Basilicas and Catacombs of Rome

Rome's churches are among the most beautiful and ancient in the Western world: spend an afternoon discovering some of them on this guided tour.
Meet us at our meeting point, where you will be met by your professional guide who will provide you with a comfortable audio receiver and earphones, to ensure you do not miss a single word.
We will visit Santa Maria Maggiore, an ancient and splendid Basilica. It was built on the summit of the Esquiline Hill: its original architecture was classical, perhaps to convey the idea that the place represented ancient imperial Rome as well as Christian. Despite numerous further construction projects and damage, the Basilica retains the core of its original structure from 442 AD
Even older, the Basilica of St. John Lateran: the oldest public church in Rome as well as the tallest major papal basilica. It stands on the ruins of an imperial Roman military fortress founded in 193 AD that was later transformed into a place of worship and suffered damage from earthquakes and fires: the splendid facade, as it appears today, was completed in 1735.
Nearby, the Scala Sancta: white marble steps enclosed in wooden ones.
According to Catholic tradition, they formed the steps leading to Pontius Pilate's praetorium in Jerusalem where Jesus trampled during his Passion.
And speaking of ancient, the Catacombs of San Callisto are worth a visit: these underground burial places, outside the city walls, were dug into the tuff, a soft volcanic rock. More than fifty martyrs and early popes were buried in this enormous cemetery.

Points of interest:
Basilica of St. John Lateran (internal visit)
Holy Stairs
Catacombs of St. Callisto (internal visit, when closed it will be replaced with Catacombs of St. Domitilla)
Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (internal visit)