Rome's Catacombs
Eighteen-hundred years ago, no one was allowed to be buried within the walls of Rome. While pagan Romans were into cremation, Christians preferred to be buried. But land was expensive and most Christians were poor. A few wealthy landowning Christians allowed their land to be used as burial places. These became the Catacombs.
The 40 or so known catacombs circle Rome about three miles from the center. From the first through the fifth centuries, Christians dug an estimated 360 miles of tomb-lined tunnels with networks of galleries as much as five layers deep. The Christians burrowed many layers deep for two reasons: to get more mileage out of the donated land and to be near martyrs and saints already buried there. The volcanic rock called tufa — soft and easy to cut but becoming very hard when exposed to air — was perfect for the job. Bodies were wrapped in linen (like Christ was). Since they figured the Second Coming was imminent, there was no interest in embalming the body.
When Emperor Constantine became a Christian in 312, Christians had a new, interesting problem. There would be no more persecuted martyrs to bind them and inspire them. Thus the early martyrs and popes assumed more importance, and Christians began making pilgrimages to their burial places in the Catacombs.
In the 800s, when barbarian invaders started ransacking the tombs, Christians moved the relics of saints and martyrs to the safety of churches in the city center. For a thousand years the abandoned catacombs were forgotten. Around 1850 they were excavated and became part of the romantic Grand Tour of Europe. Finding plates and utensils from ritual meals in the candlelit galleries led romantics to guess that persecuted Christians hid out and lived in these catacombs. This romantic legend grew. But Catacombs were not used for hiding out. They are simply early Christian burial grounds. With a million people in Rome, the easiest way for the 10,000 or so early Christians to hide out was not to camp in the Catacombs (which everyone, including the government, knew about), but to melt into the city.
The underground tunnels, while empty of bones, are rich in early Christian symbolism which functioned as a secret language. A dove symbolizes the soul. You'll see it quenching its thirst (worshiping), with an olive branch (at rest), or happily perched (in paradise). Peacocks, known for their "incorruptible flesh," symbolized immortality. The shepherd with a lamb on his shoulders is the "good shepherd," the first portrayal of Jesus. The fish was used because the first letters of these words in Greek — "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior" — spelled "fish." And the anchor is a cross in disguise. A second-century bishop had written on his tomb: "All who understand these things, pray for me." You'll see images of people praying with their hands upraised — the custom at the time.
All catacomb tours are essentially the same. Which one you visit is not important. The Catacombs of San Callisto, a.k.a. Callixtus), the official cemetery for the Christians of Rome and burial place of third-century popes, is the most historic. Sixteen bishops (early popes) were buried here. Buy your €5 ticket and wait for your language to be called. They move lots of people quickly. If one group seems ridiculously large (over 50 people), wait for the next tour in English (Thu-Tue 8:30-12:00 & 14:30-17:30, closed Wed and Feb, closes at 17:00 in winter, Via Appia Antica 110, tel. 06-5130-1580). Dig this: The catacombs have a Web site — www.catacombe.roma.it — that focuses mainly on San Callisto, featuring photos, site info, and a history.
The Catacombs of San Sebastian (Sebastiano) are 300 yards farther south down the road (€5, Mon-Sat 8:30-12:00 & 14:30-17:30, closed Sun and Nov, closes at 17:00 in winter, Via Appia Antica 136, tel. 06-785-0350).
Updated for 2007. For lots more information, check out our best-selling Rick Steves' Rome guidebook — or join us on one of our free-spirited tours in Rome.