SAINT PETER IN CHAIN - SAN PIETRO IN VINCOLI
In the Monti quarter there are many churches, some of which are
universally famous. The Church of San Pietro in Vincoli (St. Peter
in chains) owes its name to the precious relic it hosts: the chains
used to fetter St. Peter in his prisons in Jerusalem and in Rome.
The original church was dedicated to the Apostles and was built
in the 4th century. Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere, the future Julius
II, completely modified the church in the 15th century, which was
further modified during the following century.
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San Pietro in Vincoli,
exterior
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San Pietro in Vincoli,
interior
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In the exterior you can see the church, having a portico with five
arches, adjoining to the building of the faculty of engineering.
The church has a plan of a basilica, being divided by twenty ancient
marble columns in the interior.
On the ceiling there is a beautiful fresco by Giovanni Battista
Parodi (1706). There are paintings by Guercino and Domenichino,
a Byzantine mosaic showing St. Sebastian, yet all these masterpieces
are eclipsed by the TOMB OF JULIUS II, by Michelangelo, notwistanding
the initial grandiose conception was never completed.
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The monument was only completed in 1545, "a tragedy",
as Michelangelo put it. Nevertheless, Michelangelo was so
impressed of the result of his work that it is said he threw
his hammer against the statue crying "why won't you speak?".
Sigmund Freud, who was very interested about the significance
of Moses, and in general of anthropology and psychology of
religions, came to Rome in more than one occasion to study
and interpret the statue.
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Pope Julius II summoned Michelangelo
in 1505 to build a sunctuose mausoleum for St. Peter, which
would have included 40 statues. The work was suspended many
times, first by quarrels between the Pope and Michelangelo,
then by the decoration by the artist of the Sistine Chapel,
and finally by the death of the Pope. The master entrusted
the main part of the work to his pupils, who executed them
in accordance to his designs. Michelangelo was though totally
responsible for the Moses, and was largely responsible for
the figures next to him, his wifes Rachel (left, symbolizing
Contemplative Life), and Leah (right, Active Life).
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The complex of statues
of Michelangelo
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Moses, side view |
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Moses, close-up |
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S. Freud considered Moses an Egyptian, not a Jew. According to the
founder of psychoanalysis, he was a priest, a follower of the religion
worshipping the sun, introduced by Akhenaton. When the traditional
priests restored the original Egyptian religion, they persecuted
the followers of Akhenaton. Moses (or Mosis, according to Freud)
then sought protection among the Jews, originally an Egyptian tribe.
The Jews were thus converted to the new religion, and later developed
their present one.
Freud tried also to interpret the particular posture that Michelangelo
gave to Moses. In fact he does not have a classical expression,
but rather a grim look to the left. Freud wrote an essay with his
thoughts, entitled "The Moses of Michelangelo".
His conclusion is that Moses has the very serious and grim expression
as he just returned from the mountain where we received the Tables
of the Law, and he found his people worshipping the Golden Calf.
Moses is hence looking at them in disdain, and is about to stand
up in anger and break the Tables of the Law.
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The chains of St. Peter |
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The Church of San Francesco di Paola |
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As mentioned, the church also preserves the chains of St. Peter,
in the confessio. According to tradition, when the two chains used
to fetter the Saint in Jerusalem and in Rome were brought together,
they were united miraculously.
Adjacent to the church of St. Peter in Chain, and having its entrance
in the same square, is the national church of the Calabrians, named after the saint San
Francesco di Paola. The medieval tower of the Margini was converted
into its bell tower.
Back to the "Monti quarter general
presentation"
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