Half Day Tour 4 hrs: S. Paul outside the Walls and the Catacombs on the Appian way
The private guide and driver will meet you at hotel and start with the visit of Saint Paul’s outside the Walls
Basilica, the second biggest Basilica of Rome, built by Constantine, over the tomb of Saint Paul, buried in the necropolis of the Via Ostiense. It was destroyed by a fire in 1823 and rebuilt before 1860, following the original one. The elegant Romanesque cloister, the mosaics of the IV century and part of the original decoration made by Arnolfo di Cambio in 13th century is still well-preserved. There is also an amazing carved Easter candelabra made by the Vassalletto in the 13th century and the complete series of all the portraits of the Popes since Saint Peter. The driver will take you than to the Appian way, once called “regina viarum”, the first paved public road was built by the consul Appius Claudius Ciecus in the year 312 B C. It’s undoubtedly the best preserved ancient roman road: the first 8 miles, starting from the Gate of Saint Sebastian, are surrounded by the Roman Countryside, with many burial monuments of any size and shape, a unique evidence of the roman custom, among them we’ll visit the Tomb of Cecilia Metella, and overlook the Villa of the Emperor Massentius, with its huge private Circus and the Tomb of his son Romulus. Along the same road the Christians excavated their cemeteries, called by the pagan Romans “Catacombs”, a Greek word meaning Caves. You will visit one of these catacombs, accompanied by monks. At the end of the visit the driver will take you back to hotel.
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