Catacombs of St. Callixtus (guided tour of 30-40 minutes)

Almost certainly the greatest and most important in (well, under) Rome, the catacombs of St Callixtus were once the official cemetery of the Church of Rome and are home to dozens of martyrs, sixteen Popes and innumerable Christians.

The areas that may be explored are home to two small basilicas with three apses, the ‘Trichorae’; the cemetery is composed of various areas with the oldest being the crypts of Lucina and the areas of the Popes and of St. Cecilia. You’ll be immersing yourselves into the early days of Christianity and accompanied by extremely knowledgeable tour guides.

The complex dates to around the middle of the second century and is on an impressive scale - galleries stretch for a total of around 12 miles, spread over four levels and stretching down over twenty metres in depth. The holiest of crypts is in the ‘area of the Popes’, nicknamed ‘the little Vatican’; here the walls bear testimony to the final resting place of many an early Pope, with inscriptions in Greek and tombstones bearing the title ‘Bishop’ alongside the name of the Pope.

You’ll also see the Crypt of St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music, a series of small chambers known as the ‘cubicles of the Sacraments’, noted for their important frescoes. These are thought to date from the beginning of the third century and show symbolic representations of the sacraments of Baptism and of the Eucharist.

Other areas visited include the Crypt of St. Eusebius, the cubicle of the deacon Severus with the first reference to the Bishop of Rome being nominated ‘Pope’, and the Crypt of St. Gaius, dating to the third century and of such dimensions that it was once used for gatherings.

Please note that as you’ll be underground for at least 30 minutes, probably longer, you’d be well advises to take an extra layer of clothing with you. It goes without saying that you’ll be in relatively confined spaces - there are also a handful of quite steep stairways. Also note that photography is not permitted.

Tours last for around 30 to 40 minutes and are all accompanied by an expert guide. If you’re there at a particularly busy time you may well be grouped together before your descent to be given some explanations before entering; if this wasn’t done then there’d be some long stops down below, not ideal for all visitors. The catacombs are usually open all year round, with the exceptions of Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and Easter Sunday. Opening hours are 9.00 to 12.00 and them from 14.00 to 17.00 hours.

Children under the age of six pay nothing, reduced tickets are available to anyone aged between seven and fifteen. Full priced tickets are for everyone else - there are no reductions for senior citizens. Note that school groups do not need to pay but that we’re unable to make such bookings.