Rome: The Catacombs

The catacombs are ancient underground cemeteries, used by the Christian and the Jewish communities. The Christian catacombs, began in the second century and the excavating continued until the first half of the fifth. The dead were wrapped in simple white sheets, and usually placed in rectangular niches carved into the tunnel walls, which were closed with marble or terra cotta slabs.

In the beginning they were just burial places. Here the Christians gathered to celebrate their funeral rites, the anniversaries of the martyrs and of the dead. In exceptional cases, the catacombs were used as places of momentary refuge for the celebration of the Eucharist. After the persecutions, especially in the time of pope Saint Damasus (366 - 384) they became real shrines of the martyrs, centers of devotion and of pilgrimage for Christians from every part of the empire.

Catacombe di San Callisto

The catacombs of San Callisto, known for more than two centuries as the Church of Rome's cemetery, contain the tombs of nine popes buried in the Crypt. To date more than 25 kilometers of tunnel have been explored, archaeologists have found the bodies of about 500,000 people. Strangely enough, the tomb of Callisto I, is not to be found here. The most visited sites are papal crypt and Santa Cecilia's sepulcher. These were accidentally discovered by the scholar Giovanni Battista de Rossi. Acquiring the land with the consent of Pope Pius IX he started excavating and found some relics, which led to the final discovery of the entire complex.

Basilica & Catacombe di San Sebastiano

The tomb of St Sebastian was found in the catacomb under the basilica. The bodies of St Peter and St Paul were also found in the catacombs covered with volcanic rock. They also contained early Christian wall paintings and decorations and other symbolic artifacts. Lined inside the tunnels and mausoleums are graffiti and mosaics. Admission to these catacombs is with a guide only.

Catacombe di San Domitilla

This is one of the oldest catacombs and provides for the most enjoyable experience. It was the private burial ground of Flavia Domitilla, a member of the rich Flavian family and niece of the Emperor Domitian. The entrance is through a run down 4th century church. The catacomb contains Christian wall paintings, the 2nd-century fresco of the Last Supper and the underground Chiesa di SS Nereus e Achilleus and some mosaics and decorations.

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