You will often hear historians and locals alike refer to Rome as a lasagna! On this tour, you will literally walk your way through these layers of history, as you discover the different excavated street levels of Rome and the miles and miles of underground graves, dug for and by the ancient Christians two thousand years ago. Your guide will talk you through a day in the life of an ancient Roman as you walk through a first-century apartment.
Driving just beyond the Aurelian Wall, you'll descend into a veritable labyrinth of graves; the Christian catacombs. Walk down galleries lined with rectangular empty niches – your guide will explain the different styles of the grave and the burial rituals.
One of the most evocative things about the catacombs is seeing the pick axe marks and scrapes of the Fossari (the gravediggers) in the soft tufa rock and the tiny terracotta oil lamps that lit their way as they dug these dark tunnels.
In the Basilica San Clemente, you'll learn why Rome was built layer on layer, not in a day but over several hundred years. You'll learn why so many Christian churches were built on top of pagan temples and hear the stories of the martyrs depicted in frescos in the Middle Ages.
Duration: 3 hours
Please note: This tour visits religious sites, please dress respectfully: knees and shoulders must be covered.