Regulations for visiting the catacombs closed to the public:
The Pontificia Commissione di Archeologia Sacra (when conditions permit) arranges for students, scholars and non-profit associations to access the catacombs in Rome normally closed to the public.
Visits to these sites must be for study purposes only, and not for profit. For this reason, non-profit associations only are allowed two visits per year for their members.
The PCAS secretary is the only authority who can grant permission to visit closed sites. To access the catacombs, the following rules and regulations must be followed:
a) The request, which must be made at least 20 days in advance of the proposed date of the visit, must be made in writing to the attention of the Secretary of the Pontificia Commissione di Archeologia Sacra, with following information:
The catacomb to visit
The proposed date of the visit
Number of participants
Special openings can be arranged on weekdays from 4:30-8:30 pm and on weekends and holidays from 8:30 am – 8:30 pm.
b) For security purposes, it is necessary to have a custodian and archaeologist present at the site during the visit, in service to the Commission. The fees for these personnel are as follows:
1. Custodian fee, for 75 minutes, per group: € 100,00
2. Archaeologist: € 120,00
3. Overtime fee (after 75 minutes): € 30,00 (calculated at the visit’s end)
Payment of all fees must be made at least 5 days in advance, either in person in the offices of the Commission (hours Monday-Friday from 8 am – 2 pm) or by bank transfer to:
Unipol Banca S.p.A.
Filiale Roma
(IBAN)IT 28 P 03127 03207000078200065
(BIC / SWIFT) BAECIT2B
BONIFICO SU CANALE ESTERO
Payment should be made out to the Pontificia Commissione di Archeologia Sacra
The protocol number must also be included
Please keep in mind:
1. The number of visitors to a catacomb must not exceed 15
2. The organizer is liable for any property damage or personal injury to participants.
3. It is severely forbidden to use cameras or videocameras inside the catacombs. Any infraction of this rule will put an immediate stop to a visit.
4. Cancellation can be made by written request via fax or e-mail up to three work days before the scheduled visit. No refunds are made after that time.
5. In the case that the Pontificia Commissione cancels a scheduled tour, and is unable to alert the client in time, another date and time for the visit will be arranged. The Pontificia Commissione di Archeologia Sacra does not issue refunds in these situations.
Participants should wear comfortable shoes and bring their own flashlights or lamps.