This is a book about archaelogical work done deep under St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome during the 1940’s, ’50’s, and 60’s. Tradition had it that the basilica had been built over a Roman cemetery, and that St. Peter himself was buried deep under the high altar, but no one really knew for sure. In 1968, Pope Paul VI announced that the saint’s remains had been found; and the tale of how they were found and identified, and of the excavations in general, is fascinating.

The book might be hard to find; it was published in the early ’80’s, and is long out of print. Amazon has copies ranging from $50 to $75; I found it in a local used bookstore for $7.50 (woo-hoo!).