© - STEFANO SANDANO - EMAIL : info[at]romanguide.com |
VISIT THE CATACOMBS AND THE APPIAN WAY WITH MINIBUS AND ROME TOUR GUIDE |
Christianity abhorred cremation, which remained standard for the poor in Rome even after the well to do had returned to the custom of burial. Christians could not use the mass graves of the roman lower classes, the columbaria crowded with urns on shelves or in niches along the walls of a chamber.
Finally, despite the relative wealth of Christian congregations, most members were poor in the early third century; since funeral expenses were private, arrangements for burial had to be simple. A solution was found by constructing large communal underground cemeteries, the catacombs. Their corridors extend for miles in narrow darkness; the galleries of one level lie above those of another below it.
The catacombs testify the consolidation of the Christian position in Rome and of the Christian growing membership at the end of the second century AD.
The most famous of the catacombs are located along the Appian way because pagans and Christians were obliged to bury the people outside of the city walls.
The Appian way was built in the year 312 BC as road for the Roman Legions marching towards Brindisi, on the Adriatic coast. Fashionable Romans were buried here but this consular road was also used to get into the city when the army returned from the military campaigns.
The tour continues through the cathedral of Rome, saint John in Lateran. This basilica was built by the first Christian emperor Constantine in the IV century AD and was the first pope residence before that the popes moved to Avignone and moved again in the XV century from France to the Vatican in Rome, where actually they live. In saint John in Lateran are preserved relics of the apostles Peter and Paul and there are also 7 popes' tombs, including the tomb of the Pope Clemens XII who started the works of Trevi Fountain in XVIII century.
Saint John in Lateran is considered part of the vatican territory in Italy and is an extraterritorial area.
Another wonderful basilica that is part of the vatican territory in Italy is Saint Mary Major ( santa Maria Maggiore ), that was the first basilica built a pope, Sixtus III ( IV century AD ). This church is famous for many reasons like the presence of relics of Jesus's manger under the central altar and the tomb of the greatest genious artist of the baroque period, Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Six popes are also buried in santa Maria Maggiore basilica, like the Pope Paul V Borghese who inaugurated the facade of saint Peter Basilica.
A golden wooden ceiling decorated under the papacy of the spanish pope Alexander VI makes this spot a place to not miss when touring Rome.
CATACOMBS AND APPIAN WAY TOUR WITH MINIBUS ( 3 hours )
PRIVATE TOUR ITINERARY
THE PRICE INCLUDES
fluent english speaking private tour guide for 3 hours
minibus with air conditioned at disposal for 3 hours
entrance fees of the catacombs
SPECIFICATIONS