This
unusual tour takes us to the interesting but lesser known
sights of Rome and her outskirts. We drive through the city
passing the Tiber island, the Jewish Synagogue and the Aventine
Hill, through the Gate of St. Paul we continue to the Basilica
dedicated to this saint, St. Paul's Outside the Walls, the
largest in Rome after St. Peter's where we visit the charming
cloisters. Our next visit is to the Catacombs … for several
centuries the underground cemeteries found outside the old
Roman city walls were used by the Christians as a hiding place,
where they could live and practise their religion without
being persecuted. Today it is still possible to see underground
temples found several meters below ground level. Walking along
this impressive maze of dark and mysterious tunnels one discovers
many religious symbols hidden away. We return along a section
of the Old Appian Way, one of the first ancient Roman military
roads that connected Rome to Naples on the west coast and
to Brindisi on the Adriatic Coast. We will see the massive
Tomb of Cecilia Metella and the restored Villa dei Quintili,
all of this with a serene background of trees and ruins.