Heretical Rome: Inquisition, Burnings, Abjurations and Death Sentences｜Italy

In the Rome of the popes, thinking differently could mean risking your freedom, exile, or even your life.

This guided visit takes you to the heart of the Rome of the Inquisition, among courts, prisons, piazzas, and places of papal justice, to reconstruct the stories of men and women accused of heresy, persecuted for their ideas, or forced to publicly renounce what they believed in.

We will retrace the stories of great protagonists such as Galileo Galilei, who was forced to recant, and Giordano Bruno, who was burnt at the stake, but also those of lesser-known figures and ordinary people who fell into the clutches of the Inquisition.

Between faith and science, censorship and freedom of thought, obedience and rebellion, we will discover a Rome where books, ideas, and words could become dangerous.

An intense and fascinating itinerary through the city's most controversial history, following in the footsteps of those who challenged the dominant way of thinking and contributed, often at a very high price, to the birth of the modern world.



Meeting point: In front of the admission to the Basilica of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, Piazza della Minerva, 42, 00186 Roma RM, Italia



Duration of the tour: 90 minutes



Guided visit led by a licensed tour guide.

Please arrive 10 minutes before the start of the tour. The tours start with the utmost punctuality.