One of the surprises in the beautiful St Paul Basilica outside the Walls in Rome is represented by the circles ("tondi") depicting the popes of the Catholic Church, from St Peter (the first to the right of the apse) to Pope Francis (in the picture). Trust me, it is a real characteristc of this special basilica, another reason why you should come here. For a local tour guide like me this building represents also one the major and most important churches of Rome.

These rounds uninterrupted run along the perimeter of the walls, above the capitals of the columns, and a lot of them survived after the big fire that almost destroyed the St Paul Basilica at the 1823. We are lucky if the pope Leo XII, that one who commissioned the restoration of the old basilica that was originally erected at the V century, claimed that no innovations should be added in the new building. The new must follow the old, it was the main rule. All very nice of course, but there is also a popular legend that tells us something gloomy...

Of course the space of this the basilica can be immense (131 meters long, 65 wide), but sooner or later it will end, and imagine how the tradition to have the portraits of the popes inside the "tondi" (remembering the ancient roman clipei), comes from the V century a.D. and the pope Leo I (if you want to know more about him click here). There are just other ten small rounds, still empty but ready to accommodate the images of the popes in the future. But according to this legend once the space will end it will come the end of the papacy, of the Catholic Church and, consequently, of Rome. We know well that, often, the end of the Eternal City coincides with that of the rest of the civilized world, especially in the environments and culture of the medieval mold. Beda il Venerabile, a monk of the VIII century a.D., claimed that when the Colosseum will fall down even Rome will do the same. And without Rome the entire world will collapse.

But there is also another legend, linked always to the these round. In fact, interpreting another prophecy made by Malachia, a priest from the XII century, the current pope would also be...the last! With a little imagination, giving heed to Malachia, this is the Pope number 112 starting from Celestine II (who became Pope at the 1143). The foretellings by Malachia sometimes were good, so much that he was able to guess some Popes of the future (even if some foretellings were really unclears). For example, related to Pope Celestine II, before his elections he said that the new Pope will came from Ex castro Tiberis (that could be translated as "on a castle on the Tiber"). And Celestine II was born at Città di Castello (the Castle City, next to the Tiber). After him the last Pope of the history will be a certain "Peter the Roman", which is interpreted as the figure of a pope will see the destruction of the city of Rome. Malachia, in fact, referring to the last Pope: "In persecutione extrema Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae sedebit!" ("Will reign during the ultimate persecution of the Church"). We'll see...