CATACOMBS OF DOMITILLA
VIA DELLE SETTE CHIESE
Those in search of an authentic Roman experience – as well as those who enjoy the possibility of getting lost in miles of tunnels – will certainly get a lot out of their visit to this impressive series of interconnected underground crypts. These catacombs, the final resting place of many Romans, are spread across the city and archaeologists continue to excavate lost tombs.
They offer an insight into the practical way the Romans dealt with the dead, burying their loved ones underground on the outskirts of the city rather than allowing potentially disease-ridden corpses to rot where they would pose a risk to the general population.
The catacombs were not, as was once thought, clandestine meeting places or elaborate escape tunnels; their complexity and scale simply stems from the amount of Romans who were buried there.
By far the most impressive is the Catacombs of San Domitilla. Located near the famous Roman road, the
Apian Way, they are one of the longest and the oldest catacombs – stretching 14.9 kilometres and containing about 15,000 graves. Sitting underground but slightly above the catacombs is also a well preserved basilica.
San Domitilla opens 9am-midday and 2pm-5pm, and is closed all day Tuesday. Standard admission costs €8. Find out more at domitilla.info.