Beneath St. Peter’s Basilica lies the Vatican Necropolis, an ancient burial ground uncovered through excavations commissioned by Pope Pius XII in the 1940s. Archaeologists working underground found a street of Roman-era tombs and mausoleums, and at its center, what tradition and archaeological evidence together identify as the burial site of St. Peter the Apostle himself.
Visits to the Scavi are limited to small guided groups and must be arranged well in advance, which is why our pilgrimage has requested this privilege as a special addition to our time in Rome. Walking through the narrow passage of ancient tombs and standing near the traditional site of St. Peter’s grave offers a rare and moving connection to the earliest days of the Church.
Photo credit: Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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