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All 916 Rome Attractions »

St. Peter in Chains (San Pietro in Vincoli)

Piazza San Pietro in Vincoli 4A, 00184 Rome, Italy
39 6 488 2865
Ranked #19 of 489 attractions in Rome
4.5 of 5 stars 309 Reviews
Type: Religious Sites, Historic Sites, Churches/ Cathedrals
Description: This 5th-century church features Michelangelo's sculpture of Moses that adorns the incomplete tomb of Pope Julius II.
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309 reviews from our community

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Andover, New Jersey
Senior Contributor
36 reviews 36 reviews
Reviews in 17 cities Reviews in 17 cities
58 helpful votes 58 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 15, 2012 NEW

If only to see Michaelangelo's statue of Moses, as well as the chains which assertedly bound St. Peter, this somewhat out of the way church is well worth a visit.. I did not go there on my most recent trip trip to Rome, but have been there many times in the past. More

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See 11 more reviews by Navassabob for Rome
Hollywood, Florida
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 14, 2012 NEW

Wonderful place to visit, regardless of your faith. More

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See 3 more reviews by AyltonSouza for Rome
East Lansing, MI
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 14, 2012 NEW

This is a very impressive church (as many in Rome are). Great artwork, etc, not too crowded. More

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See 4 more reviews by smitty48823 for Rome
Grenoble, France
Top Contributor
53 reviews 53 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
26 helpful votes 26 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 12, 2012 NEW

If you believe the story, this church contains part of the chains that held St. Peter. My mother-in-law was interested in this story, but most other visiters were interested in the Michalangelo sculpture of Moses. It's a little hard to find, so be prepared to hunt a little. More

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See 13 more reviews by Lenabug1101 for Rome
Seattle, WA
Top Contributor
60 reviews 60 reviews
Reviews in 21 cities Reviews in 21 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 12, 2012 NEW

This church looks like it could be any old residence or workshop from the outside, but inside it holds the relics of St. Peter's chains, and a huge and impressive Michelangelo sculpture of Moses. It's at the top of a staircase, tucked away, and worth finding for a half-hour visit. More

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See 11 more reviews by Navajorug for Rome
London, United Kingdom
Contributor
16 reviews 16 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 9, 2012 NEW

I would recommend Gesu and San Clemente before this one. That being said, Michelangelo's Moses is here as are the chains of St. Peter. More

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See 2 more reviews by ms_angela22 for Rome
coppell texas usa
Contributor
20 reviews 20 reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 6, 2012

Beautiful little church, although we had a little difficulty finding it. More

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See 3 more reviews by barbaradtaylor for Rome
Peterborough, United Kingdom
Senior Contributor
25 reviews 25 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 6, 2012

A statue of Moses by Michael Angelo is in here, really good. Not so easy to find using signage. More

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See 10 more reviews by KennyC999 for Rome
USA
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 5, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

Worth a trip to see this impressive sculpture. Moses is depicted with horns as was a common stereotype of Jews throughout the Middle Ages. The misrepresentation is due to a biblical mistake that mistranslated the word "radiant." Moses came down from Mt. Sinai and his face was radiant was translated to his face was "horned." Here that mistake is immortalized... More

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See 2 more reviews by HighExpectationsUSA for Rome
Salt Lake City
Senior Contributor
21 reviews 21 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 3, 2012

This is pretty much another cathedral. Except it has Michaelangelo's Moses inside. This was a must see for me. I was not disappointed. More

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See 4 more reviews by David B for Rome

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