Mamertine Prison in Rome: Carcer Tullianum, tickets and visit

The Mamertine Prison, or Carcer Tullianum, is the oldest prison in Rome: two cells cut into the tuff at the foot of the Capitoline Hill, beneath the church of San Giuseppe dei Falegnami, between the Roman Forum and Trajan's Column. Tradition places the apostles Peter and Paul here, and enemies of Rome such as Jugurtha and Catiline's accomplices are said to have been executed in it. The ticket costs €10 with an audioguide (checked in October 2026); allow about 40 minutes for the visit.

Highlights

The upper cell

You enter through the church, then go down into a first trapezoidal room of dressed stone from the Republican era. The ceiling still has the opening through which prisoners were lowered into the cell below. Inscriptions on the walls list the famous figures said to have been held here.

The lower cell and the altar of Saint Peter

A modern staircase leads down to the round room of the Tullianum, the deepest, where condemned prisoners were thrown. Christians venerate the memory of Peter and Paul here: a modern altar and two busts recall the tradition, whose historical basis is not proven. The spring at the bottom of the room is said to be the one Peter made flow to baptise his guards.

The Roman Forum next door

The prison overlooked the Forum at the foot of the Capitoline Hill, and the exit is close to the Via Sacra. See the Roman Forum to continue your visit, and Trajan's Column five minutes away on foot.

Horaires et tarifs

Full-price ticket €10, with an audioguide in six languages and guaranteed access by reservation; the price is said to drop to €5 if bought on site on the first Sunday of the month (to be confirmed on site). Entry is included in the Roma Pass and the Omnia Vatican & Rome pass; see Roma Pass and Omnia Card. The Carcere is not accessible to visitors with reduced mobility (narrow stairs).

Our guides that feature it

Practical info · 3 min read

Mamertine Prison Tickets: Audio Guide, Which Offer?

For Mamertine Prison (Carcere Mamertino) tickets, the full-price ticket costs €10 with an audio guide in si...

Nearby

See on the map →

Roman Forum: visiting the heart of ancient Rome The Roman Forum fills the valley between the Capitoline and the Palatine, 300 m from... 1 min walk

Piazza del Campidoglio (Capitoline Hill): Michelangelo's square in Rome Piazza del Campidoglio sits on top of the Capitoline Hill, between Piazza Venezia and... 2 min walk

Capitoline Museums: tickets, opening hours, the She-Wolf and Marcus Aurelius The Capitoline Museums (Musei Capitolini), on Piazza del Campidoglio, occupy the... 2 min walk

Santa Maria in Aracoeli in Rome: the 124 Steps, the Santo Bambino and Pinturicchio's Frescoes The church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli crowns the northern summit of the Capitoline... 2 min walk