Roma No. 15 / Vaticano

INFORMATION

FontID: 07545ROM
Church/Chapel: Chiesa di Santa Prisca
Church Patron Saints: St. Priscilla [aka Prisca]
Country Name: Italy
Location: Roma, Lazio
Directions to Site: Located in via di S. Prisca, 11 (stazione Termini, bus no. 175)
Font Location in Church: In the excavated baptistery, in the crypt
Century and Period: , Early Christian? / Roman?
Cognate Fonts: other Roman objects: columns, altars, etc. that have been re-used as baptismal fonts
Church Notes: The crypt is the place where the baptism of Prisca is said to have taken place
A Roman capital of the Doric order, hollowed out for use as baptismal font; probably from the Antonini period. Legend (?) has it that this is the font in which St. Peter baptised St. Priscilla [aka Prisca], however it is more likely that this transformation occurred at a much later date than the legend claims. [source: www.romamercato.it]. Also noted in the 'Fiori d'Arancio' website [http://www.fioridaranciotv.it/pages_rubriche/consigli_chiesediroma.htm] [accessed 12 July 2007]: "Come fonte battesimale nell'attuale battistero viene usato un capitello romano che, secondo la tradizione sarebbe servito a S. Pietro per battezzare Aquila e S. Prisca". [see also Index entry for Rome no. 8, the baptistery found in the Cemetery of Priscilla, also in Rome]

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: stone
Number of Pieces: one?
Font Shape: capital