The Catacombs of Rome (Italian: Catacombe di Roma) are ancient catacombs, underground burial places in and around Rome, of which there are at least forty, some rediscovered since 1578, others even as late as the 1950s.
There are more than fifty catacombs in the underground of Rome in which about 150 km of tunnels run.
The Vatican Necropolis is a necropolis that lies underneath Vatican City containing tombs dating from the first to fourth century AD, at depths varying between 5 and 12 metres (16 and 39 ft) below Saint Peter's Basilica. The Vatican sponsored archaeological excavations (also known by their Italian name scavi) under Saint Peter's in the years 1940–1949, which revealed parts of a necropolis dating to the Roman Empire. It is the home to the Tomb of the Julii, which has been dated to the third or fourth century. The necropolis was not originally one of the Catacombs of Rome, but an open-air cemetery with tombs and mausolea.
The Vatican Necropolis is not to be confused with the Vatican Grottoes, the latter of which resulted from the construction of St. Peter's Church and is located on the ground level of the old Constantinian basilica.
The Catacombs of Commodilla or Catacombs of Felix and Adauctus is a three-level underground burial complex forming one of the catacombs of Rome. It is sited on via delle Sette Chiese, not very far from via Ostiense, in the Ostiense quartiere. One name derives from its founder or the donor of the land on which it was built, whilst the other its after the two main martyrs buried there, Felix and Adauctus.
The earliest level is the most interesting in archaeological terms, re-using an ancient pozzolana quarry and housing Felix and Adauctus' tombs in a small underground basilica (which contained the notable Commodilla catacomb inscription). The other two levels were developed out from this level. No remains of monuments connected to the complex survive above ground
The Last Supper of Jesus and the Twelve Apostles has been a popular subject in Christian art, often as part of a cycle showing the Life of Christ. Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art date back to early Christianity and can be seen in the Catacombs of Rome.
The Last Supper was depicted both in the Eastern and Western Churches. By the Renaissance, it was a favorite subject in Italian art. It was also one of the few subjects to be continued in Lutheran altarpieces for a few decades after the Protestant Reformation.
The Catacomb(s) of Callixtus (also known as the Cemetery of Callixtus) is one of the Catacombs of Rome on the Appian Way, notable for containing the Crypt of the Popes (Italian: Cappella dei Papi), which once contained the tombs of several popes from the 2nd to 4th centuries.
The Catacombs of Domitilla are an underground Christian cemetery named after the Domitilla family that had initially ordered them to be dug. Located in Rome, Italy, are the human-made subterranean passageways used for cemeteries and religious practice. They are among the largest catacombs in Rome, spreading out 17 km, largely along the ancient Via Ardeatine, laid out on four levels, and housing approximately 15,000 bodies underground. The Catacombs of Domitilla are the only catacombs in Rome that have an underground basilica and are one of only five Roman catacombs open to the public. Constructed during the second and third centuries, this labyrinth of underground passages contains frescoes and a wealth of Christian iconography while also presenting masterful engineering skills and innovative architectural techniques.
There are several references in the Synoptic Gospels (the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke) to Jesus predicting his future suffering, death, and resurrection, with Mark presenting three successive announcements that culminate in the final prediction of his crucifixion. Matthew's Gospel adds a prediction before he and his disciples enter Jerusalem, and each narrative portrays the disciples' misunderstanding as the setting for further instruction about the Passion.
Mark is generally dated to around 70 CE, and scholars debate whether its passion predictions preserve Jesus' words or reflect the evangelists' redaction of earlier tradition. The narrative framework weaves together the Son of Man language with the religious and political realities of Second Temple Jewish authorities and Roman methods of execution, while later Catholic liturgical tradition draws meaningful connections between the Markan passage and the Wisdom of Solomon.
The Catacomb of Sant' Ermete or Catacomb of Bassilla is a catacomb on the former via Salaria in Rome, now sited in the Pinciano district on via Berolini. It originated some time between 200 and 250.
It was one of the first catacombs to be rediscovered, when in 1576 the Jesuits were building a college for their students on its site. Antonio Bosio explored and studied it in December 1608. Recent excavations have uncovered a semi-underground basilica with Hermes, Protus and Hyacinth's original grave sites and a medieval oratory, the latter of which suggests a monastery at the site, though this is unmentioned in the written sources.
The Caffarella Park (Italian: Parco della Caffarella) is a large park in Rome, Italy, protected from development. It is part of the Parco Regionale Appia Antica (Appian Way Regional Park). The park is contained in the Caffarella Valley and is bordered on its northern side by the Via Latina and on its southern by the Appian Way. It stretches from the main Rome-Pisa railroad tracks near the Aurelian Wall at its western edge to the Via dell'Almone to the east. It contains several sites of archaeological interest, as well as a working farm, and has considerable ecological value, with 78 species of birds and fauna. The Catacombs of Rome and Colli Albani (Rome Metro) are nearby.
The Catacomb of San Lorenzo or Catacomb of Cyriaca is a five-level catacomb on via Tiburtina under the church of San Lorenzo fuori le mura in the modern Tiburtino quarter.
Its most common dedication in the ancient sources is to Saint Laurence, buried in it - the mid 4th century Depositio martyrum states he was buried on 10 August "in Tiburtina" but does not give a name for the cemetery, showing that by the time of writing it was already named after Laurence. Other sources name it after Ciriaca, owner of the land on which it was dug - the Liber Pontificalis and a 6th century martyrdom account of Saint Laurence states he was buried "on the via Tiburtina in land belonging to the widow Cyriaca in the ager Veranus", whilst 8th century sources even call her "beatus".