Tre Fontane and St. Paul

Outside of the Church of his Execution

One of the 3 Fontains or wells

On Friday we visited the monastery of Tre Fontane (the 3 Fountains) where St. Paul was beheaded. In those days it was a swampy area outside the city of Rome where executions could take place with not much notice from the public.

The place is called Tre Fontane because there were 3 natural wells found there.  Legend has it that Paul's head bounced 3 times after it was severed and these were the places the wells were found. Today there is a church there with 3 shrine areas indicating where the wells were discovered.  Paul was executed somewhere between 64 and 67 AD.  From the start this was a place of worship and it changed hands from Greek monks to Cistercians to the Trappists who dwell there today.