Rome has some fascinating historic tourist attractions which lend a vivid glimpse into ancient Roman Empire life and attitudes.

The History of the Catacombs
The catacombs are some of the interesting burial places in Italy. Mazes of underground tunnels were used to bury thousands of bodies in several parts of Italy. Burials were forbidden inside the walls of Rome as early as the fifth century BC. Miles of tunnels were cut into the tufa to be used as burial chambers. The Roman catacombs contain thousands of burial niches as well as some good examples of early Christian art. Rome also has interesting catacombs beneath some churches and streets. One of the most impressive is the Capuchin Crypt beneath the Capuchin Church of the Immaculate Conception, built in 1645. The crypt contains bones of over 4,000 monks, many arranged in patterns or even forming objects such as a clock.

Location

The catacombs are located at the end of Via Appia Antica, which used to an ancient Roman Empire road but, now is a converted regional park. Tourists are advised to take a bus along the road, get off at the end of the park and walk or bike along the catacomb area. You should take bus 218 from the San Giovanni Metro Stop or take the Archeo bus. The catacombs are visited with a guide. Guided tours usually lasting 20 minutes to an hour are given in several different languages. The three catacombs easiest to visit have different closing periods. Visiting hours generally range from 8:30-12:00 and 2:30 to five in the evenings. You can buy tickets for the tours at the entrance to each catacomb. The St. Priscilla’s Catacombs are positioned at Via Salaria 430. Via Salaria is another ancient road of Rome heading out of the city at the Salaria gate, Porta Salaria, towards east to the Adriatic Sea. The catacombs are closed on Mondays. They are also closed for viewing to the public in the month of January.

Major Attractions

Tourists must visit the three major catacombs of the city. St. Callixtus catacomb is the biggest and most popular one. It has a network of galleries about 19 km long and 20 meters deep. It also has a wide transport linkage route with hordes of buses. Highlights of the catacombs include the crypt of nine popes and early Christian frescoes, paintings and sculptures. St. Callixtus is closed on Wednesdays and in February. St. Domitilla has the oldest catacombs. Entrance is through a fourth century church. Tour groups at St. Domitilla tend to be smaller. One of the main highlights is a second century fresco of the Last Supper. St. Domitilla is closed on Tuesdays and in January. The catacombs at St. Sebastian have a tunnel route of approximately 11 km. Highlights of the catacombs include early Christian mosaics and graffiti. St. Sebastian is closed Sundays and during the month-long Christmas holidays – from November 11 to December 13.
Visitor Information The Roman catacombs offer the serious and academic tourists the opportunity to revisit ancient Rome. Exploring the catacombs on foot with a map and guide is strongly encouraged. Tourists usually go in for week-long passes which allows them to explore the site at various time in peace. The price of admission is 5 euros. The reduced fee is 3 euros while, the full price of entry is 5 euros. The reduced fee holds for school classes presenting a certificate from their School — for groups of catechetical instruction in preparation for the first Holy Communion and Confirmation — for children and youth under 15 years and, for soldiers and police in uniform or with identification card. Free entrance is granted
o    to children under 6 years
o    to teachers of School groups and attendants of groups of Catechetical instruction, 1 every 15 pupils
o    to the seriously disabled
o    to the group leader and to one driver of the other groups

Eating and Fun

The tourism site is no place for children to have fun. The Cecilia Metella Restaurant located on the road of Via Appia Antica is a great place to eat lunch. It offers spectacular views serving dishes on the patio. Tourists can choose from a wide variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes with beverages. Cars and private coaches are not allowed access inside the catacomb area. Tourists are also not allowed to take any food items inside the complex. Photography is strictly prohibited.

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 5th, 2008 at 3:53 am and is filed under Guided Tours, Rome, Student Travel, Top Sights in Rome, Travel Guides. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.