Rome Trip Overview
Catacombs are large underground cemeteries used by Christian and Jewish communities between the 2nd and the first half of the 5th century.
The largest complex of catacombs is found in Rome, hosting approximately 60 excavations. Visiting these ancient cemeteries through their long tunnels and passages, will allow you to explore the rituals, customs, and traditions of the ancient Romans. The ancient term to designate these monuments is “coemeterium”, which derives from Greek and means “dormitory”, as for Christians the burial of the corpses is a temporary moment awaiting the final resurrection. In fact, while the pagans used to cremate the bodies of the dead, the Christians chose to be buried believing in Christ’s resurrection and the day of judgement. These underground structures were excavated into tuff, a fragmental rock easy to dig into, as it consists of the smaller volcanic detritus which is usually less stratified than solid grounds.
Additional Info
Duration: 2 to 3 hours
Starts: Rome, Italy
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Historical & Heritage Tours
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Catacombs are large underground cemeteries used by Christian and Jewish communities between the 2nd and the first half of the 5th century.
The largest complex of catacombs is found in Rome, hosting approximately 60 excavations. Visiting these ancient cemeteries through their long tunnels and passages, will allow you to explore the rituals, customs, and traditions of the ancient Romans. The ancient term to designate these monuments is “coemeterium”, which derives from Greek and means “dormitory”, as for Christians the burial of the corpses is a temporary moment awaiting the final resurrection. In fact, while the pagans used to cremate the bodies of the dead, the Christians chose to be buried believing in Christ’s resurrection and the day of judgement. These underground structures were excavated into tuff, a fragmental rock easy to dig into, as it consists of the smaller volcanic detritus which is usually less stratified than solid grounds.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Catacombs of Saint Callixtus, Via Appia Antica 110, 00179 Rome Italy
The catacombs were the official cemetery of the Church of Rome in the 3rd century AD. Around half a million Christians were buried here, among them many martyrs and 16 popes.They are named after the deacon St. Callixtus who, at the beginning of the 3rd century AD, was assigned by Pope Zephyrinus to the administration of the cemetery. Since 1930 they have been entrusted to the custody of the Salesians of Don Bosco.
Duration: 1 hour
