📖 Introduction
San Pietro in Montorio is a small church that is one of the most precious gems of Trastevere. It can be found on the ‘Golden Hill’ – ‘Monte Oro,’ as the Janiculum Hill was commonly called due to the distinctive color of its soil.
The uniqueness of the church is further enhanced by the fact that it was built on the site where, according to a belief particularly widespread in the Middle Ages, stood the cross on which Saint Peter died. While the Catholic Church’s dogma about the Apostle’s martyrdom in the arena of the Vatican Circus lends special significance to Saint Peter’s Basilica—and largely prevented Rome from losing its importance to Christianity when the capital of the Roman Empire was moved to Constantinople—it cannot be definitively ruled out that the Janiculum Hill was Saint Peter’s Golgotha. This is also supported by Roman customs, which dictated that crosses for convicts were erected in highly visible places, just as was the case with Christ’s crucifixion in Jerusalem. The Apostle Peter, considering himself unworthy to die in the same manner as Jesus, requested to be crucified upside down.

⛪ The Church as a Place of Remembrance
The first church and monastery complex on this site was built in the 9th century, while the current church was constructed at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries thanks to the funding of the Spanish royal couple, Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon. In 1500, the church was consecrated by their longtime friend Rodrigo Borgia, who was then Pope Alexander VI. This act was an expression of gratitude for granting Spain the right to claim the new lands discovered by Christopher Columbus.
In the courtyard of the Franciscan monastery stands the Tempietto, a small commemorative tomb marking the site of Saint Peter’s crucifixion. It was designed by Milanese architect Donato Bramante, who arrived in Rome in the early 16th century, inspired by classical antiquity. The circular structure of the Tempietto is modeled after the Temple of Vesta from the🔗 Roman Forum and is characterized by its perfect proportions, reminiscent of the🔗 Pantheon. It is surrounded by 16 columns, reflecting the ideal proportions aligned with the theories of Vitruvius, a Roman architect from the 1st century BCE, whose ideas greatly influenced Renaissance architects.
The Tempietto is a magnificent example of late Italian Renaissance art and served as an inspiration for the reconstruction of Saint Peter’s Basilica. Bramante had envisioned the Tempietto encircled by concentric rings of colonnades, but this project was never realized.
🎨 The Interior as an Art Museum
From the outside, San Pietro in Montorio appears modest, with a facade that doesn’t hint at the richness and majesty hidden within. The interior exudes tranquility and elegance, while the dim light enhances a gradual sense of awe and elevation. The church is a single-nave structure with four side chapels on each side, adorned with works by some of the greatest artists of the 16th and 17th centuries. Among the most important artworks in the church are The Flagellation and The Transfiguration by Sebastiano del Piombo, which decorated the chapel of the Florentine banker Borgherini in 1524. Another highlight is the magnificent Raimondi Chapel, designed in 1640 by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the first family chapel in this church. Meanwhile, the del Monte Chapel, designed by Giorgio Vasari, features the painting The Conversion of Saint Paul and the tombs of Pope Julius III’s uncle and grandfather, crafted by Michelangelo’s students and collaborators.