scavi tour

The Scavi Tour takes you under St. Peter's Basillica through where archeologists have excavated in search of Peter the Apostle's remains. This is wild. Only 12 of us wound through narrow passage ways only as big as one small body to access a variety of mausoleums and family graves found along the way. This tour is so rich with history I can hardly remember it all, let alone retell it. Constantine built St. Peter's Basillica directly above where St. Peter was believed to be buried. He built a small table-like structure with columns over the tomb to protect it, when he leveled the hillside and built the Basillica. Archeologists have found this structure exactly where it was believed to b e under the Basillica's dome.

This is such a tiny maze of discovery. You are even asked not to touch the walls as they are centuries old and decompose easily. The guide pointed out several other mausoleums that will remain unopened. Archeologists have had to stop their work so as not to disturb the Basillica above. Many walls of these that are unopened are leaning under the weight of the Basillica.

At the end of the tour we did see through a small hole, the area where St. Peter's bones were found and are now preserved. On our way out we were led through the tombs of the Popes and got to see Pope John Paul's new tomb.

The Scavi Tour is relatively unadvertised and I would recommend it to anyone going to Rome!