Private Tour of Roman Catacombs & St. Clement’s Undergrounds

Description

TOUR ITINERARY
Explore 2 contrasting underground sights with an expert guide. Discover a hidden gem 14m below St. Clement’s Basilica and descend into the twisty tunnels of the Roman Catacombs.

Meet your guide in front of St. Clement’s Basilica and venture deep underground below its foundations into a mystical world of ancient cults and legends. Journey through several layers of history and earth, down 14 meters below ground. Experience the excitement of gradually exploring the later structures built on top of it on your way up to the surface.

Go back in time down to the deepest point and discover the best-preserved Mithraic temple of the city. Find out about the pagan faith of Ancient Romans before Christianity and be intrigued by its sectarian and esoteric flavour. Touch the waters of an underground stream before going higher into the remains of the 4th Century Basilica, built on top of the martyr’s house and below the actual one. Walk along its imposing walls and be fascinated by the ancient frescoes while learning about the scenes and the lives of the martyrs they portray.

Then journey outside the city walls to one of the largest and most ancient Catacombs of Rome, the otherworldly crypts of Domitilla. Descend 16 meters below the surface and explore the accessible part of its vast labyrinth of underground burial chambers and galleries.

Be captivated by the ancient wall-paintings of mythological and biblical figures and relive the shift of faith from paganism to Christianity. Feel the power of prohibited belief and learn about early martyrs and persecutions. Complete your underworld experience in the 4th-century subterranean basilica.