Catacombs of Rome Private Tour: Experience Early Christianity

Tour Overview

(DISCLAIMER: THIS TOUR IS NOT OPERATING THIS SEASON)

Tour Description

A Journey to the Dawn of Christianity in Rome (with Car Service)

Our private tour of the Catacombs is a journey to the dawn of Christianity, a walk through small chapels and tunnels that wind deep into the belly of the earth. It's a journey designed to discover the symbols, rituals and liturgy of the Christian faith in the first centuries after the coming of Christ, centuries in which the religion faced great hostility and was frequently persecuted.

The Crypt of the Popes, which contains the remains of nine pontiffs from the third century (some of whom were martyred), is a place of intense spirituality that takes us back to the world of the first Christian communities and their celebrations, as they awaited the resurrection of the dead. The Crypt of Santa Cecilia testifies to the faith of one of the many women who embraced the new religion in the pagan context of the Roman empire, and opens a window for us into the lives and martyrdoms of so many saints that were buried in these catacombs.

In the third-century Cubicles of the Sacraments we will gain a glimpse into the religious rituals of early Christianity, symbolized in many beautiful frescoes. Numerous depictions of Jonah in the belly of the whale demonstrate the Biblical stories that animated these early ceremonies. On our Rome tour we will learn about the construction and use of these burial places and crypts, and seek to understand the symbols that decorated them, from the fish to the phoenix, the dove to the anchor. We will also encounter a series of touching inscriptions in memory of the dead, and trace the emergence of Christianity as the official religion of the Roman empire during the fourth century.

For a more complete experience of the fascinating history of early Christianity in Rome, our private walking tour pairs the Catacombs of San Callisto (or San Sebastiano when San Callisto is closed) with the Basilica of San Clemente. This beautiful church contains some of the most wonderful frescos in Rome, and its intriguing underground levels chart the rising fortunes of the religion over the centuries. We will also visit the Church of the Santi Quattro Coronati, an imposing medieval fortress and enchanting cloister, nearby the Colosseum.

Join us on this private tour of Rome's catacombs to gain a unique look into the distant past of the Eternal City that is hidden all around us.

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