This tour is perfect for peopleon their second or subsequent visit to Rome; a first visit generally covers theForum and the Colosseum; on this tour you will get the chance to see just howmuch more has survived from ancient Rome. First stop will be a Catacomb on theAppian Way. Roman law decreed that the dead should be buried outside the citywalls, therefore all roads leading to and from Roman cities became lined withcemeteries and mausoleums and the early Christians continued this tradition, byexcavating an underground maze of catacombs to bury their dead. The tour thentakes in the Basilica of San Clemente. Four subterranean floors, a wonderful 12thcentury fresco and an impressive marble floor, make this one of Rome’s mostimposing places of worship. After lunch (not included) the tour takes in theRoman houses on the Celio Hill. Beneath the Basilica of Ss Giovanni and Paulolie the ruins of an insula (an apartment block) for artisans and also a finedomus (house) with a private bath. In the third century AD, these propertieswere converted into an elegant pagan house, which in turn was transformed intoan early Christian church. From here, onto the baths of Caracalla, an enormousstructure, covering more than 1000 square feet, the complex also boastedlibraries and exercise courts and probably had more gold, marble and art thanany building in Rome. *8-hour tour.
