Tucked just steps away from Castel Sant’Angelo, you’ll find a mysterious place: the Purgatory Museum. It’s a tiny space with a collection of visible traces left by souls in Purgatory as they tried to communicate with the living.
It’s located inside the church of the Sacro Cuore del Suffragio (in Rome we call it the “little Duomo of Milan,” because we don’t have churches like this here, so it reminds us of Milan 😊).
Purgatory is where souls transition before reaching Paradise. There, they cleanse themselves of their sins. The objects in this museum tell the stories of souls who tried to contact the living, asking for prayers, masses, and good deeds to help them atone for the sins they committed on earth.
During these encounters, some souls left a sign, often in the form of burned handprints on books, clothes, or walls.
These traces, along with their stories, are preserved in this little museum.
Here’s a closer look at these signs.
See the video transcript
When by Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome, turn right. You’re in for a hidden gem that many people miss. Walk this way until you see this church. This is Santa Maria del Suffragio. Now let’s step inside. Once you’re in, walk towards the altar and look for this door. Here you’ll find a tiny museum, the Museum of Purgatory. Here you’ll find objects that carry the visible signs of the souls of the purgatory, the souls that try to establish contact and communicate with the living people.
📍You’ll find it in Lungotevere Prati, 12
