ROME JUBILEE 2025 – THE SEVEN CHURCHES TOUR

Until the 19th century, arriving safe to Rome along the roads of devotion was indeed a miracle.
The lucky ones would lose their purse (or their honor), while for many the cost of faith was frequently life itself. Today’s Jubilee pilgrims will face the difficulties and dangers generated by overtourism: high prices for hotels, transportation, and meals. Crazy traffic, long lines at the skip-the-line entrances to main churches and museums, and the occasional pickpocketing…

In our opinion, 2025 could be a good year to explore other areas of Italy, far from the mad crowds, or, if you decide to include Rome in your trip to Italy, you might privilege non-religious (or non-Catholic) itineraries to some of the many palaces, museums, and parks of Rome, or decide to venture out of town to the enchanting hamlets, villas and castles that surround it.

If, for reasons of faith, cultural interests, curiosity, or sheer love for adventure you decide to merge into the atmosphere of the 2025 Rome Jubilee, we propose a third millennium edition of the classic ‘tour of the seven churches’, a must for any pilgrim and for art and history lovers.

ORIGINS OF THE CHRISTIAN JUBILEE – In ancient Judaism, the Jubilee Year (the year of the yōbēl, “of the goat”, as the holiday began with the sound of a goat’s horn) was a holy year. During this period slaves (that belong to God not to other humans) were released, and land (which belongs to God only), was given back to its former owners. A jubilee recurred every 50 years.

The first Christian Jubilee was proclaimed by Pope Boniface VIII in the year 1300. It is a spiritual reinterpretation of the ancient Hebrew tradition. While the biblical Jubilee focused on freeing slaves and giving back property, the Christian version deals with liberation from sins.

THE SEVEN CHURCHES’ TOUR – Since the first Christian Jubilee in 1300, pilgrims came from all Europe to visit the major and oldest churches, enshrining the relics of the most important saints. This, plus a sincere repentance from their sins, and the acquisition of the ‘indulgences’ – grants of remission of the temporal punishment in purgatory still due for sins after absolution – were the main path of purification opening to each one the gates of paradise.
In 1548 St Philip Neri founded a confraternity whose task was welcoming the pilgrims, accompanying them on a long itinerary on foot through the Holy City. They visited the four major Basilicas and the three minor ones, feeding and assisting them through the whole long day. The tour of the seven churches is still being organized today, normally once a year.

OUR MODERN SEVEN CHURCHES ITINERARY – our version, with a historical and cultural focus rather that a religious one, is split into two comfortable full day tours that will cover:

DAY 1 – San Pietro in Vaticano, San Paolo Fuori le Mura, San Sebastiano.
DAY 2 – San Giovanni in Laterano, Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, Santa Maria Maggiore, San Lorenzo fuori le Mura.

The morning of the first day, working also as an intro to the history of the Christian Jubilee from 1300 until our days, will be mostly on foot. Meeting point with our expert guide, such as in the 16th century (when the ‘guide’ was St Philip Neri) will be in front of Santa Maria in Vallicella Church. Also known a New Church, it is a flamboyant and elegant Baroque architecture.
The itinerary proceeds across the River Tiber, passing by Castel Sant’Angelo and Via della Conciliazione. The rest of the morning will be entirely dedicated to St Peter’s Basilica.

Built and rebuilt on the exact spot where St Peter was buried almost 2,000 years ago, what we see today was started in 1506 and is due to the work of different architects: Lorenzo Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Watching and sharing the emotion of people arriving in the great embracing Piazza, entering the enormous space of the church and approaching in awe Michelangelo’s Pietà and Bernini’s Canopy is an experience in itself.

After lunch, we’ll be picked up by a deluxe air-con minivan to continue with the huge Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls. Reconstructed after a terrible fire in 1823, it still holds a 13th century ciborium by Arnolfo di Cambio and a splendid 12th century Easter chandelier.
We’ll then reach the Church and Catacombs St Sebastian, on the Appian Way. It was here that the relics of St Peter and Paul were kept for two centuries. St Sebastian is buried in the catacomb below. The church was completely rebuilt in 1608 by Cardinal Scipione Borghese.
Your guide will sketch all the main aspects: religious, historic, artistic, with the intent of reconstructing the special mood and traditions of these great international pilgrimages.

The second day will focus on the remaining four basilicas, St John Lateran, The Holy Cross in Jerusalem, St Mary Major, St Lawrence Outside the Walls. St John has precious mosaics and a magnificent 15th century cloister. Next to the Basilica stands another building, enshrining the Holy Stairs, that each pilgrim is supposed to climb on his knees. The Holy Cross Church is famous for its most precious relics and for a breathtaking fresco representation of Jerusalem, masterpiece of the Renaissance. St Mary has a huge gilt wooden ceiling and awesome colorful mosaics. Of all the ancient basilicas, St Lawrence is the one that has best preserved its original aspect, majestic and austere, without baroque decorations. Overwhelming as they are, we don’t even try to describe the seven churches in detail. Simply: once in your lifetime, you must see them!

Meeting point with guide and minivan (with English-speaking driver) will be in front of St John Lateran, around 9.00/9.30 am. Consider approximately 8 or 9 hours of touring each day, with an hour break for lunch. At the end of both days, you’ll be dropped in front of your hotel.