Mamertine Prison
At the north end of the Roman Forum is the Tullanium, later called the Mamertine Prison, which was built in the 7th century BC and was used to house prisoners who were awaiting execution. Among famous political prisoners known to have been housed here were also St Paul and St Peter. One area of the prison traditionally holds that Paul spent his second Roman imprisonment here and wrote 2nd Timothy. The second level of the prison has a hole through which prisoners were lowered to the lowest floor prior to execution. A grim place. There is now a church built above it and an alter dedicated to St Paul and St Peter. On the walls are the remains of 11th to 14th century AD Christian frescos.
