The famous "Tour of the Seven Churches" completes the eight Jubilee itineraries. This pilgrimage route was the idea of San Filippo Neri, founder of the confraternity of the Holy Trinity of Pilgrims in 1548 (although the tradition may go back to the seventh century). It links the four patriarchal basilicas (St. Peter's, St. Mary Major, St. John Lateran, St. Paul's Outside the Walls) and three of the minor basilicas (Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, San Lorenzo fuori le Mura, San Sebastiano fuori le Mura). In this ninth itinerary you partly retrace the path you took on the other eight, making a complete tour of the chief Jubilee destinations. Until 1871, when the Italian state abolished the practice, the pilgrimage was made twice a year. Historically, pilgrims began their walk at Santa Maria in Vallicella (Chiesa Nuova) and proceeded across the Tiber at Sant'Angelo bridge to St. Peter's. The next day the procession started out again heading down Via della Lungara to Santa Maria in Trastevere, which was an alternative stop should one of the other basilicas prove impracticable. Returning to the banks of the Tiber, they would cross at the Tiberina island and continue their walk along the edge of the Aventine hill, turning down the Ostian Way to St. Paul's Outside the Walls, which was the second basilica of the tour. From there they went through the gate outside the city walls and on to the third basilica, San Sebastiano fuori le Mura, for the most light-hearted stage of the pilgrimage with singing and dancing. Retracing their steps along the Appian Way the pilgrims came back into the city,
heading across the Caelian hill to the patriarchal basilica of St. John Lateran, the fourth phase of the walk. Not far from the cathedral of Rome stands Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, the fifth church they had to visit to secure indulgence. From there the procession went outside the walls again through Porta Maggiore and headed for the penultimate basilica on their route, San Lorenzo fuori le Mura.
Backtracking into the city, again through Porta Maggiore, the procession would disperse after the visit to the seventh and last holy place, the basilica venerating the cradle of Bethlehem, St. Mary Major.
