shrines

Located at the base of the Capitoline Hill above the Forum, this ancient prison is said to be where St. Peter and Paul were held before their execution in Rome.

Built on the site of a miraculous August snowfall, this major basilica dates from the early 5th century. The huge church is lined with Byzantine mosaics and contains many important relics.

Monte Sant'Angelo is a sacred cave and popular Catholic shrine near San Giovanni Rotundo in Puglia. Here the Archangel Michael is said to have appeared in 490, 492 and 1656, consecrating the shrine himself.

Often overlooked by non-pilgrims, the Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme is located just down the road from St. John Lateran in Rome. It includes the private chapel of St.

Dedicated to both John the Evangelist and John the Baptist, St. John Lateran is the cathedral of Rome and one of its four major basilicas. It includes a fine 13th-century cloister.

This major pilgrimage basilica features a columned portico, 6th-century mosaic, catacombs, and lovely 12th-century cloister. It is dedicated to Lawrence, who was martyred by roasting on a gridiron.

This small church houses the chains that held St. Peter while he was imprisoned in Rome and a famous statue of Moses by Michelangelo.

This 13th-century church is the final resting place of St. Clare, the beloved friend of St. Francis and founder-abbess of the Order of the Poor Clares. It also contains important Franciscan relics.

This grand Baroque basilica houses the small Porziuncola, a chapel restored by St. Francis and the place where St. Clare took her vows, as well as the humble cell in which St. Francis died.

The Basilica of St. John was built by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century over the traditional tomb of John the Evangelist. The site became a major pilgrimage destination in the Early Middle Ages.

Dura Europos (nicknamed the “Pompeii of the Syrian Desert.”) is an important archaeological site in eastern Syria on the Euphrates river.

This beautiful marble cathedral boasts magnificent Romanesque sculptures on its facade and a much-revered crucifix (the Volto Santo) sheltered inside.