On Sunday we went to the Catacombs of St. Callixtus which are south of the center of Rome, down the old Via Appia and out in the countryside a bit. This particular network of catacombs, one among several in the area, is around 12 miles long and contains the tombs of over 500,000 Christians, about ten per cent of which remain intact and unopened. The tombs were established around the middle of the second century by land grants from private landowners who had converted to the faith. By the third century they had fallen under the jurisdiction of the Church of Rome.

Contrary to earlier legends, we now know (or at least think we know) that the early Christians didn’t flee to the catacombs to worship in safety from persecution. They were simply established as cemeteries separate from the pagan burial places of the day. It was, however, a place where martyrs were laid to rest, though our tour guide pointed out that about half of the people buried there were infants and children.

Notable occupants of these catacombs were several Popes as well as St. Cecilia (martyred in 117), though her remains were later removed to the basilica established in her honor in Trastevere.

While not a haven from persecution, Christians did apparently worship in these catacombs, and there are some amazing 3rd-century frescoes on the walls of the “Cubicula of the Sacraments” illustrating baptism and the eucharistic meal, and which served as a kind of visual catechism. You weren’t allowed to take photos in the catacombs so I don’t have any images of these. But visiting them was a very moving experience. To reach back almost to the very beginnings of Christianity and see the burial places of our forefathers and mothers in the faith created a sense of connection that I didn’t really experience elsewhere in Rome (however magnificient places like St. Peter’s may be).

After that we trekked back up the Via Appia to the Gate of San Sebastian, one of the best preserved parts of the wall that used to surround the city:

Making our way up toward the Colosseum we passed the old Circus Maximus, which is now basically a park in a valley:

We ended up in Trastevere, on the west bank of the Tiber and south of Vatican City. Here in the Piazza de Santa Maria in Trastevere is the Church of Santa Maria which is built on the site of the oldest “official” place of Christian worship in Rome as well as being the first church in Rome dedicated to the BVM:

The current structure dates to the 12th century and you can make out a wonderful mosaic near the top of the facade. Happily this remains a vibrant congregation and we were prevented from exploring the interior becasue there was a Mass being celebrated. For some images of the interior see here.