E00690: The Notitia ecclesiarum urbis Romae, a guide to saints' graves around Rome, closes with the church and grave of *Peter (the Apostle, S00036) on the 'via Vaticana', north-west of the city. Written in Latin in Rome, 625/649. A description of the basilica, added in the later 8th c., lists many of the altars of saints within the church.
Creators: name: Bryan
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2015
Subjects: History

description: Catalogue of the Churches of the City of Rome (Notitia ecclesiarum urbis Romae) 35-43<br><br>Et sic intrabis uia Vaticana donec peruenies ad basilicam beati Petri, quam Constantinus imperator totius orbis condidit, eminentem super omnes ecclesias et formosam, in cuius occidentali plaga beatum corpus eius quiescit.<br><br>....<br><br>Intrante in porticum sancti Andreae occurrit tibi in sinistra manu altare sancti Laurenti<i>, deinde sancti Viti, deinde sancti Cassiani, deinde ipsius Andreae in medio rotundae; et sic sancti Thomae; et sic sancti Apollinaris; nouissime sancti Syxti. Egrediente uero accipiet sanctus te Martinus, et deducet ad sanctam Petronellam; ibi te primo accipiet Saluator Mundi, adsignat que sanctae Anastasiae, et illa Sanctissimae Genetrici Dei, quae te commendat sanctae Petronellae, ut te deducat ad filium suum Saluatorem Mundi, qui te per beatum Theodorum mittit ad sanctum Michaelem archangelum, ut eius suffragio iterum ad sanctissimam suam genetricem deducaris, ut illa te reddat XII apostolis, qui per beatum Petrum principem apostolorum iterum mittunt ad sanctam Mariam; ex cuius latere sinistro te Leo papa accipiet, reddit que iterum eidem Genetrici Dei, cuius auxilio tandem peruenies per cryptam ad caput beati Petri principis apostolorum. Et exinde peruenies ad altare maius eiusque confessionem. Et exinde, post fusas poenitentiae lacrimas, uadis ad locum ubi idem beatissimus apostolus apparuit cuidam mansionario suo; tum ad eiusdem quoque sancti Apostoli altare quod nomine pastoris nominatur, ubi ferunt lapsum mansionarium per beatum Petrum apostolum a ruina esse defensum. Tum etiam tibi pergendum est ad porticum ubi uiuificae crucis uexillum seruatur; te que ad fontem ingrediente altare est in muro beati Georgii martyris. Tum ad sanctum Iohannem Euangelistam, eo que salutato peruenies ad sanctum Iohannem Babtistam; eo que ducente curre ad praesepe sanctae Mariae: eo que osculato perge ad porticum Petronellae; gaudensque ascende ad Gregorii lectum patris sancti, in quo spiritum reddidit deo datori dignum munus; et ibi habes altaria XI. Inde que discende atque festina ad orationem sanctae Mariae quae antiqua dicitur; deinde ad lapides purporeos qui in medio pauimento iacent et in modum crucis positi sunt. Et exinde ad corpus sancti patris Gregori<i> eundum est; et ex eo loco ad sanctam Mariam quae noua dicitur.<br><br><br>'So you step onto the via Vaticana and then come to the basilica of saint Peter, which Constantine, emperor of the whole world, founded, pre-eminent over all other churches, and beautiful. His [saint Peter's] body rests in its western part.<br><br>....<br><br>When you enter the portico of saint *Andrew [the Apostle, S00288] you will see on your left the altar of saint *Laurence [deacon and martyr of Rome, S00037], and then that of saint *Vitus [martyr of Lucania and Rome, S00599], and that of saint Cassianus [teacher and martyr of Imola, $00309] and that of the same Andrew in the middle of the rotunda; and also that of saint *Thomas [the Apostle, S00199] and saint *Apollinaris [bishop and martyr of Ravenna, S00331], and, lastly, that of saint *Sixtus [bishop and martyr of Rome, *S00130]. As you go out, saint *Martin [ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397, S00050] will receive you and lead you to saint *Petronilla [daughter of St Peter and martyr of Rome, S00402]. There the Saviour of the World will first receive you and commit you to saint *Anastasia [martyr of Sirmium and Rome, S00602], and she [will commit you] to the Most Holy Mother of God [*Mary, Mother of Christ, S00033] who will commend you to saint Petronilla, so that she leads you to Her son, the Saviour of the World, who will send you, through the agency of the blessed *Theodore [soldier and martyr of Amaseia and Euchaita, S00480], to saint *Michael the Archangel [S00181], so that by his aid you are led back to His Mother, and let Her hand you to the *12 Apostles [S00084] who will send you, through the agency of the blessed Peter, the chief of the apostles, to the Holy Mary; and at her left, pope *Leo [bishop of Rome, ob. 461, S00423] will receive you and hand you again to the same Mother of God, by whose aid you will pass through the crypt to the head of the blessed Peter, the chief of the apostles. And then you come to the great altar and its confessio. And then, after having shed many tears of penitence you will go to the place where the same most holy Apostle appeared to one of his treasurers. Then [you come] to the same altar of the holy Apostle which is called "the shepherd's" and at which, as they say, the fallen treasurer was saved by the blessed Apostle Peter from ruin. Then you should go to the portico where the life-giving sign of the cross is deposited; and when you approach the [baptismal] font there is an altar of the blessed martyr *George [soldier and martyr, S00259] against the wall. Then you go to saint *John the Evangelist [S00042] and, having greeted him, to saint *John the Baptist [S00020] And following his lead, hasten to the crib of the Holy Mary, and having kissed it, proceed to the portico of Petronilla; and ascend with joy to the funeral bed of the holy father *Gregory ['the Great', bishop of Rome, ob. 604, S00838]where he gave up his spirit, a fitting gift to God who gives. There are 11 altars here. Descend from this place and make haste to the oratory of the holy Mary which is called "the Old" and then to the purple stones which are placed in the middle of the pavement and arranged in the form of the cross. And then you should go to the body of the holy father Gregory which is in the same [place]. And from this place to the holy Mary which is called "the New".<br><br>Text: Glorie 1965, 310-311. Translation: R. Wiśniewski, P. Polcar<br></i></i>