The Church of Domine Quo Vadis
You’re at Santa Maria in Palmis, better known as the Chiesa del “Domine quo vadis” — the little church tied to the moment St. Peter hesitated on the Appian Way. The tradition places it about 800 meters from Porta San Sebastiano, where the Via Ardeatina branches off, and tells how Peter met the risen Christ while fleeing persecution. Peter asks, “Lord, where are you going?”—*Domine, quo vadis?*—and Christ replies, “I am going to Rome to be crucified again.” There’s said to have been a sanctuary on this exact spot since the ninth century, but the church you see today dates to 1637, with the façade added in the 17th century. One especially curious detail: the church sits in front of the sacred campus dedicated to Rediculus, Rome’s “God of the Return,” honored by travelers on their way back from long journeys. And inside, the two footprints on a marble slab—now a copy—are linked to that same escape-and-conversion story of Peter.
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