Meet your local guide and begin your tour at the edge of the ancient city by the Aurelian Walls, where you will discover the history of this area.
Then make your way towards the 18th-century Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, the official Cathedral of Rome and the seat of the Bishop of Rome. Known as the "Mother Church of the World," San Giovanni in Laterano is the most important church in Rome and among the oldest churches in the world. Centuries before the papacy moved to the Vatican, the Lateran was the home of the Christian Church.
You'll have the opportunity to see the Holy Doors - only open in the event of a Jubilee or Holy Year, every 25 years.
Traces of the ancient Basilica remain, however, your guide will reveal medieval frescos by Giotto and guide you through the meaning of the iconography of the apse mosaics. You'll also discover more about the history of the early Church in Rome and learn how Saints Peter and Paul's relics came to rest here.
Join your guide and explore more of this ancient complex. You'll visit the Holy Steps (Scala Santa), a set of marble steps brought to Rome by St. Helen, Constanine's mother. According to tradition, these are the steps that Christ climbed up the palace of Pontius Pilate during the Passion.
At the top lies the Sancta Santorum (Holy of Holies). Long before the Sistine Chapel, this was the pope's private chapel. It once held some of the most precious relics in the Christian world.
Then, visit the Lateran Baptistry, the legendary site of Constantine's baptism. Its octagonal shape inspired other baptistries around Italy and Europe, including the famous Baptistry of Florence.
Before leaving the Lateran, take a moment to admire the Lateran Obelisk, the tallest standing obelisk in the world today. Discover how these ancient Egyptian monuments were recycled, first by the Romans and later by the Christian Church.
Now, we embark on our own pilgrimage, down via Merulana, a road laid out in the 16th Century to help visitors to Rome on their pilgrimage.
Along the way, we'll make a stop at one of Rome's famous bakeries—Panella. In business since 1929, Panella has kept Romans on the go with its excellent coffee and sweet treats for years. Try the traditional Roman maritozzi, sweet yeasted buns filled with freshly whipped cream—just what a weary pilgrim needs!
Finally, we arrive on the highest of Rome's hills, the Esquiline, home to the largest church, Santa Maria Maggiore, dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Rome.
In addition to its Holy Door, this Basilica boasts ancient Cosmatesque floors and a ceiling adorned with some of the first gold from the New World. Among various relics and ancient mosaics, you'll also find another Sistine Chapel, and a sacred image of the Virgin, Salus Populi Romani—an ancient image that was said to have saved the people of Rome in the 6th Century AD. End your pilgrimage at the obelisk of Santa Maria Maggiore, an ancient gem just steps from Rome's main train station.
