E00459: The Piacenza Pilgrim records his visit to the basilica of Holy Sion (Jerusalem), formerly the house of *James (almost certainly the 'brother of the Lord', S00058), in which he saw relics of the Passion, stones with which *Stephen (the First Martyr, S00030) was stoned, the stone into which the cross of *Peter (the Apostle, S00036) was set, the chalice of the *Apostles (S00084), and the elaborately encased skull of the martyr *Theodota (possibly Theodote, martyr of Nicaea, S00257), from which he drank. Account of an anonymous pilgrim, written in Latin, probably in Placentia (northern Italy), c. 570.

Pilgrim of Piacenza, Itinerarium 22

First recension
Deinde uenimus in basilica sancta Sion, ubi sunt multa mirabilia, inter quibus quod legitur de lapide angulare, qui reprobatus est ab aedificantibus. Ingresso Domino Iesu in ipsa ecclesia, quae fuit domus sancti Iacobi, inuenit lapidem istum deformem in medio iacentem, tenuit eum et posuit in angulum… Ibi sunt et lapides multae, cum quibus lapidatus est Stephanus. Ibi est et columnella, in qua crux posita est beati Petri, in qua crucifixus est Romae. Ibi est et calix apostolorum, in quo post resurrectionem Domini missas faciebant, et multa alia miracula, quae non recolo. Ibi est monasterium feminarum. Vidi testam de homine inclausam in locello aureo ornatam ex gemmis, quae dicunt quia de sancta martyra Theodote esset, in qua multi pro benedictione bibunt et ego bibi.

'From there we went to the basilica of Holy Sion, which contains many remarkable things, including the corner stone which, as the [Bible] says was rejected by the builders. The Lord Jesus entered this church, which used to be the house of saint James, and found this ugly stone lying somewhere, so he took it and placed it in the corner ... There are also many of the stones with which they stoned Stephen, and the small column in which they set the cross on which the blessed Peter was crucified at Rome. The cup of the Apostles is there, with which they celebrated mass after the Lord had risen again, and many other remarkable things which I cannot remember. A monastery for women is there. I saw a human head enclosed in a reliquary of gold adorned with gems, which they say is that of saint Theodota the martyr. Many drink out of it to gain blessing. And so did I.'

The second recension follows the text of the first without important modifications.


Text: Geyer 1898, 174 and 205-206. Translation: Wilkinson 2002, 140, lightly modifed.