Day Trips and Excursions :: ROME OF THE EARLY CHURCH

ROME OF THE EARLY CHURCH
The Christian Heritage of Catacombs and Basilicas

Transfer from your accommodations by de luxe, private, air-conditioned vehicle with English-speaking driver and authorized expert local guide to the oldest of all Roman roads - the renowned Appian Way. See the impressive Roman City Wall and the Porta San Sebastiano through which ancient centurions once marched. If open, you will make a brief visit to the charming little Church of Quo Vadis where are preserved the footprints of Christ and where legend holds that Peter encountered the Lord on his departure from Rome. Then proceed to the Fosse Ardeatine - once an ancient Roman quarry - which will elucidate the construction of the catacombs and a moving site in its own rite as it is Rome’s Deportation and Holocaust Monument having been the site of a Nazi massacre. We then proceed to the actual Catacombs for an interior guided visit. Returning to the center, we shall make an interior visit to the Basilica of St. John the Lateran, Patriarchal Basilica and Cathedral of the City. Nearby, we view the highly-venerated Scala Santa - the marble stairs which Christ is reputed to have treaded upon at the Palace of Pontius Pilate. These were brought to Rome by Empress Helena in the fourth century. Time permitting, a visit will also be made to the most important church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and another of the city’s patriarchal basilicas, Santa Maria Maggiore. Marvel at the magnificent ceiling encrusted with gold brought from the New World by Christopher Columbus. Conclude with a return transfer to your lodgings.