DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42497#0155
THE MAMERTINE PRISON.
The great prison of the Kings of Rome, popularly called the
Mamertine Prison, is among the earliest and most interesting struc-
tures of this most interesting and most celebrated capital of the
world. It had long appeared to us that the two small chambers
under the Church of the Crucifixion could not possibly have been
the whole of this great prison, the only prison of ancient Rome,
in which large numbers of prisoners were confined on certain oc-
casions. Nor was it probable that a large and important building
of that early period would be entirely destroyed even to the founda-
tions, as was commonly said.
The fine arches of tufa, with the springing-stones of travertine
in the small court called Vicolo del Ghettarello, called by Canina
the Forum of Julius Csesar, are evidently part of some important
ancient building; they have not at all the character of the shops
round a Forum, such as those still remaining in a ruined state
behind the houses on the eastern side of the Forum of Trajan.
It is true that the situation agrees with Canina’s theory, they
are at the foot of the Capitol under the eastern cliff, and opposite
to the wall of Augustus on the western side of the Forum of the
Caesars, blit they were not shops \ The arches are of tufa, in large
blocks, in the style of the Kings of the third period, the time of
Servius Tullius, but have been used again when the upper part was
rebuilt in the time of Tiberius. These are over the eastern wall of
a series of large chambers 40 ft. long by 14 ft. wide, which can only
be part of the original Prison of the Kings ; the Via di Marforio now
separates them from the other part of the prison (called the Prison
of S. Peter), long exhibited as the whole of it, consisting of two
small chambers. In the lower chamber is an ancient arch or door-
way, long blocked up with rubble walling, apparently medieval.
This arch opened into one end of a subterranean passagea lead-
ing towards the large chambers before mentioned.
z I had long wished and endeavoured,
in 1865 and 1866, to get into the cellars
under these arches, but never could
succeed in doing so until 1 obtained
the assistance of Signor Fabio Gori,
who found the key for me the day
after he was applied to.
* The part of the subterranean passage
near the church had long been turned
into a drain by the blocking-up of the
old drain under it, and when the arch
was first opened the smell from it was
so bad that the priests and people were
quite driven out of the church above. But
The great prison of the Kings of Rome, popularly called the
Mamertine Prison, is among the earliest and most interesting struc-
tures of this most interesting and most celebrated capital of the
world. It had long appeared to us that the two small chambers
under the Church of the Crucifixion could not possibly have been
the whole of this great prison, the only prison of ancient Rome,
in which large numbers of prisoners were confined on certain oc-
casions. Nor was it probable that a large and important building
of that early period would be entirely destroyed even to the founda-
tions, as was commonly said.
The fine arches of tufa, with the springing-stones of travertine
in the small court called Vicolo del Ghettarello, called by Canina
the Forum of Julius Csesar, are evidently part of some important
ancient building; they have not at all the character of the shops
round a Forum, such as those still remaining in a ruined state
behind the houses on the eastern side of the Forum of Trajan.
It is true that the situation agrees with Canina’s theory, they
are at the foot of the Capitol under the eastern cliff, and opposite
to the wall of Augustus on the western side of the Forum of the
Caesars, blit they were not shops \ The arches are of tufa, in large
blocks, in the style of the Kings of the third period, the time of
Servius Tullius, but have been used again when the upper part was
rebuilt in the time of Tiberius. These are over the eastern wall of
a series of large chambers 40 ft. long by 14 ft. wide, which can only
be part of the original Prison of the Kings ; the Via di Marforio now
separates them from the other part of the prison (called the Prison
of S. Peter), long exhibited as the whole of it, consisting of two
small chambers. In the lower chamber is an ancient arch or door-
way, long blocked up with rubble walling, apparently medieval.
This arch opened into one end of a subterranean passagea lead-
ing towards the large chambers before mentioned.
z I had long wished and endeavoured,
in 1865 and 1866, to get into the cellars
under these arches, but never could
succeed in doing so until 1 obtained
the assistance of Signor Fabio Gori,
who found the key for me the day
after he was applied to.
* The part of the subterranean passage
near the church had long been turned
into a drain by the blocking-up of the
old drain under it, and when the arch
was first opened the smell from it was
so bad that the priests and people were
quite driven out of the church above. But