The Vatican and St. Peter's Tomb

Do you know that underneath the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican is one of the many fascinating discoveries you can do. A Roman necropolis, with tombs, frescoes, and the bones of the first pope, St. Peter.

In the Gospel according to St. Matthew, Jesus tells Peter that he will be the rock on which to build his church. For some, these words are just a simple metaphor, but for those who have been visiting the Vatican, under the Basilica of San Pedro, you know they mean something else.

The whereabouts of the Catholic Church's largest world was not always a sacred place. In fact, in the first century Christianity was one of its greatest enemies, the emperor Nero, who had his own Vatican City.

At that time, the word referred only to the Vatican the next hill, where Nero had built his famous circus, a huge stadium where he did public executions. It was here, precisely in the Circus of Nero, where St. Peter was crucified in 64 years.

Due to the hostility between Romans and Christians, it is believed that the disciples of Peter secretly removed the body of the circus Pedro, and was buried in the nearest place possible. It was the start of the Vatican necropolis, which was just next door, created in times of Emperor Augustus.
Figures
Nero

For centuries, early Christians venerate the tomb of St. Peter in secret, since paganism was the official religion of the Roman Empire. However, when Emperor Constantine issued the tolerance of the Christian faith in 313, the faithful venerate the tomb were in public. In fact it was Constantine himself who ordered the construction of a church above the tomb of St. Peter in 326.


The construction of this church lasted until the sixteenth century, when it was built on the other hand, we see at present. However, the efforts of Constantine was not lost. In the early twentieth century discovered the entrance to an underground tunnel system under the floor of the crypt of the basilica today. What we found was surprising.

After many years of neglect, the necropolis of the Vatican remained intact, although it had been filled completely ground to set the foundations for the new St. Peter's Basilica. But the graves were in perfect state of preservation, and its mosaics and frescoes have been maintained during the long succession of centuries.

Archaeologists immediately began searching for the tomb of St. Peter. Tradition held that under the high altar of the new basilica. Nobody had seen the grave in the last 500 years. After years of relentless digging and searching, they found it.

Today, the tomb of St. Peter can be seen by those visiting the Vatican and his burial in what is known as the Route Scavi. The walls and streets of the necropolis are completely intact, and since have been buried under tons of earth for many centuries. This work of art is a testimony of the hostile environment in which they lived first century Christians.

But most importantly, tourists can be found just steps from the bones of St. Peter. Under the altar is one of the centers of Catholicism. In fact, Jesus' words to Peter in the Gospel according to St. Matthew is something very real to us after making such a visit. Metaphors are for those who have not come here.