Relics of the Passion of the Christ - WALKING TOUR

Step into the sacred heart of Christian history on this profound pilgrimage through Rome, the city where early relics of the faith were gathered and preserved. When the Roman Empire embraced Christianity, it ignited a devotion to safeguarding the physical remnants of Christ’s life, Passion, and Resurrection—many of which were brought from Jerusalem by St. Helena in the 4th century. This tour leads you through some of the most significant basilicas and sanctuaries in the world, beginning at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, home to wood from the Holy Manger and a masterpiece of artistic evolution across centuries. Continue to Santa Prassede to admire its stunning 9th-century mosaics and witness the pillar upon which Christ was scourged, a relic transported from Jerusalem in the 13th century.

Your journey deepens as you visit the Holy Steps, believed to be those ascended by Jesus when judged by Pontius Pilate, and gaze into the Holy of Holies containing an icon attributed to St. Luke. At the majestic Basilica of Saint John Lateran, the Cathedral of Rome, you’ll learn about Borromini’s architectural genius and see the resting place of the skulls of Saints Peter and Paul. The pilgrimage culminates at the Basilica of the Holy Cross, built on soil from Calvary itself. Here you will encounter extraordinary relics of the Passion—including fragments of the True Cross, thorns from the Crown of Thorns, a Crucifixion nail, and pieces of the Holy Sepulcher and Bethlehem Cave. With time for reflection and prayer, this deeply moving experience offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for pilgrims to connect with the heart of the Christian faith.