Because the Christians rejected cremation, (they preferred burial, just as Christ was buried) this position created a space problem. The Christians also faced the challenge of owning limited property. Thus the catacombs solved a few problems. It was far cheaper to dig underground than to buy more land! There is also the belief that the catacombs contributed to a sense of community – they wished to be together, even in the “sleep of death.” And lastly, since their religion in the 2nd century was “illegal” and they were often persecuted, these outlying areas provided refuge and privacy.

Once Christianity was legalized, the Christians were no longer persecuted. The catacombs were still the burial spot of choice until the fifth century when the Church returned to burying the dead above ground – or in basilicas. When the barbarians invaded Rome they destroyed many monuments and sites, and the catacombs were no exception. They were raided, pillaged, for centuries. Finally in the late 700′s and early 800′s the Popes moved the relics of the martyrs to the city churches for their security and protection. Thus, most of the catacombs were abandoned. Many were lost. In the 17th century, Antono Bosio, the “Columbus of of subterranean Rome,” began exploring the catacombs. His initial work was followed up by Giovanni Battista de Rossi, in the 1800′s, who is considered the father and founder of Christian Archaeology.

When you go down into the catacombs you’ll see many of the following:

• Loculi – these are the rectangular niches that are cut out of the walls. They were primarily for ONE body, but sometimes they did contain the remains of more than one person. The bodies were wrapped in a burial shroud – in imitation of Christ. There were no coffins – Christians were too poor. The loculi was then sealed by a slab of marble or more commonly, by tiles and mortar. You’ll see many open loculi as you walk through the catacombs – Sorry kids, no bodies….
• Arcosolium – Built primarily in the 3rd and 4th century, these tombs are much larger niches than the loculi. They usually had an arch above them and served as a burial chamber for an entire family.
• Forma – A tomb dug into the floor of a crypt – a practice that was carried over to churches in later times.
• Sarcophagus – You’ve seen plenty of these in your museum treks. These are the stone, or marble, coffins. Often they are dressed with inscriptions and sculptured reliefs.
• Cubicula – These rooms, translated as “bedrooms,” were actually multiple loculi. This collection of loculi represented a family tomb. Often these rooms were decorated with frescoes portraying biblical scenes.
• Crypt – An even larger room. Many martyr tombs were converted into Crypts.

There were more than sixty catacombs in Rome, each with many, many miles of corridors – all of this built underground. It was an incredible construction feat. Today there five primary Catacombs you can visit. CLICK ON ANY CATACOMB LINK BELOW for more information: 

• The Catacombs of San Callisto
• The Catacombs of St. Sebastian
• The Catacombs of Domitilla
• The Catacombs of St. Agnes
• The Catacombs of Priscilla

The information provided on each of these is time-bound, so do check closure times and dates before you make the trek out to the catacomb you’d like to see. Once there, you will have to join a tour – You cannot wander through the catacombs unescorted. Depending on your groups size, and your tour guide, the tours generally take about 30 minutes. Admission prices are rising, effective 01/01/2010, the prices will be 8 € full price; 5 € reduced fee.

The catacombs are closed on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Easter, and for one month in the winter for restoration. Again, check before you go! The next few posts will go through each of these catacombs, or CLICK THE CATACOMB LINK ABOVE to go directly to the catacomb you seek more information on!

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The catacombs of Italy are entrusted to the Pontifical Commission of Sacred Archaeology, which carries out the works of excavation, exploration and restoration and takes charge of preparing studies and aids (books, pamphlets, souvenirs, videos, etc.) for all the catacombs.
Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology
via Napoleone III, no. 1
00185 Rome, Italy
tel. +39/06/4465610
fax. +39/06/4467625
web site: www.vatican.va/roman_curia

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From http://www.santagnese.org/

Catacombe di Sant’Agnese/ Catacombs of St. Agnes

Via Nomentana, 349
00162 Roma, Italy
Telephone +39 06 861 08 40
Website http://www.santagnese.org/
Closed on Sunday mornings and on Monday afternoons

Hours: 9.00 – 12.00 and 16.00 – 18.00
8 € full price; 5 € reduced fee (effective 01/01/2010)

The Catacombs of St. Agnes held the remains of the famous and very young Roman martyr Agnes. Her family probably already owned the hypogeum. The legend is that Agnes endured tremendous torments at the age of twelve. She refused to marry a Roman nobleman and was sentenced to death. Because Roman law did not permit the execution of a virgin, she was dragged through the streets naked and taken to brothel. As she prayed, her hair grew and entirely covered her body. Then tied to a stake to be burned alive, the wood would not burn, so she was beheaded – or as some legends have it, stabbed in the throat…

After her death, Romans and many foreign pilgrims visited her tomb. She was venerated by the Emperor Constantine’s family. His daughter, Constantina, had a huge circular basilica built near the cemetery. The present day basilica was built by in the 7th century. Unfortunately, the catacomb is rather poorly preserved because it was visited without interruption over the course of the centuries.

As you can see from the map above, the Catacombs of St. Agnes are located in the northeast section of the city. There are not any metro stations out here on Via Nomentana, so you’re going to have to ride the bus – or take a taxi. Probably the best buses to go out here are the bus 90 and bus 60 – both express buses..

The bus stops are marked by the dots on this depending on which direction you’re coming or headed. The bus 60 is a very popular bus. You can catch it at the Circo Massimo Line B Metro, the Colosseo Line B Metro, on the Via Fori Imperiali (road that runs in front of the Colosseo), adjacent to Piazza Venezia, and on Via Nazioanle. The stop to get off at if you’re coming from this direction is NOMENTANA/XXI APRILE . It is marked on the map by the red ball.

Here’s the entire bus 60 run to this stop from downtown: CAVE ARDEATINE , CIRCO MASSIMO , COLOSSEO , FORI IMPERIALI/CAMPIDOGLIO , P.ZA VENEZIA , NAZIONALE/QUIRINALE , NAZIONALE/TORINO , CERNAIA , PORTA PIA , NOMENTANA/REGINA MARGHERITA , NOMENTANA/XXI APRILE . To come back into downtown, jump back on the bus 60 in the same area, just on the opposite side of the street – see the green ball in the Google Map above.

The bus 90 stops at Catacombs at the SAME bus stop as the bus 60… The bus 90 STARTS at the Roma Termini Train station. So this is a great bus to catch if you’re staying in that area – or if you prefer to ride the metro to shorten your trip. From Roma Termini, it is only six stops to the Catacomb of St. Agnes stop, NOMENTANA/XXI APRILE . Here’s the route of bus 90 from Roma Termini to the Catacombs of St. Agnes: TERMINI , VOLTURNO/CERNAIA , PORTA PIA , NOMENTANA/REGINA MARGHERITA , NOMENTANA/VILLA TORLONIA , NOMENTANA/XXI APRILE , Jump on the bus to head back to termini and multiple bus and metro connections.

To go to a specific Catacomb page on the Ron-in-Rome website, click on any link below

• Catacombs of Rome – Summary
• The Catacombs of San Callisto
• The Catacombs of St. Sebastian
• The Catacombs of Domitilla
• The Catacombs of Priscilla

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