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Capuchin Crypt

Capuchin Crypt: Our most recommended tours and activities

Rome: Crypts & Catacombs Tour with Bone Chapel & Transfers

1. Rome: Crypts & Catacombs Tour with Bone Chapel & Transfers

Discover Rome's hidden layers of history beneath its streets. Travel by an air-conditioned coach and use skip-the-line access directly into three fascinating archaeological finds. Visit the hallowed catacombs where, beneath their persecutors’ feet, early Christians practiced their forbidden faith. Almost 2,000 years ago, this network of secret tunnels doubled as a place of worship and burial ground. As you explore tombs made of solid rock, your local expert guide will describe the intriguing history of this sacred spot. Next, travel to Basilica of San Martino ai Monti. Dating back to the 4th century, this church is located near the edge of the Parco del Colle Oppio. Admire the stunning frescoes by artists such as Pietro Testa, Matteo Riccione, and Giannangiolo Canini that adorn the church walls, and see the Chapel of Our Lady of Mt Carmel. Finally, visit the Capuchin Crypt on an audio guide tour. Capuchin monks used the bones of their nearly 4,000 brothers to intricately decorate the floor-to-ceiling designs, lending it the macabre nickname of "the Bone Chapel". Open your eyes to the city’s hidden side – and you’ll never see Rome the same way again.

Rome: Capuchin Crypts Skip-the-Line Ticket and Guided Tour

2. Rome: Capuchin Crypts Skip-the-Line Ticket and Guided Tour

Explore the Capuchin Crypt in Rome using a skip-the-line entry ticket on this walking tour. Follow a guide through the underground chambers containing the bones of some 4,000 people amassed over 5 centuries. Start your visit at the Capuchin Museums to learn about the place's culture and spirituality. Continue towards the Crypt of the Three Skeletons, the only area where the human skeleton can be seen in its unadorned entirety. Next, visit the Crypt of the Leg Bones and Thigh Bones. Admire the Crypt of Pelvises, which contains 2 Capuchins serenely reclining in an arched position. Look at the crosses on the ground, which mark the graves of the 7 Capuchins. Stroll through the Crypt of the Skulls and check out its famous hourglass. Learn about how, when the Capuchins left their old friary near the Trevi Fountain, they decided to transfer the bones of friars who had been buried under the Church of Saint Bonaventure. In accordance with Capuchin law, which did not allow burials to take place within the churches, an underground cemetery was designed. Here, they deposited the bones brought from the old friary. Since then, the crypt has been the burial place of the Capuchins.

Rome: Underground Crypts and Catacombs Guided Tour

3. Rome: Underground Crypts and Catacombs Guided Tour

This Roman catacombs tour starts in one of the most singular and spine-tingling sights in Rome, a bone chapel from as early as the 16th century. The cemetery festooned with the bones and remains of thousands of individuals is a jaw-dropping display of life and death. Although it might appear macabre, your expert guide will tell you why the early Christians in Rome actually consider the display life-affirming. After this brief introduction for your guide, it's time to enter the crypt. As the crypt is located beneath a fully functional church, you'll explore the chambers on your own to respect those worshipping and then reunite with your local guide to ask any questions. Next, it's off to the city's most interesting catacombs. The catacomb contains miles of creepy tunnels and the world’s oldest collection of bones. Your expert, guide, hand-picked for knowledge of the catacombs, will lead your small group of 18 people or fewer through these wonderfully historic and atmospheric tunnels, while telling you the story of early Christianity. Large groups simply can’t fit into these areas, so take advantage of this truly unique access. With comfortable, air-conditioned transport throughout, your only responsibility is to immerse yourself in the thrills and wonder of Rome. Our expert guides have been hand-picked for this experience based on both their knowledge and love of history. They make the perfect escorts through our eeriest and most mysterious tour.

Rome: Capuchin Crypt Semi-Private Tour

4. Rome: Capuchin Crypt Semi-Private Tour

Follow an expert English-speaking guide through the Museum and Crypt of the Capuchin Friars, located under the 17th-century church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini in the historic heart of Rome. Discover macabre masterpieces of art from the Middle Ages in the bone crypts, where your licensed guide will take you on a journey through the 500-year history of the Capuchin monks. Hear how – and why – they led to the creation of one of the darkest museums in the world. Stop to take a closer look at a different artifacts that hold secrets about life in the Eternal City in the Middle Ages. Be amazed by the different bone crypts that serve as a silent reminder of the swift passage of life on Earth. 

Haunted Rome Walking Tour

5. Haunted Rome Walking Tour

Take a walk on the creepy side with this fascinating tour of Rome’s spookiest places. Together with an experienced guide, you’ll unearth some of the Eternal City’s darkest secrets, discover the ghost stories of landmarks such as the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Castel Sant’Angelo, and come face to face with the skeletal remains of some of Rome’s previous residents at the Capuchin Crypt. This walking tour is an intriguing dive into Rome’s long and twisted history. Visit the Capuchin Crypt and descend deep underground to see a side of Rome that you’ve never seen before. The tour continues above ground with a walk through Rome’s cobbled streets to reach the Pantheon where demons were said to roam free, looking for innocent souls to tempt. See the Piazza Navona a beautiful Baroque square known for its stunning architecture and dazzling fountains, as well as the ghosts that haunt the palaces facing the square.

Rome: Villa Borghese & Ada Bike Tour with Optional Catacombs

6. Rome: Villa Borghese & Ada Bike Tour with Optional Catacombs

The wonderful Villas of Rome are not just parks, in fact with this tour you will be surrounded by nature and many ancient works: get ready for a journey through time to discover the many facets of these pearls loved by Romans and tourists of all ages. Your local guide, expert and friendly, will make you live an experience in total safety along streets and alleys that are difficult to be accessed by car traffic. Pedal at your own pace while you will discover all the "secrets" hidden by Villa Borghese and Villa Ada, combining art, history and everyday life. There are 12 stops along the tour, but you can customize the itinerary according to your needs and interests. The attractions of the tour include the National Gallery of Modern Art (entrance ticket not included), the Temple of Aesculapius, the Portico of the Lions, the Tempietto of Diana, Siena Square, the Temple of Antonino and Faustina, Parco dei Daini, Galleria Borghese (entrance ticket not included), the Water Clock and the Terrazza of the Pincio, Villa Ada and, if foreseen, a visit to the Catacombs of the Capuchin Friars. Riding an electric bike is fun and easy: whenever you start to feel tired, you can get a boost from the eco-friendly motor to overcome a hill. You can choose to take the tour totally immersed in greenery with the "E-Bike Tour with Coppedè district" option, and be enchanted by Coppedè district; or include the visit with audio guide inside the Catacombs of the Capuchin Friars, by selecting the "E-Bike Tour with catacombs" option. The Coppedè district, is a fascinating artistic experiment that melts Liberty, Art Decò, Gothic and medieval styles in the buildings of the area.

Rome: Capuchin Crypt & Museum Tour with Choral Concert

7. Rome: Capuchin Crypt & Museum Tour with Choral Concert

Explore Rome's underground burial chambers and crypts to discover a history that predates Christianity, and post-dates the Renaissance. Join this tour to be taken back to a time when Christianity was considered a cult and its members were executed as heretics and buried as martyrs. You will see hundreds of burial chambers, from modest single sites to extravagant family tombs, in the long corridors of the underground city. Attend a choral concert by the renowned Schola Romana Ensemble inside the Basilica of Santa Maria Immacolata. The program is rare and valuable, and alternates the archaic mysticism of Gregorian Chants - the most ancient form of Occidental music - with the best polyphony compositions by the Roman School, including masterworks by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. Then visit the Capuchin Crypt and Museum for an encounter with Caravaggio’s magnificent “St. Francis in Meditation” canvas, along with masterpieces by Domenichino and Reni. See relics from the life of St. Francis and some of his followers. The Crypt is decorated with the bones of 4,000 Capuchin monks, including a real skull and crossbones and chandeliers made of human vertebrae.

Rome: Exclusive Small-Group Catacombs by Night Experience

8. Rome: Exclusive Small-Group Catacombs by Night Experience

Your incredible tour begins at the the Crypt of the Capuchin Monks on Via Veneto, where you will meet your professional expert guide and join your exclusively small group of 6 people maximum. This historical crypt holds the bones of over 4,000 deceased Capuchin monks, which have been decoratively laid out creating an eerie atmosphere which is sure to leave you impressed. As your tour of the Capuchin Crypt ends and night begins to fall, your guide will escort you to a private chauffeured car where you will be taken to ancient catacombs for the next part of your tour. Your chauffeur will drop you off at the incredible Basilica of Saint Agnes outside the walls, which was built in honor and protection of the remains of Saint Agnes, a young Christian martyr executed under the reign of Diocletian. Here you will have the chance to visit the beautiful interior of the Basilica, and can descend into the impressive catacombs through exclusive access granted only to your guide's groups. A Saint Agnes affiliated and certified guide will here take you and other groups through the underground hallways lined by hundreds of tombs. Once above ground again, you will continue your visit with your exclusively small group of only 6 people. Your next stop will be just behind the Basilica di Saint Agnes in the Mausoleo di Costanza. This basilica is part of a larger, prominent palaeo-Christian funerary complex which is also home to a mausoleum dedicated to Costanza, Emperor Constantine’s daughter. The access to these incredible catacombs and funerary complex is privileged and exclusively granted to your guide's company's groups. This is sure to be an off-the-beaten-path, beautiful, and inspiring adventure which you will surely not soon forget. Once your tour has ended, you will hop back in your comfortable car before being taken back to the city center.

Ancient Rome in a Day: Catacombs and Colosseum Tour

9. Ancient Rome in a Day: Catacombs and Colosseum Tour

Accompany your guide to the Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini Church and descend into the famous Capuchin Crypts. A hideout for the early Christians, the crypt houses the remains of 3,700 Capuchin monks whose bones line the walls in elaborate patterns built to represent Christian symbols. Then walk the same road the Roman armies took on their way to distant conquests millennia ago. One of the original seven roads into Rome, the Appian Way went from all the way to Brindisi in modern day Puglia. Make a quick stop to admire the Aurelian Walls from your air-conditioned vehicle before heading to the the oldest network of catacombs in Rome, the Catacombs of Domitilla. Located 50 feet below ground, this nearly 10-mile long maze of tunnels served as the burial grounds for early Christians who did not allow for the cremation of bodies. Head back into the city for a not-to-be-missed stop at the Colosseum with exclusive skip the line access. Enjoy the ultimate VIP experience by entering through the back entrance known as the Gate of Death. Step out on to the reconstructed Arena Floor, the area where battles between gladiators were fought (not accessible to the general public). The tour continues to the first and second tiers of the Colosseum where the richest of Romans sat. The "best seats in the house" are located in the same area as modern stadiums today. Your last stop will be the Roman Forum, the downtown heart of ancient Rome. Check out the ancient Senate building, temples to Roman gods, and multiple grand arches.

Rome: History of Christianity Tour with Vatican & Catacombs

10. Rome: History of Christianity Tour with Vatican & Catacombs

Start the tour with a morning visit to the Capuchin Crypts located under the Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini Church. See the macabre catacombs where 3,700 Capuchin monks are buried in elaborate bone structures. Hear about how many of these structures are built to represent Christian symbols, and as your guide will explain, it has caused some controversy. Then, head over to the oldest network of Catacombs in Rome, the Catacombs of Domitilla. Located 50 feet below ground, this nearly 10-mile long maze of tunnels acted as the burial grounds for early Christians. Next, walk on the same road that led Roman armies millennia ago. Find out how the Appian Way was 1 of the original 7 roads into Rome and went from all the way to Brindisi in modern-day Puglia. Admire the Aurelian Walls from the climate-controlled vehicle. After this, head over to the Vatican Museums and enter with your skip-the-line tickets. Stroll through the Gallery of the Candelabra, Gallery of the Tapestries, and the Gallery of the Maps. Explore the Raphael Rooms and Borgia Apartments which are full of paintings and frescoes by Raphael and his disciples and provide an amazing overview of Renaissance art. Then, step inside Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel - one of the most impressive and celebrated works of art in world history. Because silence is strictly enforced, your guide will describe what to look out for before entering. Make your last stop on the tour at St. Peter's Basilica. Enter through a special door directly from the Sistine Chapel. Visit Michelangelo's Pietà statue as well as Bernini's Baldacchino. The last stop on this Combo tour is St. Peter’s Basilica. This massive church is the size of two American football fields and is filled with works created by some of history’s most celebrated artists. You will enter through a special door, skipping the lines to visit the most opulent church in the world. Once inside, you’ll admire masterpieces such as the Baldacchino, La Pietà, the statue of St. Peter and more. Even if you’re not familiar with art history, the interior of this church will make you stand in awe.

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What people are saying about Capuchin Crypt

Overall rating

4.7 / 5

based on 2,590 reviews

This is a must see while in Rome. It is an hour tour filled with history and information. Hoping that the tour can last many centuries more or forever for future generations to learn about the sacrifices of the Capuchins for the sake of human kind, but it may not. God bless the Capuchins.

The tour was really informative and our tour guide (Heather!) was amazing. Very knowledgable, as well as friendly and funny! We would highly recommend this trip to anyone visiting Rome.

Our guide was really lovely and so knowledgeable. She did everything she could to make us feel comfortable and to make the talk enjoyable. This tour was fascinating.

The catacombs were really odd and interesting, the aqueducts were great. The guide was knowledgeable. I would recommend this tour

Súper interesante e inolvidable porque era algo inimaginable, buenos guías.