Legend has it that the Papal Basilica of Saint Peter is built on top of a church that is itself built on top of the tomb of Saint Peter. Is that true? On the occasion of Rome being the destination of the month in Hotelopia, we propose a different visit to the Vatican, located in the small country next to the capital of Italy, which will take you through its underground passages. Apparently, some excavation work recently “uncovered” a necropolis in which Saint Peter may have been buried. The route, which is still very much unknown to the majority of its visitors, is a passionate journey through the history of Rome, of Christianity and as such, of Europe itself. It also tells of the history of the Roman Catholic Church, because for years, some popes did not dare to excavate while others did, but kept the works as a secret, for fear of finding any evidence that might contradict the claims that had been defended for so many centuries. Nowadays, these excavations are of public knowledge and are even open to the public. You must however make a prior reservation, due to the fact that the forum is limited so as to ensure the area is conserved. To schedule a visit, travellers should contact the Vatican authorities directly: uff.scavi@fabricsp.va. In this email, you must specify the exact number of people in your party, the names of each person, and the language in which you would like the visit to be carried out in, the days you will be in Rome (availability will depend on the free spaces they have on those days) and your contact information. The price of the visit is approximately 10 euros per person. As long as you do not suffer from claustrophobia, why not discover a different way of seeing the Vatican?

Monday 14 December 2009 14:46 | Published by Blogtelopiauk | Categoriy: Hotelopia News