Relics Tour: Holy Cross, Holy Stairs, St. John in Lateran

Enjoy a private tour of the most important relics in Rome

See fragments of the Holy Cross and the Crown of Thorns. Pray on the stairs that Jesus climbed. Visit the gorgeous Basilica of St. John.
Pick-up, skip-the-line & transportation included!

Transportation to the first Church

Pick-up at your hotel

Free time to pray

Professional Guides

Duration

about 3 hours

Activity level

moderate

Sights included

Basilica of the Holy Cross

– Relics of the Cross
– Relics of the Crown of Thorns
– Finger of St. Thomas

Holy Stairs

– Pray on the steps that Jesus Climbed
– Enter the “Sancta Sanctorum”
– Pray in the “holiest place in the world”

Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano: the first Basilica

– Relics of St. Peter and Paul
– Medieval Cloister
– Beautiful design by Borromini

Book Now!

Tour Description

While we know that Jesus Christ never came to Rome, thanks to several popes and St. Helena, the mother of the first Christian Emperor, Constantine, many relics have found their way to Eternal City.

But where can we find them?

Join us for an exciting journey through Early Christianity, medieval, and baroque architecture as we go on the hunt of the relics of Jesus.

What better time to do so than with the 2025 Holy Year upon us?

1. The Basilica of the Holy Cross: Santa Croce in Gerusalemme

The first stop of our Relics Tour is the Basilica of the Holy Cross (Santa Croce in Gerusalemme).

It is one of the “Seven Churches” of Rome, and it hosts some of the most venerable Relics in the world.

A lovely chapel in the Basilica hosts some gorgeous reliquaries where you can see:

Some fragments of the Holy Cross of Christ
Two thorns from the Crown of Jesus
One nail from the Holy Cross
The Title of the Cross, the sign that hung over the head of Christ and that declared him to be the King of the Jews.
The finger of St. Thomas the Apostle, also known as the “Doubter”.

Most of the relics were brought to Rome by St. Helena, the mother of Constantine, the first Christian Roman Emperor.

The Basilica is very pretty and ancient: it was built next to the palace that was home to St. Helena at the beginning of the 4th century.

Before the construction, the whole area was covered with land brought directly from Jerusalem; that is the reason why the official name is “Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem”, as it is literally built on soil from the Holy Land.

The Basilica was restored and re-designed many times over the centuries, so it is a treasure trove of architectural styles, including Romanesque, Cosmatesque, and Baroque.

It is one of the most relevant pilgrimage spots in the world, and a must-see for every Christian in Rome.

2. The Basilica of St. John (San Giovanni in Laterano)

The second stop of our Relics Tour will be the Basilica of St. John (San Giovanni in Laterano).

One of the four Papal Basilicas, San Giovanni in Laterano is the mother church of Christianity and it’s even more ancient than St. Peter’s Basilica.

It is considered the most important church in the world, and it’s the first Basilica ever built.

It is also the Cathedral of Rome and it hosts the throne of the Bishop of Rome: the Pope.

Here we find not only extraordinary artwork and architecture but, above the Papal Altar, two busts of St. Peter and St. Paul which according to tradition, contain parts of their skulls.

A special gilded silver case keeps relics of the table of the Last Supper, unfortunately not directly visible.

We will also visit the Medieval Cloister, a beautiful work of architecture and decoration.

San Giovanni is not only a major Christian site, but also a masterpiece of architecture: a building where art and faith merge beautifully.

3. Scala Sancta and Sancta Sanctorum

Crossing Piazza San Giovanni, we reach the Scala Sancta (the Holy Stairs), the final stop of our tour.

According to the tradition, St. Helena brought to Rome the twenty-eight marble steps that Jesus climbed to be judged by Pontius Pilate.

The stairs are hosted in a beautiful building, and they’re covered in wood.

The Pilgrims are only allowed to climb the steps on their knees to reach the Chapel at the top, dedicated to St. Lawrence.

It is also called “Sancta Sanctorum” – the holiest of the holy places.

This small church used to be the private pope’s chapel; inside, you can admire an ancient image of Christ called the Acheropita, which means “Not made by the hand of man.”

One tradition credits St. Luke with painting this image and an angel for providing the finishing touches.

The stunning Chapel of Saint Lawrence “in Palatio“ with incredible frescoes and Cosmatesque-style floor, makes this site one not to be missed!

If you don’t want to climb the Holy Stairs on your knees, you can use a regular staircase that allows you to reach the second floor.

Our Relics Tour will end here, so that you can have the chance to stay and pray, and to eventually climb the Holy Stairs.

Book our Relics Tour and let us lead you through some of the holiest places in Rome.

Our professional guides will take care of you, give you all the information that you need, and help you make the best out of your visit.

The order of the sites might change.

IMPORTANT INFO!

Your knees and shoulders must be covered to enter all churches

You MUST bring an ID, a passport or a driver’s license to enter the sights.

Pricing

499 € for 1 person
79 € per additional adult
34 € per additional kid under 18

What's included

Professional Guides

Transportation

by private car to the Basilica of St. John in Lateran

Pick-up at your hotel

If in Rome city center

Book now!

through the booking calendar

December 2024

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Sun

Send us a message using the form below, contact us via

Whatsapp, or call us at +39 376 165 1457

Italian ArtVentures' Feedbacks

We were amazed by the service we received in Rome and even in Benevento. Giovanni went above and beyond to organize tours and transportation for our family of 15 traveling. Massimo was an incredible and knowledgeable tour guide in Rome. He made it fun for the kids and knew when to take a break. Provided water and an amazing lunch spot for us all. We still are talking about some of the stories he told us. Stefano met us at the train in Benevento and was only supposed to drive us through San Bartolomeo, my father's hometown. But he pulled up my father's and grandfather's genealogy and found some interesting facts that were amazing to find out. He printed and laminated it for us to take. It was an emotional day but such a wonderful part of the trip. The minibus was perfect for everyone to fit comfortably and head over to Almafi. Thank you Giovanni and your amazing staff for making this trip one of the most memorable trips ever!!!

Giovanni was so exceptional at his job that you left the trip feeling torn between wanting to tell the World and also keeping him a best kept secret. Everything that he had orchestrated happened, seamlessly for us as if he had choreographed the entire country of Italy to show up, act, behave on queue. I put together a lot of trips, all over the world, for a group of around 20 friends each adventure. As the chief coordinator, you are always a little concerned about third party tours and tour guides: will everyone show up, is this a scam, can they speak English? Giovanni had infinite patience answering my questions and provided so much detail about our adventure, that everyone knew what to expect ahead of time. He took into consideration everyone’s interest, abilities and aptitudes. We saw a side of Italy that felt intimate and entertaining. There are not enough stars in the galaxy to award him.

What a great experience for me and my family to have these private tours planned by Giovanni. We wanted a curated set of events during our time in Rome and Florence and Gio delivered such a wonderful set of activities to suit my husband and I and our two teenagers. Each of the four days was a memorable experience. Alex was so fantastic and I would recommend him highly- we had one our best meals with him just learning from him and having great conversation. Andres in Florence was a blast and incredibly connected to the history of the area, just a wealth of information so much so that we are definitely coming back to Florence to spend more time. Caterina walked us through the Roman ruins and the Colosseum which was awe inspiring. And, one of the best things we did which I highly recommend is a pasta making class with Romina. We learned to make two dishes with her and then ate the food we had prepared. Such a great way to spend our time connecting to Roma. Thank you Gio and to all our guides! We will cherish our memories made together.

Giovanni-thank you for a wonderful itinerary of guided visits to all the sights in Rome! We so appreciated the communication and detailed planning that ensured our visits to the Vatican/St. Peter's, Colosseum, Hadrian's Villa and Florence came off without a hitch.
Your guides are so friendly and knowledgeable. They made the history accessible and enriching.
You covered every detail, down to lunch reservations, business class train tickets and wonderful air-conditioned transportation with friendly drivers!
Thank you again for all the e-mails to develop a personalized itinerary for a special trip! We give you 5 1/2 stars on a 5 star scale!

I highly recommend Italian ArtVentures. We decided to use a private tour company, rather than the cruise ship excursions, and we were not disappointed. Giovanni was excellent at planning. We booked a tour in Rome and Pompeii. Giovanni was able to customize a tour that was special to us, so we could visit the LDS temple. Maria was our guide at the Vatican. She was fun, smart, and thoughtful. She translated for us as needed and was able to answer all of our questions. One major bonus of having a tour guide is skipping the line for St. Peter's Basilica. Our driver was awesome, traveling quickly and safely. The van was new, clean, and comfortable. We asked for a restaurant recommendation, and Giovanni made us reservations for Amalfi. It was incredible. The next day, we went to Pompeii with Stefano. He was fantastic. He made sure we saw the highlights and we avoided the crowds because of his expertise in the area. Booking was simple, communication was excellent, the cost was well worth what you get. This company is very professional. Totally awesome experience!

Truly outstanding experience visiting the Vatican with Maria! She was the perfect guide - knowledgable, smart, funny, passionate about the subject matter. She had a deep knowledge of the art, architecture, history, and the religious significance of the whole area, and gave us thoughtful, interesting commentary throughout our tour. Although she seemed to have a bottomless knowledge of everything, she also knew how to present the information in a way that was considered, insightful, and crucially, not too overwhelming for us. As we walked, she called attention to many things, some big, others details that could easily be missed. She was well prepared, but also brilliant at answering questions and flexible about following our interests. Several times she pointed out a small detail, then drew a connection back to it later in the tour. She knew the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, courtyard and Basilica like the back of her hand, steering us to less crowded routes and perfect viewing vantages. One of us is Catholic, and one of us loves art, and Maria brilliantly held both our interests throughout the tour. Highly Recommend!