Scavi: Visiting the Necropolis Under St Peter's and the Apostle's Tomb

Updated on October 8, 2026

Under St Peter's Basilica, a few metres below present ground level, lies a Roman necropolis of the 1st to 4th centuries, excavated from the 1940s. The "Scavi" (the excavations) lead along a street of tombs to the place that Christian tradition identifies as the burial site of the apostle Peter. The visit is strictly controlled: reservation is compulsory through the Ufficio Scavi, small groups with a guide, a duration of about an hour and a half, and a minimum age of 15. Ask for dates well in advance, as places are limited.

Highlights

The street of tombs

The route follows a path lined with brick mausoleums, with remains of frescoes and mosaics. Each tomb belonged to a Roman family, pagan or Christian.

Inside a Roman tomb

The small burial chambers preserve niches for urns and stucco decoration.

The "Red Wall" and the tomb site

At the end of the route, archaeologists identified a 2nd-century monument that tradition associates with Peter's burial, beneath the basilica's altar.

The basilica above you

At the end of the visit you come out in the Vatican Grottoes, then in the basilica; the dome looks different after you have been underneath it.

Practical info

Tips

Booking is compulsory through the Vatican's Ufficio Scavi (form or email on the basilica's official website); there is no purchase on the spot. Requests are made several weeks, even several months ahead for the high season, and the office replies with a date and time. The price is given at confirmation: pay only the Vatican, not a reseller. Minimum age 15, no exceptions. Proper dress required (shoulders and knees covered), as for St Peter's Basilica. Photos and video are forbidden. The route is narrow, damp and partly sloping; it is poorly suited to people who are claustrophobic or have reduced mobility.

How to get there

The meeting point is the Ufficio Scavi, on the left side of St Peter's Basilica, at the entrance of the Arco delle Campane, 00120 Vatican City. Metro line A, Ottaviano - San Pietro station, then about 10 minutes' walk to St Peter's Square.