Catacombs in Rome Tour with Private Transfer (opens in a new tab)
5 3 h
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.
