The First Dwelling of the Apostles in Rome
The First Dwelling of the Apostles in Rome
The Church of Santa Maria in Via Lata, in the center of Rome, contains an underground crypt that served as the dwelling place of Peter, Paul, and their collaborators, Mark and Luke, during their time in Rome. The location, away from the Jewish ghetto, was chosen by Peter, who, after three imprisonments in Jerusalem, preferred to live among the Gentiles.
The crypt has a baroque bas-relief depicting St. Paul with a sword, St. Peter with the keys and St. Luke writing the Acts of the Apostles. It is believed that Saint Luke wrote part of the Acts of the Apostles here, while Saint Paul wrote several letters here, including his second letter to Timothy and letters to the Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon.
St. Martial, who welcomed the Apostles and was baptized by St. Peter, is depicted in the artwork. He later became one of the first bishops of the Church and was sent to Le Mans in France. A Roman column in the crypt commemorates St. Paul's two years of house arrest and bears his words: "Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, a descendant of David-this is my gospel, for which I suffer even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the Word of God is not in chains."
The site includes Paul's chains in a protective case and an ancient well where the chains were discovered. This well was also used to baptize early Roman Christians. The upper church, a 17th-century Baroque structure, contains a 12th-century icon of "Mary Advocate," depicting Mary's role as intercessor. Among the paintings is one of Saint Paul baptizing Saint Sabina, an early Roman convert from the Aventine Hill.
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