Catacombs of Rome

The Catacombs of Rome are a network of ancient catacombs that were used as burial sites, mostly during the early Christian period. Every year they become a magnet of attraction for all travelers who love mysticism and secrets. Most of the underground corridors remain inaccessible to ordinary tourists, but what is there is quite enough to get the most extraordinary impressions.

History of the Catacombs of Rome

Carefully dug city tunnels were discovered in the vicinity of Rome in the 16th century, when the Salarian road was being built. Initially, it was believed that the catacombs served as a kind of food warehouses in case of an unforeseen siege of the city or as ordinary cuttings of travertine, which was used to make the most beautiful buildings of the Eternal City. But further study of underground communications refuted this idea. The catacombs of Rome were ancient necropolises that appeared here in the 1st century BC.

It is assumed that such old burials appeared in connection with the ban of the previous authorities on burying the dead within the city. Aristocrats and merchants began to build luxurious tombs for themselves, and ordinary people had to be content with what was at hand, or rather, under their feet. The local soil also contributed to this decision: volcanic rocks yielded quite well to ancient picks and shovels and also held the planned shapes well.

Continuing the topic

A little later, with the advent of Christianity, here, in addition to ordinary citizens and ordinary followers of the new teaching, martyrs and saints began to be buried, gradually turning the adits into places of worship. At the top, for obvious reasons, it was somehow not very safe to chant prayers. By the way, underground temples and their inhabitants (living and dead) were not persecuted by the authorities: the kingdom of the dead was considered inviolable.

Gradually, the Catacombs of Rome turned into huge underground cities, in which about 500,000 people found eternal peace. Burials ceased in the 5th century AD, and over the next few centuries the underground tunnels were used as places of pilgrimage. Then they too were forgotten.

Brief description

Long the narrow tunnels, diverging in all directions, there are rectangular niches where the bodies of those who left the world were brought. Most often, each such room was intended for one family. Single tombs were awarded to saints, whose remains were covered with a slab, which was later used as a kind of altar. Sometimes such burials were decorated with arches on which Christian symbols were embossed or frescoes were painted.

What is interesting: in the Catacombs of Rome, secular and religious subjects coexist quite peacefully, so one can evaluate the development of the two types of fine art over several centuries. The depth of some underground structures reaches 30 meters, and the total length is approximately 170 kilometers. True, travelers can visit only 5 corridors and then only accompanied by guides. However, the Catacombs of Rome are completely safe and even slightly restored.