Vatican Grottoes Archaeological Site

Address: St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, 00120 Vatican City State

Website: http://www.vatican.va

Hours: Daily 7:00am-6:30pm (access via St. Peter’s Basilica hours; times may vary for liturgical events)

Admission: Free

The Vatican Grottoes are the subterranean chapels and burial spaces located directly beneath St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. They contain tombs of popes and a sequence of chapels arranged beneath the basilica floor.

Visitors descend from the basilica into a series of vaulted spaces that contain funerary monuments, inscriptions and small chapels associated with individual popes and ecclesiastical patrons. The layout follows the footprint of the basilica above.

The grottoes developed as part of the Christian burial tradition in the Vatican area and were shaped during successive phases of construction and renovation of St Peter’s Basilica, especially during the Renaissance rebuilding of the basilica. Excavations and conservation work have documented many burials and monumental tombs.

Geographically the grottoes lie beneath the main nave and transepts of St Peter’s Basilica within Vatican City, accessible from the basilica interior and forming part of the larger complex that includes the Vatican Necropolis beneath the basilica.

• Access and rules: Access is typically via guided or timed entry as part of visits to St Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Necropolis area; photography restrictions and quiet rules apply inside the chapels.
• Historical significance: The grottoes contain funerary chapels and inscriptions that document papal burials spanning many centuries, making them important for ecclesiastical history and archaeology.

What to See#

• Tombs of the Popes: A series of papal and episcopal tombs dating from the early Christian period through the Renaissance are located in the grottoes, forming an underground funerary complex beneath St Peter’s Basilica.

Access to the Vatican Grottoes is through St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. Enter St. Peter’s Square and go through the basilica’s security screening; follow signs to the grottoes beneath the basilica. Note: liturgical events and papal ceremonies may change access hours.

• Enter via St. Peter's Basilica (Vatican City); security screening for the basilica applies.
• A quiet visit mid-afternoon avoids the large morning mass crowds in St. Peter's Square but check liturgical events which may restrict access.
• Look for the tomb of Pope John Paul II and the ornate chapels; the grottoes house tombs of many popes and are emotionally resonant rather than visually showy.