Address: Catacombs of St. Callixtus, Via Appia Antica, 110/126, 00179 Roma, Italy.
Opening hours: daily from 09:00 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 17:00.
Day off - Wednesday.
Entrance fee: 8 EUR.
You can talk endlessly about Rome, who survived in his lifetime many bright events, beautiful and tragic, but each time, like the Phoenix bird that managed to rise from the ashes, remain as proud and indestructible. There is another Rome, invisible and unknown to many, lying right under their feet, where an entire era is reflected in each layer. To touch its centuries-old history, hidden under thousands of acres of land, you should make your way to the underworld ...
What the dungeons "told" about
Roman catacombs - the most amazing monument that conveys the history of Christians three centuries from the birth of Christ. For long centuries, they were forgotten. And only in the middle of the XIX century. they were accidentally discovered by an Italian archaeologist Giovanni Battista de Rossi.
Trying to find objects of ancient Christians, he came across a marble piece of a slab bearing the inscription "Cornelius the Martyr". The find was thoroughly investigated. It turned out to be part of a tombstone from the grave of the pontiff Cornelius, who lived in the III century. after the birth of Christ. Tortured to death in 253, he was buried in a country cave. This was the beginning of the search for ancient burials.
About 60 similar burials have now been discovered. The origin of the word "catacombs" is attributed to the name of the area where the cemetery was located. There is no confirmation of this, but all tombs received this name. The ancient city is literally surrounded by them. If stretched out in a single row, their length would exceed 500 km. The first appeared in the pre-Christian period.
The Romans more often burned the dead outside the city limits. Christians, having adopted the Jewish custom, committed them to the earth. So Lazarus, resurrected by the Lord, was buried; after Calvary, they placed Christ wrapped in a shroud in the cave. The dead were laid in a niche, a slab was laid on top. Some of the graves were distinguished by the erected stone sarcophagi. The catacombs were named after the great martyrs.
Time passed, the grottoes occupied a large territory, becoming intricate deep labyrinths connected by narrow passages. During the period of persecution of Christians, the dwellings of the dead became a safe haven for the living. In the deep bowels of the earth, the first temples were formed, where the ancient believers ate spiritual food. The Resurrection of the Lord gave confidence in the absence of death and great hope for eternal cloudless life. The burial places of people who took a step into eternity became for the living the door to the kingdom of heaven.
Semantic wall paintings
The walls in the dungeons were painted with various frescoes. They were the first masterpieces of ancient Christian art. Not looking at the persecution, the images do not have scenes of martyrdom, and the epitaphs are devoid of traces of offense, although most died at the hands of the persecutors. There are only words that appeal to the Almighty.
The intertwined plots of the Old Testament with numerous Gospel images convey to posterity the concept of good and evil, show the difference between truth and lies, life and death. The depicted Adam and Eve, who committed the original sin, are located next to a white lily flower - a symbol of purity. The soul that truly cognized God was symbolically depicted as a bird. With a glance full of love, Christ looks from the walls in the guise of a shepherd, carrying a sheep on his shoulders, symbolizing a lost human soul. The Son of God was painted with a vine, where the branches are those who believed in him. His words: "I am the true vine, and my father is the winegrower," call to follow him. Symbolic images were firmly entrenched in the art of all subsequent centuries.
Emperor Constantine the Great freed believers from oppression by his decree of 313 on the recognition of the Christian religion. Prayer chanting of the Lord was transferred from the dungeon to the spacious vaults of the above-ground light temples.
Largest burial
The largest underground tombs of the capital are recognized by the right of the catacombs of St. Callistus, located on the Appian Way, along which the Roman legionaries once followed the next victory, where the Apostle Peter met Christ. Here is the stone tomb of Romulus - the Roman Cain, who killed his twin brother. They are 20 km long and contain 170 thousand burials. Four of them are currently visited.
When the persecution faded into the past, there was no longer the need to sneak to the deceased. Pontiff Damasius has arranged a staircase that provides access to the tombs. In the lower part of the hallway, the Good Shepherd meets, reminding of the freedom of choice given to everyone living on earth. He is ready to lend a helping hand to a lost person.
Crypt dads
It is considered the center, which was surrounded, growing, by others. In the III century. turned into the burial vault of bishops. The rectangular room is quite spacious, propped up by columns with beautiful carved capitals that support the vault. Nine metropolitan pontiffs and eight nonresidents found rest here. Six names remained preserved: Pontian, who ended his life in the mines, Anter - his successor, who died in the walls of the dungeon, Fabian, beheaded during the reign of Decius, Lucius and Eutychius. They were all great martyrs. Their relics were transferred to different metropolitan churches, where they are preserved to this day.
The resting place of the martyr Cecilia
This is a fairly spacious room with a niche on the left side, where her sarcophagus was installed. Paschal I decided to redirect her relics to the capital, but could not find it. Exhausted, in a dream, he turned to her for help, the woman indicated the exact location. Only one wall separated him from the tomb. After that, the remains were safely transferred to the Basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, dedicated to Cecilia. While rebuilding the church, the sarcophagus was opened. The eyes did not believe the miracle they saw: the body remained incorrupt. Looking at the body, the amazed sculptor Stefano Maderno made a statue depicting Cecilia in the position in which she lay in the sarcophagus. The crypt contains a copy.
Why was she tortured to death? A native of a noble family from a young age, she believed in the teachings of Christ. She converted her husband to faith and brought to God many who believed in him, for which they decided to execute the woman. Having placed her in a hot bath, the torturers wanted to kill her in such a terrible way, but three days later they found her alive. Then they decided to chop off the head. The executioner struck several blows, but could not immediately cut off. Mortally wounded, half-dead, she continued to preach the faith of Christ, trying to convert those present into it. She succeeded.
A cross rises above her grave, around it two angels and three martyrs froze in grief: Polikam, Sebastian and Quirin. There are also images of Christ and the Pope-Martyr Urban I.
Cubicles of Sacraments
Designed for one family, consisting of five compartments. There are well-preserved frescoes telling about the sacrament of baptism. The same rite performed by John the Baptist in the waters of Jordan is displayed, striking the imagination with the power of faith. Jonah, rescued from the belly of a huge fish, "watches" the newcomers. A staircase has been installed here, along which the murdered bishops were secretly brought to rest.
Section of Blessed Miltiades
It is adjacent to the Sacrament Cubes. Founded in the 2nd century, it became a connecting bridge leading to the crypt of Lucina - the resting place of the soul of the Pope Martyr Cornelius. He is rarely mentioned by historical sources. He stayed as pontiff for too short a time, a little over two years. On icons he is depicted with a cow's horn, is the patron saint of animals, healed unfortunate people from many diseases. Here you can see the shining of a phoenix, which means the death of the flesh and eternal life in Christ, doves, symbolizing the Holy Spirit, a fish, a bird drinking from a cup, which personifies the soul that has found comfort in God.
People perceive these sacred places differently. For a cold person who has visited dark, damp vaults, they will remain so. A person who thinks and understands will produce completely different impressions. Numerous corridors will tell about a handful of people who passionately loved life, but died for their faith, blessing the Lord, praying for their enemies. This handful was destined to carry out the greatest revolution in the world - to destroy paganism. Their victory is in fiery love and fortitude. And with faith in the heart and great love, everything is available to man.
The catacombs are rightfully one of the most interesting burial sites in Italy. Certainly, the best of them are the catacombs of Rome. It was here that for many centuries the labyrinths of underground tunnels were used to bury thousands of bodies. The most famous place of these underground burials is the Old Appian Way. It was this area, located outside the city of Rome, that was used as a burial place for pagans and early Christians.
History of origin
On the Appian Way, there are the Catacombs of St. Callistos, which were built in the middle of the 2nd century and are today one of the largest and most important in Rome. They are named after the deacon Callisto, who in 199 was appointed caretaker and custodian of the first official cemetery of the church of Rome. During the twenty years that Callisto was in charge of the cemetery, he significantly expanded and improved the main directions of the dungeon.
In the third century, Callisto was chosen as the new pope. After his death, the cemetery was named after him, and Callisto himself was elevated to the rank of saints. It is noteworthy that he himself is not among the popes buried here.
Architecture
From the 2nd to 4th centuries, when Christianity was not accepted as a religion and there were terrible persecutions against the main adherents, the catacombs were used only for burials, and this period is characterized by simple uncomplicated tablets and inscriptions. And most of the burials of that period are fairly simple tombs, decorated with simple carvings. Starting from the 4th century in the following years, Pope Damasius was able to receive recognition of Christianity as a state religion from Emperor Theodosius, and decided to restore these catacombs. When the persecution ended, inscriptions became much more common, many frescoes and mosaics appeared. Now, not only the name of the person was written on the tomb, but also a painting depicting his profession was drawn. Thus, in the catacombs of St. Callistus, you can see images of bakers, carpenters, tailors, teachers, lawyers, doctors, civil servants, military personnel and other drawings that clearly reflect this or that profession. For a long time, the catacombs were not only a burial place, but also a pilgrimage. The crypt was abandoned only after the relics and relics of the saints contained in it were transferred to various churches in Rome. The final wave of translations from the crypt occurred during the reign of Pope Sergius II in the 9th century.
Interest in the catacombs was revived only in the 15th century. Ilish in the 19th century they again began to be assessed as holy places and considered the main treasury of Christianity. Thanks to the founder of modern Christian archeology, Giovanni Batista de Rossi, in 1854 the catacombs of St. Callistos were discovered and thoroughly investigated.
Today, there are about half a million different burials in the catacombs. In general, the area of \u200b\u200bthe catacombs is about 15 hectares of land, 20 km long. The maximum depth of the catacombs reaches 20 meters.
At the entrance to the catacombs, you can see the crypt, which is called the "Little Vatican", this is where 9 popes and 8 church dignitaries are buried.
Further follows the crypt of St. Cecilia, who is considered the patroness of sacred music. The remains of this saint were transferred to the church as early as 821. But today you can see a beautiful sculpture, the work of Stefano Moderno, who thus decided to perpetuate the imperishable body of the deceased girl.
Tourist notes
The catacombs are closed on Wednesdays and February. On other days, they work from 9-00 to 12-00; from 14-00 to 17-00.
The Catacombs of Rome are a whole network of ancient dungeons, which at the time of their construction were used for burial, although later they became the refuge of the first Christians, as a result of which they became famous. In the Roman surroundings, there are about 60 catacombs with over 700 thousand graves.
The history of the catacombs
The most ancient catacombs arose before our era, at first these catacombs were built to combat the lack of land for burial, because over the centuries of Rome's existence, the surrounding area was almost completely filled with ancient remains.
The famous Christian catacombs of Rome appeared in 107, during the decline of the Roman Empire. By this time, the persecution of early Christians began: they were killed, tortured and thrown unarmed into the arena of the Colosseum.
To escape from persecution, the idea came to perform rituals underground - the Roman soldiers simply could not find them. The Roman catacombs turned from a simple burial place into the first Christian temples (although they did not lose their original purpose).
But after Emperor Constantine recognized Christianity and the persecution stopped, the Roman catacombs were soon forgotten for centuries and discovered in 1578.
Priscilla's catacombs
The first Christian dungeons discovered were these catacombs. We stumbled upon them by accident in 1578 during the construction of the Salaria road.
A little about the name of the catacombs: Priscilla was a Roman aristocrat, the owner of vast lands, during her lifetime she converted to Christianity and when she was building her burial vault, she was allowed to bury her fellow believers on this land. This was the beginning of the Priscilla catacombs.
When a detailed study of the dungeon was made, the scientists were surprised how well these catacombs were preserved. Untouched burials of people canonized, frescoes and religious paraphernalia for ceremonies were discovered.
Fresco in the catacomb
In general, the Priscilla catacombs near Rome are a three-level dungeon dating back to the 2nd-5th centuries. Frescoes and inscriptions praising God were found in the halls of the catacombs. The inscriptions were made by the first Christians.
Catacombs of Saint Callistus
These catacombs are the largest and most famous of all Roman dungeons, unlike Priscilla's dungeons, these catacombs have 4 levels. The catacombs of St. Callistus functioned successfully from the 2nd to the 4th century. The total number of burials in these dungeons is 500 thousand.
Callistus was a deacon tasked with overseeing these catacombs, his main task being the timely burial of the departed Christians. For conscientious work, the catacombs were named after him.
Masses of frescoes, wall paintings and inscriptions were also found in these underground caves.
Last modified: October 13, 2018
It is generally accepted that the catacombs of Rome are a network of underground corridors and tunnels formed as a result of the work of old quarries or abandoned bomb shelters. However, this is not quite true. In fact, the concept of a catacomb appeared hundreds of years ago: in ancient times, the so-called underground galleries, which were used for the burial of the deceased, there were also small chapels where religious rites were performed.
The first Roman catacombs were discovered in the 16th century. Today there are no less than sixty of them, with a total length of more than one and a half hundred kilometers, where there are about 750,000 ancient burials.
The Catacombs of Rome are a network of underground corridors carved into tuff, at a depth of several tens of meters from the surface of the earth, sometimes located in several levels. On both sides of the main passages there are so-called cubicles, small rooms containing several burials at once. Most often, such crypts were family crypts and, in general, only wealthy citizens could afford them. Ordinary townspeople and slaves were buried directly in the aisles, in narrow rectangular niches located on the sides in several rows.
The rise of the Roman catacombs
Underground burials in ancient Rome arose during pagan times. The first burial galleries appeared on the territories of private land holdings as early as the 1st century BC. Wealthy families could afford to build a separate burial vault, intended for the burial of not only family members, but also their servants. Naturally, the crypts of the latter were located in a separate chamber, but they were nevertheless connected to the main narrow passage.
One of the largest cubes of this kind has more than seventy graves arranged in several rows.
With the advent of Christianity, the custom of burying the dead in the catacombs has not lost its significance, but on the contrary. It was the underground galleries that became practically the only burial place of the first great martyrs and victims of persecution under the pagan emperors in the 2nd-4th centuries AD.
Under Constantine the Great, when the persecutions for religious reasons were stopped and the first Christian churches began to be erected, the tradition of performing the rite of the liturgy and worshiping the relics of saints spread in the catacombs.
In addition to cubicles, the so-called hypogeums were found in the Roman catacombs, the purpose of which is still unknown, as well as small rooms for funeral meals and wide halls for all kinds of meetings.
Decline and desolation of the catacombs
Since the 5th century, almost all of the catacombs of Rome were closed for burial. The underground galleries became a place of mass pilgrimage; here were the apostolic tombs, the graves of the great martyrs and preachers. Many pilgrims left notes and drawings on the walls of the catacombs. Some of these inscriptions tell about the impressions of visiting the catacombs and, thus, are a valuable source of information for historians and archaeologists.
In the middle of the 6th century, the first tombs were opened in the Roman catacombs. The relics of the saints taken from the tombs were transferred to city churches and basilicas.
In the 9th century, by order of Pope Paschal I, the relics of two thousand three hundred saints, martyrs, bishops and thirteen popes were removed from the catacombs and transferred to the Basilica of Santa Prassede. This is evidenced by a memorial marble plaque, installed at the same time in the crypt of the basilica.
In connection with such reburials, the pilgrims soon lost interest in the Roman catacombs. Over the next six centuries, the ancient Christian necropolis was forgotten, many underground galleries were destroyed, and some were destroyed over time.
Research and excavation in the catacombs
Interest in the catacombs arose at the beginning of the 16th century. Then the librarian of the Roman Church, who had the opportunity to study early Christian manuscripts, began to study the ancient burials.
In 1578, as a result of construction work on the Via Salaria, marble slabs with antique inscriptions and images from the cemetery Jordanorum ad S. Alexandrorum were found, although it was originally assumed that these were the Catacombs of Saint Priscilla. Subsequent excavations led to the collapse of the premises of the necropolis and it was decided to suspend the work.
Later, Antonio Bosio took up the study of ancient burials, who opened more than thirty underground burial galleries and wrote a three-volume work on the results of his work. It was he who first descended into the catacombs of Saint Priscilla.
Large-scale studies and excavations of Roman necropolises have been carried out since the beginning of the 19th century. Then interest was riveted not only to the history of the formation of the catacombs and burials, but also to the discovered frescoes.
Roman catacombs today
Today in Rome, or rather in its depths, there are more than sixty catacombs, but only a few of them are open for visiting, while the rest are closed for further research and reconstruction work.
One of the largest early Christian burials, forming a network of galleries located on four levels. There are more than 170,000 burials of the 2nd-4th centuries here. Of particular interest are the well-preserved frescoes, the papal cubicle, the crypt of St. Cecilia, and the cave of the Holy Mysteries.
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Priscilla's catacombs
The most ancient catacombs of Rome, located at a depth of 35 meters and forming three levels of burials, of which there are about 40,000. In addition to Christian burials, there are also pagan burials, as well as a whole crypt, decorated with inscriptions in Greek.
Domitilla catacombs
The catacombs were formed from several pagan family crypts, presumably belonging to the Flavian imperial dynasty. By the end of the 4th century, the underground burials were already the largest necropolis, consisting of four levels, each of which was 5 meters high. Today, the Catacombs of Domitilla are the largest underground cemetery in Rome.
The territory on which the catacombs are located in ancient times belonged to a certain Flavia Domitilla, as evidenced by the discovered epigraphies and ancient documents. There were two women with this name in the 1st century: the first was the wife of the 95-year-old Roman consul Titus Flavius \u200b\u200bClement (grand-nephew of Emperor Vespasian), the second was the sister of the emperors Titus and Domitian.
Since ancient times, the Domitilla catacombs in Rome have been known among pilgrims as a place of worship for Saints Achilles and Nereus. Here, according to ancient documentary sources, the remains of Saint Petronilla, the daughter (most likely spiritual) of the Apostle Peter, are buried.
Catacombs of Saints Marcellino and Pietro
The Roman catacombs, dedicated to the Martyrs Marcellino and Pietro, have long kept the tombs of the Christian saints whose names they bear. The saints were beheaded by order of the emperor Diocletian in 304 and buried in the pits that Marcellino and Pietro dug with their own hands before their execution.
The catacombs of Marcellino and Pietro, together with the basilica of the same name, the mausoleum of Helena and the remains of the cemetery of the imperial equestrian bodyguards Equites singulares, form a single complex, known since ancient times under the name "Ad duas lauros". Burials in these catacombs have been made since the 2nd century. Today the underground cemetery covers an area of \u200b\u200babout 18,000 square meters. and contains a huge number of burials, the exact number of which is difficult to establish. Scientists suggest that in the 3rd century alone, at least 15 thousand people were buried in this cemetery.
Catacombs of Saint Sebastian
There are both pagan and early Christian burials. Well-preserved frescoes and inscriptions reveal the period of the transition of religion. It is believed that this is where the apostles Peter and Paul were buried.
Catacombs of Saint Pancratius
The Catacombs of Saint Pancratius, also known as the "Catacombs of Ottavilla", are located in the eponymous square in Rome, in the Gianicolense quarter and are dedicated to a Christian saint who suffered for his religious beliefs in 304 AD. According to legend, Pankratius, who arrived in Rome from the Greek city of Phrygia, refusing to worship the pagan gods, was beheaded. His body was found in the area of \u200b\u200bAurelia Street by a Roman matron named Ottavilla, who buried the martyr in a small cemetery nearby.
In addition to Saint Pantkratius, in the catacombs bearing his name were buried Vera, Nadezhda, Love and their mother Sophia, venerated in the Christian church as martyrs.
Ponziano catacombs
Another Roman catacombs of interest are located along Via Portuense, in the underground of Monteverde Hill. They are named after the person who owned the area in ancient times. According to researchers, Ponziano during the reign of Emperor Alexander Severus (222-235) provided refuge to Pope Calixt I.
The catacombs, which consisted of several levels of underground galleries, also had a ground necropolis. To date, most of the Poniziano catacombs in Rome have not been studied and only one level of them, dating from the late III-early IV century, is accessible and does not pose a threat.
One of the most interesting rooms of the Ponziano catacombs is the so-called "underground baptistery", which is a unique element of the hypogeal (ie underground) Roman cemetery.
Catacombs of Commodilla
In the Ostiense quarter, on via delle Sette Chiese, are the Commodilla catacombs, discovered in 1595 by the archaeologist Antonio Bosio. The Roman underground cemetery, which has three levels of burials, was used for its intended purpose in the 6th century AD. The most interesting from an archaeological point of view is the central level, which is an ancient pozzolana mine, converted for funeral needs. There is also a small underground basilica dedicated to the martyrs Felix and Adavkt, who suffered under Diocletian. The frescoes of the cubicolo di Leone are of high artistic interest. The burial chamber of an influential Roman military leader of the second half of the 4th century is decorated with paintings with biblical subjects.
Catacombs of Saint Agnes
Another important Roman catacombs are located in the Sant Agnese Fuori le Mura complex, in the modern quarter of Trieste. The catacombs are dedicated to Saint Agnes, the only Christian martyr buried here, about whom documentary evidence has been preserved. Most of the burials are dated to the 3rd-4th centuries.
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Another city is hidden under the ancient streets of Rome with its buildings and labyrinths of streets. Ancient catacombs with a total length of more than one and a half hundred kilometers were used earlier as burial places.
Burials
Along the famous Appian Way in Rome, under the surface of the earth, there is an extensive system of dungeons. These catacombs are long labyrinths of tuff, within the walls of which there are rectangular niches for burial. Today, almost all niches are open and empty, but closed ones have also survived (for example, in the Panfil catacombs).
In total, Rome has more than 60 different catacombs with a total length of 150-170 km, which is about 750,000 (!) Burials. By the way, the very name "catacomb" (lat. Catacomba) was not known to the Romans, they used the word "cemeterium" (lat. Coemeterium) - "chambers". Only one of the coemeteria, Saint Sebastian, was called ad catacumbas (from the Greek katakymbos - deepening).
Appian Way
The first catacombs at the gates of Rome date back to the pre-Christian era. Roman law prohibited burial within the city, so the Romans used large roads leading from Rome for burials. Most of the monuments on the Appian Way were erected in the 2nd century, after wealthy citizens began to bury bodies in the ground instead of the Roman tradition of burning the bodies of the dead.
The price for plots of land at the beginning of public roads connecting the largest cities was high, therefore, the closer the burial was to the city gates, the more respected the owner of the plot was.
Roman owners arranged a solitary grave, or a whole family crypt, on the plot they owned, where only their loved ones were allowed. Subsequently, their descendants, who converted to Christianity, allowed only co-religionists for burial on their sites. This is evidenced by numerous inscriptions preserved in the catacombs: “[Family] tomb of Valery Mercury. Julitta Juliana and Quintilia, for his venerable released and descendants of the same denomination as myself ”,“ Mark Antony Restut built a crypt for himself and his loved ones who believe in God ”.
The earliest (IV century) historical sources about the Roman catacombs are the works of Blessed Jerome and Prudentius. Jerome, who was raised in Rome, left notes about his visits to the catacombs:
“Together with my fellow peers, I had the custom on Sundays to visit the tombs of the apostles and martyrs, often descend into caves dug in the depths of the earth, within the walls of which on both sides the bodies of the dead lie, and in which there is such darkness that it almost comes true here prophetic saying: “they may enter into hell and live” (Ps. 54:16).
Jerome's description is supplemented by Prudentius' The Suffering of the Most Blessed Martyr Hippolytus, written at about the same period:
“Not far from the place where the city rampart ends, on the cultivated area adjacent to it, a deep crypt opens its dark passages. A sloping path, meandering, leads to this refuge devoid of light. Daylight enters the crypt through the entrance, and in its winding galleries, a dark night turns black just a few steps from the entrance. However, into these galleries clear rays are thrown from above the holes cut in the vault of the crypt; and although in the crypt there are dark places here and there, nevertheless, through the indicated holes, significant light illuminates the interior of the carved space. Thus, it is possible to see the light of the absent sun under the earth and enjoy its radiance. In such a cache hides the body of Hippolytus, next to which an altar is erected for divine rituals. "
It is from the celebration of divine services in the catacombs on the tombs of martyrs that the Christian tradition of celebrating the liturgy on the relics of saints originates.
Funeral rites
Catacombs in the period of II-IV centuries were used by Christians for carrying out religious rites and burials, since the community considered it its duty to bury co-religionists only among its own. The funeral of the first Christians was simple: the body, previously washed and anointed with various incenses (the ancient Christians did not allow embalming with the cleansing of the insides), was wrapped in a shroud and placed in a niche. Then it was covered with a marble slab and, in most cases, bricked up with bricks.
The name of the deceased was written on the slab (sometimes only individual letters or numbers), as well as a Christian symbol or a wish for peace in heaven. The epitaphs were very laconic: “Peace be with you,” “Sleep in the peace of the Lord,” etc. Part of the slab was covered with cement mortar, into which coins, small figures, rings, and pearl necklaces were also thrown. Oil lamps or small vessels of incense were often left nearby. The number of such items was quite high: despite the plundering of a number of graves in the catacombs of St. Agnes alone, about 780 items were found, placed with the deceased in the tomb.
Christian burials in the catacombs almost exactly reproduced Jewish burials and did not differ in the eyes of their contemporaries from Jewish cemeteries in the vicinity of Rome. According to researchers, the early Christian epitaphs ("Rest in peace", "Rest in God") in the catacombs repeat the Jewish funerary formulas: bi-shalom, bi-adonai.
The management and maintenance of order in the catacombs was handled by the foos. They were also responsible for preparing burial sites and mediating between sellers and buyers of graves. Images of fossors are often found in catacomb painting: they are depicted at work or standing with their labor, among which an ax, a pickaxe, a crowbar and a clay lamp to illuminate dark corridors stand out. Modern foresters participate in further excavations of the catacombs, keep order and escort scientists and those interested in unlit corridors.
Niches (loculi, literally "small towns") are the most common form of burial in the catacombs. They were executed in the form of rectangular oblong depressions in the walls of the corridors.
Arkosoliy is a low deaf arch in the wall, under which the remains of the deceased were placed in the tomb. The tombstone was used as an altar during the liturgy.
"Decline" of the catacombs
Since the 4th century, the catacombs have lost their significance and are no longer used for burial. The last Roman bishop who was buried in them is Pope Melchiad. His successor, Sylvester, was already buried in the Basilica of San Silvestro in Capite. In the 5th century, burials in the catacombs completely ceased, but from this period the catacombs became popular among pilgrims who wanted to pray at the graves of the apostles, martyrs and confessors.
They visited the catacombs, leaving various images and inscriptions on their walls (especially near the tomb with the relics of saints). Some of them described their impressions of visiting the catacombs in travel notes, which are one of the sources of data for the study of the catacombs.
The decline in interest in the catacombs was caused by the gradual extraction of the relics of saints from them. For example, in 537, during the siege of the city of Vitiges, the tombs of the saints were opened, and their relics were transferred to the city churches.
This was the first extraction of relics from the catacombs; subsequent records of the chroniclers report more large-scale actions. For example, Pope Boniface IV took out thirty-two carts with relics from the catacombs, and under Pope Paschalia I, according to the inscription in the Basilica of Santa Prassede, two thousand three hundred relics were removed from the catacombs.
Reopened
Since the end of the 9th century, visits to the Roman catacombs, which have lost the relics that attracted pilgrims, practically cease; in the 11th-12th centuries, only a few cases of such visits are described. For almost 600 years, the necropolis, famous in the Christian world, is forgotten.
In the 16th century, Onufriy Panvinio, a theologian professor and librarian of the papal library, began to study the catacombs. He researched early Christian and medieval written sources and made a list of 43 Roman burials, however, the entrance was only found in the catacombs of Saints Sebastian, Lawrence and Valentine.
Once again, the Roman catacombs became known after on May 31, 1578, workers engaged in excavation work on the Salar road stumbled upon stone slabs covered with ancient inscriptions and images. At that time, it was believed that these were the catacombs of Priscilla. Soon after their discovery, they were buried under the rubble and re-excavated only in 1921.
Later, the catacombs were explored by Antonio Bosio (c. 1576-1629), who in 1593 first descended into the Domitilla catacombs. Full-scale research work began only in the 19th century, when works on their history and painting were published.
Since 1929, the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archeology has been managing the catacombs and the research carried out there. The Institute of Christian Archeology under the commission is engaged in the protection and preservation of the open catacombs, as well as the study of painting and further excavations.
Types of catacombs
Christian catacombs
The Christian burial system is the most extensive of all. The oldest of these are the Priscilla Catacombs. They were the private property of the family of Akilius Glabria, the Roman consul. The rooms in them are decorated with early Christian frescoes, of which the feast scene (allegory of the Eucharist) in the Greek chapel and the oldest image of the Virgin with the child and the prophet, dating back to the 2nd century, stand out.
Of particular interest are the catacombs of St. Sebastian, in which there are pagan burials decorated with frescoes.
Symbols and decor
The walls of about 40 catacombs are decorated with frescoes (less often mosaics) depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments, pagan myths, as well as various Christian allegorical symbols. The most ancient images include the scenes of "Adoration of the Magi", which date back to the II century. Also, the appearance in the catacombs of images of the acronym or the fish symbolizing it dates back to the II century.
The presence in the places of burials and gatherings of the first Christians of images, both biblical history and saints, testifies to the early tradition of venerating sacred images.
Other common symbolic images, partially borrowed from the ancient tradition, in the catacombs include:
Anchor - an image of hope (the anchor is the support of the ship at sea);
Dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit;
Phoenix is \u200b\u200ba symbol of resurrection;
The eagle is a symbol of youth (“your youth will be renewed like an eagle” (Ps. 102: 5));
Peacock is a symbol of immortality (according to the ancients, his body did not undergo decomposition);
Rooster - a symbol of resurrection (the cry of the rooster awakens from sleep);
The Lamb is a symbol of Jesus Christ;
Leo is a symbol of strength and power;
The olive branch is a symbol of eternal peace;
Lily - a symbol of purity (common due to the influence of apocryphal stories about the presentation of a lily flower by the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary);
A vine and a basket of bread are symbols of the Eucharist.
Researchers note that Christian fresco painting in the catacombs represents (with the exception of New Testament scenes) the same symbols and events of biblical history that are present in Jewish burials and synagogues of that period.
It is interesting that in the catacomb painting there are no images on the theme of the Passion of Christ (there is not a single image of the crucifixion) and the Resurrection of Jesus. But often there are scenes depicting Christ performing miracles: the multiplication of the loaves, the resurrection of Lazarus ... Sometimes Jesus holds in his hands a kind of "magic wand", which is an ancient tradition of depicting miracles, also adopted by Christians.
Another common image in the catacombs is Oranta. Initially, as a personification of prayer, and then as an image of the Mother of God, representing her with arms raised and outstretched to the sides, palms outward, that is, in the traditional gesture of intercessory prayer.
Long dark corridors with the atmosphere of death soaring in them inexorably attract both pilgrims and ordinary tourists to the Roman catacombs. Some crave goodness from the burial place of their saints, others for thrills and photographs for memory. Scientists are special visitors. The story buried in the walls still keeps its secrets and is ready to reveal them only to a select few.