THE WELL-CURB
The position of the well-curb, currently inserted in the stairs leading to the main altar (pict.1), might correspond to that one of the ancient thaumaturgic source of the Aesculapius temple, representing the ideal link with it. The most credible hypothesis dates back its origin to the foundation of the Otto church.
Obtained from the drum of an ancient column (the base is still recognizable), it is carved with four figures, inserted in small aedicules (pict.2÷5); starting from the figure facing the church inlet and proceeding counter-clockwise we find: Christ with the opened book, a saint (probably St. Adalberto) in Episcopal dresses with the pastoral and the closed book, the emperor Otto III holding a marble disc with the image of the ancient church and St. Bartholomew with the open book and the knife of its martyrdom.

 

2	3	4	5
2 - The front side of the well-curb with the Christ image holding the open book and the letters OS and PV on the background 3 - On the right side (south-west) of the well-curb it is represented St. Adalbert, or according to others St. Paolino, in Episcopal dress with the pastoral and the closed book. On the background the letters TE I SCI 4 - On the back side, facing the altar, the image of the emperor Otto III (see the section Personalities) holding in his hand a disc carved with the image of the ancient church. On the background the inscriptions CIR CVDANT 5 - The left side (north-east) representing St. Bartholomew holding the open book and, in the right hand, the knife symbol of his martyrdom (see the section Personalities). On the background the letters ORBE ROTAN TI

Starting from the Christ image, and proceeding again counter-clockwise, the following inscription can be read, even if inserted irregularly on the background of the four figures:

OS PU-TEI S[AN]C[T]I - CIR CU[N]DANT - ORBE ROTAN TI
[The saints in a ring surround the well-curb]

On the upper part of the well-curb there are visible (pict.6) the trails of the ropes used to draw the water from the well and that made the inscription illegible.

THE CANNON BALL
In 1849, during the siege of the French army to the Roman Republic (just proclaimed on February 9th), that brought to the surrender of the republicans on July 4th of the same year, a gun ball shot from the Via Aurelia entered the church through the wall, miraculously falling without causing damages on the altar of the Virgo chapel (the one at the right of the main altar).
The ball has been walled up in the left side of the same chapel over a plaque commemorating the event: this is the text with the relevant translation at side.

 

BELLICUM HOC TORMENTVM IN PERDVELLES E VIA AVRELIA IACTVM EXEVNTE IVNIO MDCCCXXXXIX DISIECTOQVE ANTICO PARIETE HVC IMMISSVM SOSPITATRICE MARIA OPIFERA SVPER ALTARE INOPINATO CONSTITIT FRANCISCALIVM QVE INCOLVMITATEM POSTERIS REFERT

This war bullet, shot against the enemies from the via Aurelia on the end of June 1849 and, broken the front wall, entered here, for the aid of Mary the saviour stopped unexpectedly on the altar, and communicates to the posterity the safety of the Franciscans

THE MILLERS CHAPEL
In the room at the left of the main altar, formerly used as sacristy and subsequently rearranged as a chapel by the pope Giulio III in the half of XVI century, the roman millers settled the religious see of their corporation "Romana Molendinariorum ", under protection of St.Paolino, until 1846, and decorated it with scenes of their activity (pict. 7÷10). The restoration of the reliquary containing the relics of the saints kept in the chapel is referred to in the inscription shown on the trabeation at the inlet of the Basilica. On the floor there are traces of an ancient cosmatesco pavement.
The plaque walled up in the left side (pict. 11) quotes, over the image of a water mill, the following inscription, relevant to a restoration carried out in 1626:

CAPPELLA DELL'ARTE DE MOLINARI FONDATA PER DETTA ARTE ET A BENEFICIO ET COMODO DI QUELLA DA GABRIELE CRISPIATI COME CAMERLENGO DI DETTA ARTE A FONDAMENTI NEL TEMPO DI GIULIO III FEL MEM ET L'ANNO MDCXXVI DA FRANCESCO MORETTI ET ALFONSO ERCOLANI DEPUTATI ET CONSOLI DI DETTA ARTE RESTAURATA A NOME DELL'ARTE ET PER QUELLA