Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Roman Catacombs
Ancient Roman law forbade burying the dead within the city walls, for reasons of
hygiene. Rome's persecuted Christian community didn't have their own cemeter-
ies, so in the 2nd century AD they began to build an extensive network of subter-
ranean burial grounds outside the city.
Crypt of the Popes, Catacombe di San Callisto ( Click here )
DE AGOSTINI / GETTY IMAGES ©
The tombs were dug by specialised gravediggers, who tunnelled out the galleries.
Bodies were wrapped in simple shrouds and then either placed individually in carved-
out niches, called loculi , or in larger family tombs. Many tombs were marked with
elaborate decorations, from frescoes to stucco work, which remain remarkably well
preserved. A great many tombs discovered here bear touching inscriptions, such as the
following: 'Apuleia Crysopolis, who lived for 7 years, 2 months; (her) parents made
(this) for their dearest daughter'.
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