Santa Maria in Palmis

History

A sanctuary has existed on the spot since the ninth century, though the current church dates from 1637, with its façade added in the 17th century. Some have supposed the sanctuary might be even more ancient, possibly a Christian adaptation of an earlier temple: the church stands in front of the sacred campus dedicated to Rediculus, the Roman god of the return. That campus held a sanctuary for the deity, who received devotion from travellers before departure, especially those undertaking long journeys to places like Egypt, Greece, or the East, and from those who stopped to give thanks after a safe return.

An epigraph in the Catacombs of Saint Sebastian reading Domus Petri (House of Peter) is taken as evidence of the Apostle Peter's presence in the area, where he is thought to have lived. An epigram by Pope Damasus I (366–384) honouring Peter and Paul states: 'You that are looking for the names of Peter and Paul, you must know that the saints have lived here.' The two footprints on a marble slab at the church's centre—now a copy, the original being kept in the nearby Basilica of San Sebastiano fuori le mura—are popularly believed to be a miraculous sign left by Jesus; the official name alludes to these footprints, with palmis referring to the soles of Jesus' feet.

An inscription above the front door formerly read: 'Stop your walking, traveller, and enter this sacred temple in which you will find the footprint of our Lord Jesus Christ when He met with St. Peter who escaped from the prison. An alms for the wax and the oil is recommended in order to free some spirits from Purgatory.' Pope Gregory XVI found this inscription's advertising tone inappropriate and ordered its removal in 1845. A modern column with a bust of Henryk Sienkiewicz stands in the church; the Polish author of the novel Quo Vadis: A Narrative of the Time of Nero (1896) is said to have been inspired to write it while sitting in this church. The church is currently administered by priests of the Congregation of Saint Michael the Archangel.