Underground Rome Private Tour: Treasures of Time Beneath Our Feet

Rome's Underground Theorem: The Deeper You Go Down, the Further Back in Time You Go

The three underground levels of the Basilica di San Clemente and the Roman Houses on the Celio are immediate proof that the depths of Rome are brimming with history. We tread on entire neighborhoods buried by time. This is hardly surprising, as we are in the heart of ancient Rome, in areas continuously inhabited for over 2,000 years. Here, the supporting structures of buildings destroyed by fires or floods of the Tiber River were covered with waste materials and used as foundations for new constructions.

Thus, partly by chance and partly due to our ancestors' millenary attitude of preservation (saved from our consumerist vice), they have unwittingly bequeathed us treasures. However, it is only thanks to the passion and systematic excavations conducted by archaeologists that today we can enter these 3 once-subterranean spaces. We invite you to experience them with our local expert guide, armed with their same attitudes: enthusiasm, investigative approach, and a critical spirit.

Meet the Guide and the Driver

Your driver and guide will meet you at your hotel or a convenient location, depending on your preference. The meeting point will be confirmed in advance by our office. During the short journey to the first site, st. Clement Basilica, your guide will begin to provide you with an overview of the historical context of underground Rome. This will help you to better understand the significance of the sites you will be visiting.

1. Discover the Catacombs of Domitilla and the only underground basilica in Rome

Journey through the labyrinthine tunnels of the Catacombs of Domitilla, the largest and most extensive Christian burial complex in Rome. Explore the fascinating network of chambers and galleries, where early Christians were buried. Then, step into the unique underground basilica, a hidden gem of early Christian architecture.

Descending a long staircase, we immediately delve into the depths of the earth to unearth stories buried for millennia, while the anxiety of going underneath - for those suffering from it - slowly melts away. We are in the underground basilica of the Catacombs of Santa Domitilla, a large, magical space that is anything but gloomy. With our guide, you will discover how and when it was built, but above all, the stories and celebrations of the early Christians through the clues that time has preserved.

From the basilica, you will explore the most significant section of the galleries excavated between the tombs, winding underground for a total of about 17 km on 4 levels. As for the tombs, you will make sense of the many details that accompanied the burial of the deceased, more evident in some but well known from the over 150,000 tombs in total that line the narrow tunnels.

During the periods of use, the catacombs were accessible from several surface entrances, which were conveniently marked by small funerary monuments, called "cippi" or markers - with stairs leading down to the catacombs. This made it easier for the living to visit their deceased loved ones and to pay their respects. 

But what is the prevailing feeling when walking through these underground tunnels? Not of despair, but of care, the care with which over the centuries those who remained took care of their departed loved ones, praying for them, carving signs of affection on their tombs, symbols of hope in the resurrection, of faith in the eternal life promised by Jesus Christ.

Our exploration of the catacombs is not just a journey through underground tunnels, but a journey back in time to the daily lives and religious rituals of the early Christians. You will learn about their beliefs and practices through the objects they left behind, the offerings they made, and the celebrations they held to honor their dead, as these rituals were a central part of early Christian liturgy.

1.2 Why are there so many catacombs along the Appian Way?