Learn what lies beneath St. Peter's Basilica and St. Peter's Square during the exclusive visit to Vatican Scavi (excavations of Vatican ancient necropolis ) and the Tomb of St. Peter the Apostle
The Scavi visit combined with the skip line tour of St. Peters Basilica lasts 2 hours.
Book the visit with instant confirmation at
In 1939, Pope Pius Xii ordered excavations under the lower level of St. Peter's basilica.
History records tell us that in ancient times, the area of today's Vatican State was were Emperor Nero's Circus was located. It was at the circus, where Peter the Apostle had been executed in 64, during the first wave of Christian persecutions. The circus is buried today under the cobblestone of St. Peter's Square, while the Egyptian Obelisk, which adorned its center survived 2000 years and is still the testimony to what happened to Peter and many other Christians.
On the right side of the circus, along the road leading up the hill, ancient Romans created a graveyard both with simple tombs and more sophisticated family mausolea. It was somewhere on this hill, that Peter's disciples buried the apostle, leaving a small tombstone over his simple grave.
It was over the grave, where Emperor Constantine built the first basilica in the 4 century.
The grave was left buried under the church and the tombstone encased within the first altar in the center of the church
In 16 century, the new Basilica of St. Peter's was built 12 feet over the floor of the ancient church.
The so-called church crypt, where popes are buried is open to the general public and offers the view of the original altar with St. Peter's tombstone encased in it
For centuries, no one knew that a necropolis existed beneath St. Peter's Basilica.
It was under the floor of the crypt where archeologist discovered in 1939 the whole street of surprisingly well preserved ancient tombs with frescoes, mosaics bas reliefs, leading to the discovery of the tombstone marking the grave area with the bones of the apostle
Join us for the unique, exclusive experience, learn the fascinating story of the excavations, walk the ancient cemetery street lined with excavated ancient mausolea and visit the area of St. Peter's Tomb
with ancient tombstones and bones of the Apostle.
The Scavi visit combined with the skip line tour of St. Peters Basilica lasts 2 hours.
Book the visit with instant confirmation at
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