The catacombs of Rome

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Thinking of Rome in thinking of the cradle of Western civilization, in its seven hills, in its spectacular architecture, which bears witness to its great past as the capital of one of the largest empires of antiquity. And of course it is to feel the heart of Christianity beating from the Vatican Square.

Due to its long history, in Rome there is much to discover. Its origin is unknown although many suggest that it took place in 754 BC Since then, the city has seen different periods of the history of Italy pass, such as the monarchy, the republic or the empire and all of them gave rise to interesting anecdotes and stories, a good part of which remain in Rome in one way or another.

Such is the case of the catacombs of Rome, underground galleries that were used as a cemetery for several centuries. In the past there were more than sixty catacombs but only five of them have reached us in good condition to visit them.

In the next post, we will approach the catacombs of Rome to know its origin, its end, its characteristics and much more. Do not miss it!

What are the catacombs of Rome?

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These are underground galleries that were used as a burial place by the early Christians of Rome as well as by Jewish and Roman citizens.

For the Romans it was a tradition to incinerate the corpses of the deceased but the Christians did not agree with this custom, so they decided to create these huge underground cemeteries to give them burial according to Christian ritual and also as a way to solve the problems of lack of space and high cost of land with which they could find when making their burials.

The Roman law of the time did not allow the deceased to be buried inside the city, so these communities had to locate the catacombs of Rome outside its wall. Preferably in secluded places and hidden underground to be able to carry out Christian funeral rituals in a free way and without feeling harassed.

The first catacombs used to be made on the outskirts of Rome on land where there was a quarry. In this way, the word catacomb means "next to the quarry." The catacombs of Rome had an infinite number of underground galleries that could form labyrinths of several kilometers in length, along which multiple rows of rectangular niches were excavated.

The bodies of the deceased were wrapped in a sheet and placed in the niches for their eternal rest. Later, they were closed with clay tombstones and, less commonly, with marble tombstones. Finally, the name of the deceased was engraved on the cover along with a Christian symbol.

Origin of the catacombs of Rome

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Christians began digging the catacombs in difficult times, around the XNUMXnd century AD, in times of persecution. During the period that they used them, the catacombs of Rome were not only turned into a cemetery but also into a place of worship and a space where they feel safe to practice their faith.

Around the year 313, with the signing of the edict of Milan, the persecution that the Roman authorities had been carrying out on the Christians was ended, so that they had more freedom to acquire land without fear of being confiscated and thus build small churches where to pray. Despite this, the Christian community continued to use the catacombs of Rome as cemeteries until the XNUMXth century AD.

Centuries later, during the barbarian invasion of Italy, the catacombs of Rome were continuously looted and the successive Popes were forced to transfer the relics of the burials to the churches of the city. Thus, the catacombs were abandoned and long forgotten.

Catacombs of Rome

As I pointed out at the beginning of the post, in the past there were more than sixty catacombs but only five of them are open to the public today. The most important and well-known (San Calixto, San Sebastián and Domitila) are located a short distance from each other along the Via Appia and well served by buses on lines 118 and 218.

  • Catacomb of Saint Sebastian (Via Appia Antica, 136): 12 kilometers long, it owes its name to a soldier who was martyred for converting to Christianity, San Sebastián. Together with the catacombs of San Callisto, they are the best that can be seen.
    Open from Monday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 14:00 p.m. to 17:00 p.m.
  • Catacombs of San Calixto (Via Appia Antica, 126): The catacombs of San Callisto were the burial place of 16 popes and dozens of Christian martyrs in their network of galleries of more than 20 kilometers long. Open from Thursday to Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 14:00 p.m. to 17:00 p.m.
  • Catacombs of Priscilla (Via Salaria, 430): They contain frescoes very important for the history of art, such as the first representations of the Virgin Mary. They can be visited from Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 14:00 p.m. to 17:00 p.m.
  • Domitila Catacombs (Via delle Sette Chiese, 280): These catacombs of more than 15 kilometers long were discovered in 1593 and owe their name to Vespasian's granddaughter. Open from Wednesday to Monday: from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 14:00 p.m. to 17:00 p.m.
  • Catacombs of Santa Inés (Via Nomentana, 349): They owe their name to Saint Agnes, who was martyred for her Christian faith and who was buried in these same catacombs that later took her name. They can be visited from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 16:00 p.m. to 18:00 p.m. They are closed on Sunday morning and Monday afternoon.

Decoration and iconography of the catacombs

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Both the decoration of the catacombs of Rome and its iconography evolved over time. In the beginning they had a great influence from Greece with themes related to the animal or plant world but with a mystical background: the dove (Holy Spirit), the vine and wheat (Eucharist), the peacock (eternity), the fish (the sacrament of baptism), etc.

Later, towards the third century AD, biblical themes emerged in which Christ is represented as the Good Shepherd or as a Teacher.

Archaeologists have been able to date the dates of the catacombs of Rome thanks to the custom of fixing coins or cameos on the walls that made it possible to know under which emperor the person had died. For example, some coins bear the effigy of Domitian and others of Nero or Vespasian.

What to see in the catacombs of Rome?

A visit to the catacombs of Rome will allow us to know in situ what Christian burials were like in a time when they were persecuted. It is very exciting to walk through the damp corridors and contemplate the funerary remains of some burials made so many centuries ago.

As a curiosity, due to the high infant mortality of the time, in the catacombs of Rome we can see the large number of niches for children as well as large graves to bury entire families.

Price of tickets to the catacombs of Rome

  • Adults: 8 euros
  • Under 15 years: 5 euros

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