Guided tour of the papal basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls is dedicated to the apostle Paul of Tarsus, whose remains are preserved inside, under the main altar.

The martyrdom of St Paul, which occurred by beheading, took place in a place then known as Acque Salvie, today known as Tre Fontane.

According to tradition, the body of the apostle was buried inside the property of a Roman matron, a place that soon became a destination for assiduous pilgrimages by Christians from all over Europe.

The deposition changed the history of the area forever.

Monumentalized by Constantine with the construction of a first church inaugurated in 324 AD.

The church was rebuilt larger in 391 AD, until the fire of 1823 which led to the rebuilding of the current church.

Touring St Paul Outside The Walls Basilica

The visit will allow you to reconstruct this long story of destruction and construction, a story inside the Basilica that is palpable.

Inside a structure that is fundamentally XIX century, in fact, works from different periods are preserved, tangible evidence of the basilica's long past.

From the arch of Galla Placidia, which houses a mosaic from the time of Leo I, to the beautiful Byzantine door made of damascened stone, to the ciborium by Arnolfo di Cambio from the end of the XIII century.

The highlight of the tour will be the evocative cloister built by Pietro Vassalletto in the XIII century.

With its suspended atmosphere and sophisticated marble decorations, it is indisputably one of the most beautiful cloisters in Rome.

The guided tour of the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls together with the splendid cloister, one of the wonders of XIII century in Rome.

Therefore a journey back in time to the millennia that preceded us, during which what is today not only a place dear to millions of pilgrims, but also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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St Paul Outside The Walls Basilica wheelchair accessible tours.

Unmissable visit at it with our Rome Accessible Tours.

Specifically tailored to wheelchair users, reduced mobility persons with an adapted transport.