The church of St Paul at the Three Fountains was erected in the 5th century on the site where, according to tradition, St. Paul was martyred by beheading. At the site, a plaque reads, S.PAULI APOSTOLI MARTYRII LOCUS UBI TRES FONTES MIRABILITER ERUPERUNT, recalling the place of the martyrdom of St. Paul the Apostle where three springs miraculously sprang up.
The same tradition suggests that the apostle's head, after being cut off, bounced three times on the ground before coming to a halt. From those three points in the ground then flowed three springs of water: the first hot, the second warm, and the third cold. Three little buildings were erected to mark the miracle that had occurred. For many centuries the water was distributed to the faithful because it was believed to have miraculous properties for the healing of diseases, but in 1950, due to contamination, the fountains were closed off.
The church that can be seen today was built by the architect Giacomo Della Porta in 1599, commissioned by Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandini.
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