29 Jan 2026

Beneath Vatican City, archaeologists uncovered a hidden temple older than Rome itself. The discovery, made during excavation work for Pope Pius XII’s tomb, revealed a well-preserved necropolis from the 4th century, including mosaics, frescoes, and inscriptions. This finding, believed to be the resting place of St. Peter, sheds light on the area’s history, predating both Christianity and the Roman Empire.

Vatican Hill, initially a swampy, avoided area believed to be cursed, held a long history of spiritual significance. The Etruscans used it as a sacred ground, followed by the Romans who built the Temple of Cybele and later, the cult of Mithras thrived there. Emperor Caligula transformed it into a circus, bringing in an Egyptian obelisk, which later became a symbol of the hill’s complex past.

Archaeologists excavating ...