The first stop of this tour takes us to the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica. One of Rome’s most extraordinary basilicas, it was built on the Colle Esquilino hill and its construction is tied to a dream that Pope Liberius had on the night of the 5th August 356: the Virgin came to him asking him to build a church, where the following morning it would have snowed. This miracle occurred and the day after, in the place where the church can be found today, it snowed.
The tour will then take us to the San Giovanni in Laterano Basilica, a Cathedral of both Rome and of the world. From here the tour goes to the “Scala Santa” – the Holy Stairs that Christ walked up when he entered Pontius Pilate’s praetorium.
Then we will cross Piazza San Giovanni and the Via Latina, going along the “Mura”- walls we will go through the Porta San Sebastiano gate, and enter the Via Appia Antica where we will visit the “Domine Quo Vadis” chapel, which was inspired by an episode of Christian history. When St Peter was fleeing from Rome to escape Nero’s persecution an apparition of Jesus Christ came before him. When Peter asked, in latin “Domine Quo Vadis”, Lord, where are you going?, Jesus replied: “Venio Romam iterum crucifigi”, I am coming to Rome to be crucified again. So, St Peter understood he had to return to face martyrdom.
Next stop are the Catacombs of San Callisto, Santa Domitilla and Santa Cecilia Metella.
On our return you will also be able to admire the famous Terme di Caracalla baths built between 212 and 216 AD.
