Spooky isn’t just for Hallowe’en with City Wonders! With fascinating locations like the Capuchin Crypt, the Catacombs of Priscilla and the Basilica of San Clemente, these tours are the perfect way to spend a few hours on a year-round basis. With that in mind, today’s post is dedicated to 3 ways to experience the Roman Crypts & Catacombs.
1. The Original Rome Crypts & Catacombs Tour
If you’d like to add a sense of macabre to your time in Rome, you’ve come to the right place! There are 3 parts to Crypts & Catacombs tour: the Catacombs, the Capuchin Crypt and the Basilica of San Clemente. The catacombs were a series of underground tunnels where early Christians practiced their previously forbidden faith and was also where their dead were buried. The Capuchin Crypt is more commonly known as the ‘Bone Chapel’, and for good reason. Decorated with 4,000 bones of the Capuchin monks, you’ll gaze around in awe upon entering. The walls and ceilings are encrusted with bones in intricate designs, while others hang from the ceilings in the form of chandeliers. You’ll also see full skeletons clad in monk’s attire, some still with skin present. The last stop on the tour is the Basilica of San Clemente, a church built on top of many foundations of churches and temples from centuries passed. You’ll descend underground and dig deep to truly unearth Rome’s religious history. Endlessly insightful, this morbid experience will cement itself as unforgettable on your Roman timeline.
2. After-Hours Access: Crypts & Catacombs Tour
The After-Hours Access Crypts & Catacombs tour embodies the original tour detailed above, minus the Basilica of San Clemente. You’ll explore the Capuchin Crypt and Catacombs of Priscilla in just as much detail with the privilege of being there in the quiet of night. You’ll have exclusive access to the site when the doors are closed to the general public, making your experience all the more special. The thrill of the tour is escalated by the evening darkness that comes with it – it adds an air of gloom and exhilaration that comes with the subject matter. Are you ready to explore some of the most interesting yet sinister parts of Rome in the dark?
3. Full-Day Combo: Crypts & Catacombs and Legends & Ghosts of Rome Tour
Why not make a day of it with an all-day tour? Our full-day combo combines the Crypts & Catacombs tour with the Legends and Ghosts of Rome tour. We’ve already gone into full detail on the Crypts & Catacombs agenda, but now we can enlighten you on Legends and Ghosts instead! On the tour, you’ll of course visit the Capuchin Crypt, the Catacombs of Priscilla and the Basilica of San Clemente. After this, you’ll have some free time to explore, relax and get some dinner. We recommend taking full advantage of this, as you’ll need your energy for the second portion of the tour! Next, you’ll meet your guide, who’ll entertain you on a walking tour of certain spots in Rome, with famous stories of the ghosts of Rome, further cementing these spooky tales in Roman history. Finishing up at Castel Sant’Angelo, this evening tour vows to both unnerve and enthral!
Make sure to check out our selection of Rome tours if you’ll be in the city!
