Early Christianity in Rome


Rome was a center of early Christian life and offers some of the best preserved sites for making Church history come to life - including the burial grounds of the catacombs, sites where early Christians assembled and worshiped (in private homes and warehouses converted for meeting space), some of the best examples of early Christian art, and a unique chronology of the development of Christian architecture and sacred space. Rome offers an opportunity to imagine the historical and cultural context of early Christian life by visiting classical sites such as the Pantheon, Colosseum, Roman Forum and other public and private buildings.

Academic and pastoral leaders (from a variety of faith traditions - Roman Catholic, Anglican, Evangelical, Protestant, Evangelical and Reformed) find that travel to Rome is deeply transformative and moving for participants as they step into another world, walk on the very streets of early Romans, worship at places where earliest Christians worshiped, and ponder the development of Christianity in a city that has been so central to world history. Participants come to realize that Rome and its history is part of their own heritage and are inspired to share that with others.

Visit our bibliography for a new series of general interest articles on early Christian Rome.

Program Objectives

Unearth the life and times of ancient Rome

Walk with local archaeologists through historic streets and past temples, courthouses, shops, baths and apartments. With local experts recreate the daily life of ordinary citizens and glimpse something of the world of the earliest Christians.

Be moved by early Christian art and architecture

The human urge to express faith in symbolic and artistic form was deeply alive in the early Christian community. Rome boasts some of the most accessible and extensive samples of early Christian art. Trace the development of Christian art and architecture through the centuries as it evolved from primitive etched panels in the catacombs and simple rooms in private homes to the genius of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel and the breathtaking basilica-style churches.

Awaken a love for Church and Biblical history

Transform adult education and faith formation programs with on-site visits to places where important change took place and where history was shaped by visionary men and women. Participants return with a new found eagerness to learn more and to preserve this heritage for future generations.

Schematic Outline of Program Visits


Illume planning experts will help you design a program around the kinds of activities and experiences you hope to create for participants. Our programs are designed to foster learning, faith formation, community, and interfaith and ecumenical perspectives.

A rich early Christian Rome program includes visits not only to sites such as S. Clemente, St. Paul Outside the Walls, and the catacombs on the Via Appia Antica, but to other lesser known sites (contact us for more details). The Colosseum, Roman Forum, Trajan's Market, Baths of Diocletian, and the Pantheon provide a way of exploring the context of early Christianity. St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums (including its collection of early Christian sarcophagi) are also important for both early Christian history and for the medieval and Renaissance developments of Roman Catholicism. Day excursions are organized to Pompeii, Pozzuoli, Ostia Antica, Tivoli (Hadrian's Villa), and Assisi.

All Illume programs to Rome include guided visits to sites with our acclaimed local Christian archaeologist and our local experts in art history and Church history.