A unique thing to see in Rome: St. Peter’s Bones Scavi Tour
A unique thing to see in Rome is St. Peter’s bones Scavi Tour. On this tour you will go under St. Peter’s Basilica down to the streets from the 1st through 3rd Centuries. As you walk on this street, you will see on either side of you the remnants of cemetery buildings. This is the cemetery where St. Peter was buried after he was crucified.
What is the Scavi Tour?
This a 90 minute guided tour of an ancient pagan and Christian cemetery and burial ground from the 2nd and 3rd centuries. This is the presumed location of Saint Peter’s burial tomb. Peter’s bones rest under the seat of Peter up on the main floor under the canopy. You end the tour in the Grotto below the Vatican floor where there are 91 popes of the past have their resting places.
How do I get Scavi Tour tickets?
To apply for your free Scavi Tour tickets, click this link: http://www.scavi.va/content/scavi/en/ufficio-scavi.html
This link will open up to the Ufficio Scavi or Excavation Office. The language for this site is in Italian and English. Select the english language in the top right corner. Not all words will be translated. In the menu you will see in Italian “Prenotazioni Visite.” This is where you register for tickets.
The information needed for the Scavi Tour tickets form are:
- The exact number of visitors who will be on the Scavi Tour.
- Full name of each member of your group going on the Tour.
- What language you would like your guide to speak in on the tour.
- The possible dates that you are available to take the tour. You will increase your chances by listing more than one date.
- Enter the your possible dates in the following way: 23 December 2014.
- Your e-mail address or a postal address.
When should I get tickets for the Scavi Tour?
If you wish to do this tour, you MUST apply for tickets at the least 6 months in advance. Even sooner would be better.
Where is the meeting place for the Scavi Tour?
Once you are in Rome and standing in front of the Basilica, look to the left side. You will see a black fence with a gate. The Uffico Scavi office is on the left side of the Basilica. Be at the fence 15 minutes before your scheduled tour. A person will meet you at the gate. You will need to show your Scavi Tour Tickets before he walks you to the Ufficio Scavi office.
I was on the Scavi Tour in 2008 and loved it!
This is the tour that takes you under St. Peter’s down to the street level on Constaneople. You have to get tickets 6 months in advance or sooner. So planning your trip out ahead of time is important if you want to do this tour.
Where we met our guide.
To find where you start the tour you will need to face St. Peter’s. To your left is a black fence with a gate. This is where you are to go and wait to be lead through it. On the right side of St. Peter’s is an office, which we entered and meet our guide, Laura. The group of 15 were first shown a model of the old church on a hill. She explained the different periods of building. St. Peter’s sits on top of the Constantine Church.
As we descend the flight of stairs, Laura talked about the the different walls so we would be able to identify them as we went. The old walls were thin bricks that had square holes in the walls. The new support walls were thicker brick and had the papal seal on them. There was a crypt with marble coffins behind glass. These had been moved to that spot. All of this was before descending down the final set of stairs.
Heading down to the streets from Constantine.
We walked through another glass door and descended down another flight of stairs. We were now on the street of 2nd/3rd Century Rome. This was where the city’s cemetery was. Along the street were many crypts. The crypts had descriptions written above them telling information about the family buried there. The more stuff surrounding the crypt, the wealthier they were. The wealthier ones had stairs. We saw the first christian crypt they had found. It had mosaics instead of frescos and Christian symbols.
Down the street was the crypt that Constantine had built over Saint Peter’s body. We saw Saint Peter’s bones in a glass box all neatly arranged, sitting in a hole right under the Bernini canopy and altar.
Climbing a set of stairs we arrived on the second level. The one above where Peter is buried is the Constantine level where the popes of today are buried. There is a chapel made for a pope to pray at the tomb of Peter.which you can see from the main floor in front of the Bernini Canopy.
She then took us out to where the popes are buried and we got our first look at St. John Paul II’s resting place. It was very simple. There was a travertine piece that hung above his white marble stone to the left were some notes that people had thrown in there and two roses. Besides the Popes laying here, there are also two women. They are both royalty that had fled their home under the protection of the pope.
Do I have photos from the Scavi Tour?
The answer, sadly, is no. Photos are not allowed on this tour. There are a few on the Ufficio Scavi website. You can look at them here under the menu Photography. http://www.scavi.va/content/scavi/en/ufficio-scavi.html
My Take Aways
- It was easy to get the tickets
- I loved walking through the gate. We were the only ones walking to the door.
- Standing on the streets from the 3rd century was very cool!
Going to Italy? Check out my other posts on the lovely Italian country!
