Rome Crypts and Catacombs In-Depth Tour**Rome Catacombs | Basilica San Clemente | Capuchin Crypt | Ponte Sant'Angelo**

We start our Crypts and Catacombs Rome Tour at the ancient Roman Catacombs. Dating all the way back to the 2nd century AD, this extensive network of tunnels snaking beneath the city was once both a burial ground and a hiding place for the first Christians in Rome. Established in the days when Nero was famed for torturing Christians, the tunnels became a place for refuge as much as for burials and celebrations. The next stop is the Basilica San Clemente, another site that few visitors ever see. Your guide will begin with the tale of a priest who thought he heard running water inside the basilica. Several years and a sledgehammer later, he and his brothers had mined through the floor of the 12th century basilica, a 5th century church and a 4th century cult temple. Underneath it all, they finally found the ancient aqueduct that had tormented the priest. You will trace this route with your guide through spaces that have been opened now to reveal these incredible layers of history. We end this part of our tour on a high note, with a visit to the Capuchin Crypt - known locally as the "Bone Chapel." It was here that the Capuchin monks have used the bones of 4,000 of their brothers to decorate the walls and ceilings. Witness a real skull and crossbones, vertebrae chandeliers and full skeletons in their robes before drawing your own conclusion - is it art or morbidity? Either way it is something you will never forget. Enjoy some free time to have dinner at a local restaurant or to go for a stroll in the historical center of Rome, experiencing the city at its most enchanting time or admiring an unforgettable sunset. As darkness sets in over Rome, a different city comes to light - a city of legends and mystery, where thousands of years of history left a story behind every stone. Having survived the Middle Ages and the Inquisition, the stories Rome has to tell are far from the average bedtime tale. With our expert English-speaking story tellers, you will traverse the Tiber and wander across piazzas, listening to unknown stories of murders, executions and betrayals. You will see the house of the most notorious (and empathetic) murderer ever to work in the Eternal City and visit the bridge that, according to the legend, is haunted by the ghost of the female Pope. For an hour and a half, your guide will take you back in time to a city that burned heretics like spit roasted pigs and cured its crime problems by hanging pictures of the Virgin Mary on every corner. Our original Rome night tour shows you a side of the Eternal City that is very distant from the grandeur of the Renaissance and the high fashion of today. With groups of only 20 people or less you will have plenty of time to allow your imagination to run wild and take you back to the darker side of Rome as you listen to and interact with your expert guide. For an unforgettable experience of Rome’s dark side and a chance to dig a little deeper into the long and twisted history of the Eternal City, join us on this combo of two highly sought after original and special tours.

Ending time and point: - Crypts and Catacombs: This service ends at Piazza Barberini around 6:00pm. - Dark Heart of Rome: outside Castel Sant'Angelo from where public transport and taxis are easily accessible around 10:45pm