Ancient Roman tradition consisted of cremation for dead bodies of its residents. As Christianity emerged and burial became more and more popular, the government declared that burial would be permitted...outside of the city walls. Later, when Christianity was banned in Rome, these burial sites were conveniently already hidden underground outside the city, and the Romans did not realize the extent of the cavernous networks. However, these catacombs were not always exclusively Christian and also housed the bodies of Jewish or pagan dead.
We first visited the catacombs of San Sebastian. Our passionate guide explained that families were designated spots within the catacombs to bury their family members; the bodies were handed over to the keepers of the burial site, who carved out a niche in the wall (sometimes 4 or 5 one upon another), deposited the body, and sealed the space with a slab of marble or the like. These catacombs were easy to construct; the soil in the area was a soft clay that was easy to alter, but hardened into a cement-like rock state when exposed to the air.
Families could come visit their deceased members, lighting their way with small terracotta oil lamps that sat in small holes in the walls. The catacombs are very confusing, like a labyrinth of identical passage ways, narrow, but with very high ceilings. Now the grave markers are gone, as well as the bodies, but the niches in the walls remain, reminding visitors of what was once there. The coffin shaped holes are reflective in size of who was inside; the difference between the grave of a child and the grave of a man is very evident. Within the catacombs of San Sebastian, there are also three second century Roman family mausoleums, which were buried and preserved by the earth until excavators discovered it in more modern times. Even the fresco paintings of rose vines and the stucco ceilings are still visible, in addition to the many urns arranged inside.
According to tradition, families would celebrate their dead by lunching inside the catacombs. A small room closer to the surface of the earth was designated to their funeral banquets. The walls are scrawled with carved graffiti asking Saints Peter and Paul, who were believed to have been temporarily buried within these catacombs, to answer their various prayers.
Next we toured the San Callisto catacombs, which are larger and better preserved. Photography is prohibited in these sacred sights, so I've borrowed a photo from the generous internet:
Now the area is well-lit, but it is interesting to imagine it lit only by occasional flames.
Finally, we visited the Capuchin Church of the Immaculate Conception, where the crypt below offers a bone-chilling surprise: the skeletal remains of 4,000 ish monks arranged artistically for viewing. It was really amazing (and sure, a bit creepy). I expected it to smell pretty putrid, and I was surprised by the overall odor neutrality.
I've borrowed one more photo from the world wide web to give you an idea of the sight, but click this link as well to get more of an idea: http://www3.sympatico.ca/tapholov/pages/bones.html
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