras the Bull Slayer, one of the main images of the Mithras cult. The central apse above the altar of the church is decorated with frescoes which tells the stories of Prisca’s baptism, martyrdom and the translation of her relics by Pope Eutychian. The altarpiece describes the baptism of Priscilla. Other curiosities of the church are the columns of the eighth century that were incorporated into pillars, when the church was almost completely rebuilt and restored in the twelfth century. A fire in 400 damaged 3 bays, so that the church itself was shortened stepping back the facade. St Prisca Exterior Views St Prisca Interior Views (The Last Photo: Inside the ancient Mithraeum under St Prisca) Legend says that St Prisca was of a noble family. At age thirteen, she was supposedly baptized by St Peter. Emperor Claudius ordered her to make a sacrifice to the god Apollo. When she refused because of her Christian faith, she was beaten and sent to prison. She was at last thrown to a lion in the amphitheater, but it quietly lay down at her feet. She was starved for three days in a slaves' prison house, tortured upon the rack, and thrown on a burning pile. She remained alive but was eventually beheaded. Reference: 'Santa Prisca, Rome' on Wikipedia.org 'Saint Prisca' on Wikipedia.org All Photographs are from Commons.WikiMedia.org Martyrdom Sts Peter & Paul in 64 A.D. - St. Peter 448 (1967) St Prisca and the Lion - a Print by Adriaen Collaert in1600