The Catacombs are made up of an infinity of underground tunnels that form authentic labyrinths of kilometers along which several rows of rectangular niches were excavated. The corpses were wrapped in a sheet and placed in these niches that later were closed with tombstones of marble or cooked clay where the name of the deceased was engraved with a Christian symbol.
In the city of Rome there are more than sixty catacombs composed of kilometers of underground tunnels in which thousands of tombs are found. Currently only 5 of them are open to the public:. They are 12 km long and take the name of San Sebastiano a soldier who was martyred for having converted to Christianity. They have a network of 20 km of galleries and house the tombs of 16 pontiffs and dozens of Christian martyrs. Catacombs of Priscilla are located in Via Salaria, In its interior are conserved some frescoes of importance for the history of art as the first representations of the Virgin Mary.
Catacombs of Domitilla are located in Via delle Sette Chiese, These catacombs of more than 15 km were discovered in and take their name from the granddaughter of Vespasiano. Catacombs of Saint Agnes are located in Via Nomentana, Saint Agnes was buried in these catacombs after having been tortured for her Christian faith, hence her name.
There is actually a whole world of art contained within the catacombs of Rome. There are three types of art in the Roman catacombs: stylistic, technical and iconographic.
It was also further split into phases: there is early phase art, followed by Old Testament phase and New Testament phase. The art tells a story, or multiple stories. They are examples of healing, salvation, resurrection - tales from the Bible such Jonah being saved from the belly of the whale, and Noah escaping the flood. Some of it is hard to make out, but a lot of it is well-preserved and offers a fascinating insight into ancient Roman and Christian art styles.
It is also said to be the most valuable collection of ancient Christian art anywhere in the world! We can all be reduced to skeletal beings at one point, just a bunch of bones with everything else stripped away. As burial of the dead was and still is seen as a corporal work of mercy, it was important to the early Christians that everybody should receive a proper burial no matter their class. This cemented the idea that everyone truly is equal, as class cannot be denoted by name alone. Given the sheer size and depth of the Roman catacombs, it is no surprise that there are thousands upon thousands of bones and bodies lying in the depths of the eternal city.
During the 3rd century, Christians actually used to worship within the catacombs. Traditionally they would worship at home, but as the religion grew, they needed more space. Benches and tables were taken down to the catacombs for faithful worshipers to pray among the dead. On a Rome catacombs tour, you can walk among the spaces that very early Christians used for worship, prayer and community. The catacombs run deep - they are at least 20 meters underground, and many are around 20 kilometers long!
The catacombs are actually just outside of the city center: it was illegal to bury the dead within the old city walls, likely for hygiene reasons, so you do have to travel to visit the Roman catacombs. On our Crypts and Catacombs tour, you'll travel there in air-conditioned comfort and explore the dark underbelly of the city. There are well over forty catacombs under the city of Rome.
You will find the separate Catacombs of San Sebastian and St. The bus from the city center of Rome takes you to this ancient and important road. The bus from Porta S. Giovanni will get you to these catacombs in just over 10 minutes!
The Catacombs of Priscilla are underneath Via Salaria, , It takes just under 20 minutes to reach the catacombs. The tour involves visiting catacombs as well as a crypt and a basilica - traveling easily between each location in a comfortable, climate-controlled bus.
No hot and humid buses or cold walks between areas of interest! Rome catacomb tours are a brilliant way of exploring the hidden side of a city so steeped in beauty. From stunning churches to incredible artwork, Rome has it all - but alongside it, there is a dark history of illegal religion and underground worship, burials outside of the city walls and hidden art.
Popes were buried in the Roman catacombs, and early Christians took tables and benches down to the tunnels as the religion outgrew home-worship. They were carved out by the Etruscan people to be used for mining limestone and sandstone. The catacombs are almost an underground art gallery: frescoes and smaller, framed paintings can be found in the catacombs. Said to be the most valuable collection of Christian artworks in the world, save for that in the Vatican, it really is a wonder to behold this well-preserved art located beneath the hustle and bustle of the city.
It is also incredible to see artwork in a different context to a brightly lit gallery full of field trips and families!
0コメント