The First Christian Martyrs of Rome The Vatican Basilica of St. Peter (shown at right), the burial place of the Apostle, is a prime destination for pilgrims to Rome. Another important memorial of Peter, one of many in the city, is not so well known. The Church of St.Peter in Chains was built by the Empress Eudoxia in the 5th century on the western slope of the Esquiline Hill, not far from the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, to house the prison chains that held Peter, the Apostle. Many modern visitors find the chains questionable, of course, and usually turn...