Christian Rome

from 85,00€

Explore the Christian Catacombs & the Basilicas

This tour starts with a visit to two of the Four Major Basilicas in Rome: St. Mary Major, the most important and best preserved of the Roman Churches dedicated to the Virgin Mary, with its fifth-century mosaics; and St. John’s in Lateran, Cathedral of Rome and first Papal residence.

After a stop at the Holy Stairs, we proceed to the ancient Appian Way, probably the most important of the Roman roads, until we reach the Catacombs of Rome, the ancient underground cemeteries and extraordinary expression of faith to the earliest Christians.

What is included in this tour?
  • A/C minivan
  • Professional Guide
  • Headsets
  • Entrance tickets
  • Free pick-up service from centrally located hotels
  1. Santa Maria the Greater Start of the tour

    Built on a pagan temple to Cybele, it is the only Roman church (together with the Basilica of Santa Sabina) that preserves the strictly basilical plan and the early Paleo-Christian structure.

  2. Santa Stairway Cathedral of Rome

    Episcopal headquarters of the Bishop of Rome (the Pope). It is the oldest and the highest ranked among the four largest basilicas in Rome.

    Next to the annex palace and some other nearby buildings, it enjoys the status of extraterritoriality within the Italian State, for which it is owned by the Holy See.

  3. Santa Escalinata San Juan de Letrán

    The Santa Escalinata is a marble staircase composed of twenty-eight steps and located opposite the Basilica of San Juan de Letran.

    It was ordered to be brought by Saint Helena (mother of Constantine I) in the year 326 from the palace of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem. It is the staircase by which Jesus of Nazareth went up on Good Friday to the palace to be judged.

  4. Vía Appia Roman road

    The ”Via Appia” was one of the most important roads of ancient Rome. It united Rome with Brindisi, the most important commercial port with the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.

  5. Catacombs End of our services

    Among the catacombs that cross the ”Via Appia”, we find the most famous:

    Catacombs of San Sebastian: These 12-kilometer-long catacombs owe their name to San Sebastian, a soldier who was martyred for converting to Christianity.
    Catacombs of San Calixto: With a network of galleries more than 20 kilometers long, they were the burial place of 16 pontiffs and dozens of Christian martyrs.

Basílica de Santa María la Mayor

Construida sobre un templo pagano a Cibeles, se trata de la única iglesia romana (junto con la Basílica de Santa Sabina) que conserva la planta estrictamente basilical y la primitiva estructura paleocristiana.

Estas catacumbas de 12 kilómetros de extensión deben su nombre a San Sebastián, un soldado que fue martirizado por convertirse al cristianismo.