Rome Jubilee 2025 Tour: An Exploration of Early Christianity
Description
Embark on an epic journey of art and faith 2,000 years in the making on our exclusive Jubilee experience. This is a tour unlike any other, offering you the chance to explore the ancient Papal Basilicas of San Giovanni in Laterano and Santa Maria Maggiore, two of the most sacred Churches in Rome and key places of pilgrimage during Holy Years.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Stepping inside the portico of the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, you'll be awestruck by its sheer scale and history. The colossal central doors, cast in bronze, once adorned the entrance of the Curia Iulia, the ancient senate house in the Roman Forum. You'll also have the opportunity to see the Holy Doors - only open in the event of a Jubilee or Holy Year, every 25 years. Your guide will explain the rich theological meaning and historical significance of the Jubilee - an important year of pilgrimage for Catholics worldwide. Inside the Basilica, you'll be greeted by Borromini's soaring Baroque genius, who redesigned the interior in the 17th Century. Traces of the ancient Basilica remain, however; follow your guide, who will reveal medieval frescos by Giotto and guide you through the complex meaning of the iconography of the apse mosaics. You'll also discover more about the history of the early Church in Rome and learn how Saints Peter and Paul's relics came to rest here.
Join your guide and explore more of this once-vast and ancient complex. First, you'll visit the Holy Steps (Scala Santa), a set of 28 marble steps brought to Rome by St. Helen, Constanine's mother. According to tradition, these are the steps that Christ climbed up the palace of Pontius Pilate during the Passion. Even today, they are a place of solemn pilgrimage for the devout. At the top lies the Sancta Santorum (Holy of Holies). Long before the Sistine Chapel, this was the pope's private chapel. It once held some of the most precious relics in the Christian world. Even today, it is the home of the mysterious "acheiropoieton," an ancient image of Christ said to have been painted by angels (visitable on a private excursion).
Then, visit the Lateran Baptistry, the legendary site of Constantine's baptism. Its octagonal shape inspired other baptistries around Italy and Europe, including the famous Baptistry of Florence. Why were early baptistries eight-sided buildings? And why were they housed in separate buildings? Your local guide will answer these questions and more. Before leaving the Lateran, take a moment to admire the enormous Lateran Obelisk, the tallest standing obelisk in the world today. Discover how these ancient Egyptian monuments were recycled, first by the Romans and later by the Christian Church.
Now, we embark on our own pilgrimage, down via Merulana, a road laid out in the 16th Century to help visitors to Rome on their pilgrimage. You can see our next destination at the end of this straight avenue. Along the way, we'll make a stop at one of Rome's most famous bakeries—Panella. In business since 1929, Panella has kept Romans on the go with its excellent coffee and sweet treats for years. Try the traditional Roman maritozzi, sweet yeasted buns filled with freshly whipped cream—just what a weary pilgrim needs! The view over the Auditorium of Mecenate reminds us of this area's importance, even in the ancient world.
Finally, we arrive on the highest of Rome's seven hills, the Esquiline, home to the largest church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Rome. The story of this Basilica lies somewhere between history and legend, but of all of Rome's papal basilicas, Santa Maria Maggiore feels the most ancient when you step inside. In addition to its revered Holy Door, this Basilica boasts ancient Cosmatesque floors and a ceiling adorned with some of the first gold from the New World. Among various relics and ancient mosaics, you'll also find another Sistine Chapel (the resting place of Sixtus V), the grave of the Baroque great Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and a sacred image of the Virgin, Salus Populi Romani—an ancient image that was said to have saved the people of Rome in the 6th Century AD. End your personal pilgrimage at the obelisk of Santa Maria Maggiore, an ancient gem just steps from Rome's main train station and the fashionable Monti district.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Due to the Jubilee, some monuments may be under restoration. Please pay attention to any messages we may send regarding potential changes.
- Not recommended for travelers with mobility issues
Reviews(7)
Gracelyn was a wonderfully affable and knowledgeable guide to the history of The churches we visited. Very much the highlight of our time to Rome
Dear Lee, We’re delighted that Gracelyn’s knowledge and warmth made your visit to Rome so memorable. We look forward to welcoming you on another adventure soon! Best regards, The Through Eternity Team
Only tour in my life where we had to look up Wikipedia DURING the tour. My Italian friend recommended this agency because we are Catholic, coming for the Jubilee and wanted a religion-centered tour - Jubilee/Early Christianity. The other people on our tour were also devout Catholic. I believe the tour was done by Maria Lazara. We do not know her name because she did not bother to introduce herself, nor did she ask our names (aside from checking our family name off). We met at the statue and then without any introduction to our tour, nor introduction to the St John of Laterna Church, she marched off in front of us to the Church's portico. It was a bad start. That's the main complaint: she gave no introduction to the tour or any site, she gave no church or historic context on how things came to be or how they evolved. She gave no Catholic perspective. A tour guide needs to be a storyteller! And I expected a guide well-versed in church history, both religious and urban! Instead, it was a bunch of random historic facts. She primarily spent her time pointing out symbolism in the paintings and mosaics. Clearly, she majored in art history, and the history of Christianity was a boring sideline to her. She liked pointing out that Laterna was populated early, while most of Rome was countryside - but why? How did that change? Where did Catholics live and why did they move? Why were these churches chosen for their Holy Doors? Why only 4 doors? She told us the Laterna Holy Door was an original bronze and a couple more facts and then we marched through as it were nothing. Nothing about why it is special that they are open, how Catholics view this moment, etc. IT IS SPECIAL. In speaking about the Jubilee, the only thing she said was that the Pope first started it once every 100 years, and since the Roman townspeople made money on tourism from the incoming pilgrims, they moved it to every 33 years or when they wanted. That's it - Jubilees were about making tourism dollars. End of her story. None of our group of 3 heard that the Sacred Steps were brought from Jerusalem and why, and where they were placed originally. All she did was say "it is not a hard job to move stairs." THEY ARE SPECIAL. She just said: you can up if you want, I'll wait here on my phone. Again, her specialty seemed to be art history not Catholic traditions or history, and 75% of the time, she spoke about symbolism. The blue and yellow of Mary, the keys of St. Peter. That's fine but there was no narrative, no church history. The tour ended exactly at 12 p.m. Clearly, she was glad to be out of there. Another note - yes, her English vocabulary was good, but she spoke sing-song Italian style and it was hard to follow her. She does not have the cadence of an English speaker. Very disappointed in Eternity Tours' guide. Aside: I really enjoyed Eternity Tours newsletter mailings.
Dear EmptyNestMomPNW, We appreciate you sharing your thoughts. While we’re glad you enjoy our newsletter, we’re truly sorry the Jubilee tour didn’t meet your expectations. If you’d like to discuss this further, please don't hesitate to contact us at office@througheternity.com. Best regards, The Through Eternity Team
Jubilee 2025 Tour: An Exploration of Early Christianity with Eugenia D'Andrea. Eugenia is a great guide, very knowledgeable and flexible too. The web site of Through Eternity Tours is full of useful tips for exploring Rome; whoever manages it deserves a medal!
Dear Olga, Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our Jubilee 2025 Tour with Eugenia. We look forward to having you with us again for your next Roman adventure! Best regards, The Through Eternity Team
Excellent tour with our guide helping us understand the interesting history of both Italy, Papal succession and Christianity.
Dear Terese, Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your tour and found the history so fascinating. We’d love to have you join us for more amazing tours in the future! Best regards, The Through Eternity Team
Excellent! Ms D’Andrea was personable, knowledgeable & reverent throughout all aspects of the tour. This was by far my favorite tour in Rome and I would do it again if available. Highly recommended !
Dear Curious39896835511, Thank you for your fantastic review! We’re so happy to hear that Eugenia helped make your tour so enjoyable and insightful. It’s wonderful that this tour was your favorite, and we hope to welcome you back for more enriching experiences in the future. We greatly appreciate your recommendation! Best regards, The Through Eternity Team
We had an outstanding small group tour of St. John Lateran and Santa Maria Maggiore, led by Aurelia. Aurelia gave a wonderful tour and was extremely well-informed about the both the churches and the history of early Christianity. We could not have had a better experience, and the tour was one of the highlights of our trip to Rome.
Dear David, Thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback. We're delighted to hear that your guide made such a positive impact on your experience. We always strive to offer intimate and engaging tours, and we’re thrilled to know it made your time in Rome extra special. Best regards, The Through Eternity Team
My sister and I are of Italian heritage and have been to Rome many times before. This time we came for the Jubilee. Francesco ,our tour guide, was excellent! He was full of knowledge.We learned a lot about Christianity through these Basilicas and had a chance to go through the Holy Doors. He took his time answering all our questions and gave us time to pray or view. We never felt rushed with Francesco. He had a fun personality so the tour was never boring. He taught us about a Roman Coffee (espresso and zabaglione) which was something new for us. My sister and I highly recommend this tour and Francesco Reo!
Dear Roam, Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to share your experience with us. We're thrilled to hear that both you and your sister had a memorable time during the Jubilee and that Francesco was able to enhance your visit with his knowledge and engaging personality. We’re also glad you enjoyed! Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we hope to welcome you back on another unforgettable tour soon. Best regards, The Through Eternity Team
