Rome, Italy: Mamertine Prison
About Mamertine Prison in Rome, Italy:
Dank, dark and depressing might describe the Mamertine Prison, one of the lesser-known pilgrimage sites in Rome. It was here, according to tradition, the Saints Peter and Paul were imprisoned. There was little hope for those imprisoned there– they were lowered into the underground cell and then awaited their eventual execution. It was more of a holding cell than a place for long-term incarceration and, in fact, most died in short order due to the hardship.
Around 64 A.D. the emperor Nero, needing someone to blame for the disastrous fire that devastated Rome, placed that blame squarely on the Christians. Thus began a series of persecutions that resulted, among other things, in the arrest of both Peter and Paul. Acts 12:1-11 recounts the escape of Saint Paul from prison by the help of an angel.
In the 11th century a church built over the site of the prison, the Church of San Giuseppe del Falegnami (Saint Joseph of the Carpenters) in the Roman Forum. Here is the official website for the Church of San Giuseppe del Falegnami in Rome.