Church Of St. Peter In Chains

We finished the Forum well before our 4:55 timed ticket to the Coliseum, so, after a rest and a drink, we thought we might hike back up a bit of the Esquiline Hill to visit the church of St. Peter in Chains, another old favorite...but with an interesting surprise.

Another very old and historic church; one of the
earliest paleo-Christian churches [click to enlarge]

Standard basilica design

Near the entrance/exit, a fresco said to have been
painted during the 1476 plague (the big one was
in 1348)

Nave view; beautiful Doric columns

Depiction of Peter, in chains, visited by an angel; in
Jerusalem, not Rome; actually, there is no Biblical
nor other credible evidence that Peter ever was
in Rome

Tomb of Pope Julius II; sculpture by Michaelangelo
and assistants

Among others, Rachel, Rachel

And Moses, one of Michaelangelo's biggest
hits; the horny Moses...

As if a Michaelangelo sculpture on that scale were not enough,
here is the relic, the actual chains used to confine Peter; looks
like a grade #30 from Home Depot

Plunk a euro into the Divine Illumination Machine (DIM) and
the lights come on for better viewing and photography

Frescoed half dome above the altar 

Bare adjacent ceiling: "this space available," "your
message here"

So I am photographing the very old organ when
suddenly it begins playing...and I hear Vicki
excitedly calling to me...

She has found us something entirely new and 
different and interesting, a Divine Organismic Machine
...plunk down a euro and you get an historic musical
experience to go with all the rest...