in the immediate vicinity of the apostle's tomb that the remarkable discoveries we are about to relate were made.
The account from which we quote is virtually a semi-official procès-verbal, and was compiled by an eye-witness—Ubaldi, a canon of S. Peter's, who was present when the discoveries were made, and who has left us his notes made on the spot and at the time. Singularly enough, the memoranda of Ubaldi lay disregarded, hidden among the Vatican archives until comparatively recently. They were found[1] by one of the keepers of these archives, and have been published lately by Professor Armellini.
Before, however, giving the extracts from Ubaldi's memoranda of the discoveries in the Cemetery of Anacletus in the year 1626, it will be of material assistance to the reader if a short account of the probable present position and state of the great apostle's tomb is subjoined. It will be borne in mind that the excavations in connection with Bernini's baldachino were carried out close to the tomb in question.
The vault, in which we believe rests the sarcophagus which contains the sacred remains of the apostle, lies now deep under the high altar of the great church. It was always subterranean, and no doubt from the earliest days was visited by numbers of believers belonging not only to the Roman congregation, but by pilgrims from many other countries. Pope Anacletus, to accommodate these numerous pilgrim visitors, built directly over the tomb a little Memoria or chapel. This apparently was done by raising the walls of the vault beneath, and thus a chamber or chapel above was provided. This Memoria of Anacletus is generally known as the confession. Both these chambers now lie beneath the floor of the existing church. Originally the Memoria of Anacletus above the chamber of the tomb
- ↑ The important and interesting details which follow here have been largely taken from the chapter which treats of Ubaldi's Memoir by Mr. Barnes in his admirable and massive work entitled S. Peter at Rome (1st edit. 1900). The writer of this book can hardly find terms to express his deep admiration for the learning and information contained in Mr. Barnes' work on the subject. It is by far the most exhaustive and scholarly work on the subject in our language.
