The route leads you to the discovery of the Bishop's Palace and Cathedral excavations, revealing a heritage that had been forgotten for centuries. The site shows archaeological ruins from the Middle Ages: an ancient cistern and a 10th-century necropolis. Here you'll discover an unexpected history and its details that may surprise you.
We recommend reserving at least 24 hours before the chosen appointment time.
The experience in Termoli Underground is a real journey into the past five metres deep in the heart of the town. The itinerary, inaugurated in December 2018, consists of the discovery of various rooms dating back to the medieval period and then reutilised over... more
The experience in Termoli Underground is a real journey into the past five metres deep in the heart of the town. The itinerary, inaugurated in December 2018, consists of the discovery of various rooms dating back to the medieval period and then reutilised over the centuries, such as the defensive tower of the Bishop's Palace damaged in the terrible earthquake of 1456 and used as a cistern. The tour continues with the storerooms, where you can admire various precious artefacts fortuitously found during the excavation of the first room known as the "storeroom of the 13th century". Especially interesting among these are the capitals dating back to the Frederician construction site (13th century) of the adjoining Cathedral, which preserves the relics of St. Timothy. The underground tour ends in the impressive cemetery area with ancient tombs, where one breathes an atmosphere of mystery and devotion.
lessSummer opening hours:
Daily 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 10.30 p.m.
Winter opening hours:
Tuesday to Sunday 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The city of Termoli has the privilege of preserving the bodily remains of Saint Timothy, disciple of the Apostle Paul, whom Saint Paul would call "my dearest son" (2 Timothy 1:2). It was May 11th of the year 1945 when, fortuitously, during the renovation of the cathedral crypt, a wooden box containing a human skeleton without the skull was found in a niche located in the right apse. The niche was covered by a stone slab that surmounted it. On the backside of this marble slab, there was an inscription in Latin which made it clear that we were dealing with the mortal remains of Saint Timothy, disciple of Saint Paul, whose remains had been hidden in 1239 by Bishop Stephen to save them from the Saracen raids on the Adriatic coast. Thus it was that for over 700 years the memory was lost, but recent history has resurrected this precious treasure of faith from the womb of the cathedral, almost like a pearl hidden within a shell.
Saint Timothy is quoted 6 times in the Acts of the Apostles, 17 times in the Pauline letters, and once in the Letter to the Hebrews. As a sub-apostolic saint, he is one of the greatest witnesses of the Christian faith of the earliest centuries. From time immemorial a silver reliquary of medieval manufacture (12th century) was kept in the chapel of the Bishop of Termoli, and which contained the skull of Saint Timothy, from which a jaw was missing. The discovery of the skeletal bones without the head, but with a jaw which matched perfectly with the skull preserved in the bishop's chapel, was a further confirmation, along with the stone inscription, that it really was Saint Timothy. Currently, the relic of the skull of Saint Timothy is venerated in the church dedicated to him, which was built in 1954 at the behest of Bishop Oddo Bernacchia. In this parish, the apse behind the main altar has been decorated with an impressive mosaic, finished in the year 2020, that extends for about 350 square meters, and which visually tells the story of Saint Timothy and the discovery of his remains.
In 1983, Pope John Paul II made a pilgrimage to Termoli where he venerated the body of Saint Timothy during his historic visit. And in January 2020, Pope Francis wanted the saint's body in Rome during the octave of prayer for Christian unity. During these eight days, the body of Saint Timothy rested on the altar of the conversion of Saint Paul in the Basilica of Saint Paul outside the Walls. A historical and unique event: the disciple and "favorite son" of Saint Paul was reunited with his Master at his tomb. At the end of the octave, on January 26th 2020, the liturgical memorial day of Saint Timothy, the urn containing the body was transported to Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, where Pope Francis incensed it, pausing in prayer, on the occasion of the first "Sunday of the Word of God" instituted by Pope Francis himself.
