Rome: Capuchin Crypt Concert & Caravaggio Museum Tour

Bones, Chant & a Caravaggio: Inside Rome's Most Unsettling Museum

You'll hear live sacred music in a 17th-century chapel, walk through a museum of Renaissance paintings, and descend into a crypt decorated entirely with the bones of friars: all with an audioguide and an art historian's context. If you add dinner, you stay for a three-course Roman meal afterward. Arrive by 4:15 p.m. at the Via Veneto entrance.

Step-by-step itinerary

Capuchins Crypt tour and concert

• Visit Santa Maria Immacolata church
• See masterpieces by Guido Reni and others
• Tour the Capuchin Crypt with 4000 bones
• View Caravaggio's La meditazione di S. Francesco
• Attend Gregorian chant concert by Schola Romana
• Enjoy introduction to musical program in English

The experience

You walk in expecting a museum. What you get is something that stays with you. The Capuchin Crypt sits just off Via Veneto, Rome's most famous street, tucked behind the church of Santa Maria Immacolata, and the moment you descend into it, the air changes. Four thousand friars' bones line the walls and ceilings in patterns that are somehow both beautiful and deeply strange. Skulls form crosses. Femurs frame doorways. It's not macabre exactly, but it's not comfortable either, and that's the whole point.

The 90-minute experience starts with a live concert. The Schola Romana Ensemble (soprano, alto, tenor, bass, and conductor) performs Gregorian chant and sacred polyphonic music by Palestrina, Victoria, and others in the Hall of the Convent. You sit in the chapel while the voices move through centuries-old pieces, and then an art historian guides you through the museum proper, where you'll see works by Guido Reni and Domenichino before reaching the Crypt itself. There's a Caravaggio here too: "La meditazione di S. Francesco": hanging in the bone chambers as if it belongs nowhere else on earth. The audioguide comes in 13 languages, so you move at your own pace once the concert ends, taking in the details the bones were arranged to show.

Admission runs from 4:15 to 4:40 p.m., and staff meet you at the entrance on Via Veneto itself, not the main museum door, so arrive early enough to find the right spot. If you book the dinner option, a traditional Roman meal follows: antipasto, pasta alla carbonara or amatriciana, saltimbocca or sea bass, with wine and water included. The whole thing is intimate because groups stay small, and the timing is tight, which is what keeps it from feeling like a tourist march.

What’s included

Your experience includes entry to the Capuchin Museum and Crypt, a live concert of Gregorian chant and sacred polyphonic music performed by the Schola Romana Ensemble, an audioguide available in 13 languages, and an introduction to the musical program in English. If you select the dinner option, a traditional Roman meal follows the concert, with antipasto, pasta, a main course choice, and wine and water for every two people included in the price.

Options for this experience

2 options

Tour with audioguide and concertAvailable from 17 Dec · 16:45Standard: you visit the Capuchin Museum and Crypt independently with an audioguide, available in 13 languages.

Audioguide tour+Concert+DinnerAvailable from 17 Dec · 16:45No transportation is provided: getting to Restaurant Piccolo Vicolo (Vicolo dei Chiodaroli 16) after the concert is left to the customer. Standard: you explore the Capuchin Museum and Crypt on your own with an audioguide, available in 13 languages. Traditional Roman dinner: you enjoy the finest Roman dishes (see the Menu in the tour information). Water and wine (one bottle per two people) are part of the package. Restaurant "Il piccolo Vicolo": we selected the cozy restaurant "Il piccolo Vicolo" for your dinner, located very near Navona Square and Largo Argentina.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Information

Lasts 1h 30m, runs Thursday at 16:45, from € 88 per person and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesThursdayDeparts at 16:45Another time? ›

GroupUp to 301 private ›

Audio guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese and PolishOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.1 with pickup ›

Book up to2h before

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 10 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancy

Operated by Roma Opera Omnia

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see a Caravaggio and walk through an actual crypt without spending hours in a queue or navigating a crowded museum: the tight admission window and small groups are what make the intimacy possible.

Traveler reviews

4.74★★★★★★★★★★

98 verified traveler reviews

5 ★83

4 ★9

3 ★4

2 ★0

1 ★2

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What time does the concert start?

Admission opens at 4:15 p.m. and closes at 4:40 p.m. You're advised to arrive 30 minutes early. The concert begins after all guests have arrived.

Is the Crypt tour included in the ticket price?

Yes. Museum entry, the Crypt tour with audioguide, the concert, and an introduction to the musical program in English are all included.

Can I take photos in the Crypt?

Photos are allowed during the concert without flash, but no video recording is permitted during the performance.

How many languages does the audioguide support?

The audioguide is available in 13 languages.

Is the dinner included?

No. Dinner is optional and available only if you select that option when booking. It includes antipasto, pasta, a main course, and wine and water.

Where is the entrance?

The entrance is at Casa per Ferie I Cappuccini, Via Veneto 21, directly on the street in front of the bus stop. This is different from the main Capuchin Museum entrance.

What if I arrive after 4:45 p.m.?

Guests are not accepted after 4:45 p.m., so late arrival means you'll be turned away.