Rome Private Tour St. Paul Outside the Walls and Archaeo

Discover one of Rome's greatest hidden treasures on this private guided tour of the magnificent Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, one of the Four Major Papal Basilicas and one of Christianity's most important pilgrimage sites. Built over the tomb of Saint Paul the Apostle, the basilica preserves nearly 1,700 years of history, remarkable architecture, breathtaking mosaics, and extraordinary works of art. With your expert private guide, you'll uncover the fascinating story of the Apostle Paul, the rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire, and the remarkable evolution of this sacred site from the time of Emperor Constantine to the present day.

Begun in 1205 and completed in 1235, the cloister is the work of the artists known as the Cosmati and the Vassalletto who were celebrated Roman marble-craftsmen. In the centre of the cloister are four squares of well-tended garden. A Latin metric inscription in letters of mosaic can be read from the garden. It runs around the three newer sides of the cloister and describes the purpose and origin of the space. The Exhibition Area includes the 13th century Cloister, the Pinacoteca, the Chapel of the Relics, the Exhibition Gallery and other annexed rooms. Numerous remains from the ancient basilica and works of great historical and artistic value are preserved. In the archaeological site there are the remains of a monastery, of which till now no archaeological trace was known (5th-7th century); remains of a portico with columns that, according to a testimony of an historian of the time, connected the Aurelian Walls with the ancient Basilica of St. Paul; various artistic findings.