Description

According to tradition, when St Paul was decapitated his head bounced on the ground three times and where it bounced rose three springs. This is where the 'Abbazia delle Tre Fontane' was founded, which during the Jubilees became a place of pilgrimage where faithful followers received plenary indulgence. The Abbazia is a complex of three churches built where the three fountains emerge. It is set in a tranquil location, surrounded by eucalyptus trees planted in 1868 by Trappist monks who, still famous for the liquor they produce from eucalyptus plants and their excellent chocolate, became proprietors of the land (which had been left since 1600 due to its barrenness). The three churches are the SS Vincenzo and Anastasio, the largest of the three, Santa Maria in Scala Coeli and S. Paolo alle Tre Fontane.