Vatican Grottoes

The origins of the Vatican Grottoes date back to the 16th century, specifically around 1590–1591, when they were constructed to support the floor of the Renaissance-era St. Peter's Basilica.

[1] Pope Clement VIII, in 1592, undertook significant renovations of the medieval crypt, naming it the “Clementine” and installing a seventeenth-century altar near the tomb of Saint Peter.

In the 17th century, under Pope Urban VIII, four small oratories were created at the base of the pillars supporting the dome, designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and decorated by artists like Agostino Ciampelli and Guidobaldi Abbatini.

Notable among these are the Irish, Polish, Lithuanian, Patron Saints of Europe, and Mexican chapels, and the oratory with the tomb of Pope Pius XII.

The Vatican Grottoes house frescoes, mosaics, sculptures, and inscriptions, many of which are relics from the older version of St. Peter's Basilica.