The basilical complex of Cimitile currently includes seven buildings. The most important is the Basilica of Saint Felice, born after the deposition of Saint Felice. The grave was very simple and goes back to the III century a.C. When during the Empire it was allowed to profess the Christianity, the sacre place became the target of a lot of pilgrims and gradually it got bigger. At the entrance of the grave of Saint Felice, in fact, it is possible to see sentences engraved on red plaster, left by visitors. When Paolino arrived in Cimitile he put down the apse of the old building and, in its place, he eracted a “Triforium”; this opening allowed the access to the hall where there where fountains and it conducted pilgrims to the Basilica “Nova” that, after a few centuries, was titled to Saint Giovanni. Every thing we have now about this Basilica in the apse and the marble floors. With the entrance turned to Saint Felice’s Grave, we’ll find the Basilica of Saint Stefano built before VI century a.C.
At that time there was a flood which invaded most part of the building, after restored and utilised for new burials. In the same century a new church dedicaded to Saint Tommaso was built. This bulding is located higher than other churches and it was conceived to receive a lot of graves. Nowadays we can see some frescoes there. In one of these, there is Saint Felice that helps bishop Massimo.
Other news still not verified cancern the legend of “Tre Sante” Archelaide, Tecla and Susanna well known thanks to copies of manuscripts written between the sixteenth and seventeenth century. The story reports that the Tre Sante, since they wanted to escape from the persecution of the emperors Diocleziano and Massimiano, took refuge in a quarry here in Cimitile, remembered as “prison” and located under the basilica of San Felice.
The most popular legend nowdays is still the one regarding the blood of martys. It is said that a woman introduced a crown in a well located in the sanctuary and when she got it back, it came up full of blood. This crown by dripping ,created some grooves in the marble stone, which are still there. This stone is embedded in a wall structure which is attached to the southern wall of the chapel of the Santi Martiri. Another important legend regards the tomb of Saint Felice, who would have the power to expose the liars. These information is very old and Sant’ Agostino reported it in one of his writings.
The basilical complex of Cimitile currently includes seven buildings. The most important is the Basilica of Saint Felice, born after the deposition of Saint Felice. The grave was very simple and goes back to the III century a.C. When during the Empire it [...]
