About Church of St Peter in Gallicantu

The site of the Church of St Peter in Gallicantu is traditionally held to be where the High Priest Caiaphas’ palace was. Beneath the church, there is a dungeon believed to be the cell where Jesus was detained the night of His arrest from the Garden of Gethsemane.

Design and Art of Church

Its design and art are a blend of contemporary and ancient works. On the roof of the building is a golden rooster atop a black cross, recalling Christ’s prophecy that Peter would deny him three times “before the cock crows”. In the courtyard, a statue depicts the scene of Peter’s denial of Jesus when questioned by a woman, including a rooster and a Roman solider. The entrance is flanked by iron doors covered with biblical bas reliefs.

Prison Cell

The lower levels of the church contain a rock-hewn guardroom and a prison cell where Jesus could have been held. The prison cell is considered sacred and called the Sacred Pit. The only access to the bottle-necked cell was through a shaft from above, so the prisoner would have been lowered and raised by means of a rope harness.

Steps that Jesus trod

On the evening of His arrest, Jesus and His disciples would have descended the stone steps, beside the church building, on their way from the Last Supper to Gethsemane.