Catacomb of Saints Processus and Martinian

Theories

Enrico Stevenson and Enrico Josi argue that this catacomb is to be identified with the funerary galleries under the villa Doria Pamphilj near the catacomb of San Pancrazio. Other more recent scholars place the catacomb topographically closer to St Peter's Basilica, in the Janiculum area, where several underground burial chambers were found from the late 19th century onwards, particularly in the area around the Church of Sant'Onofrio al Gianicolo.

In 1898, during the construction of a monastery of Sister Dorothea on the salita di Sant'Onofrio, a gallery with clear indications of Christian iconography were discovered. Four years later other galleries were discovered and destroyed in the construction of a building adjacent to that monastery. Il Marucchi, who studied these galleries before their destruction, theorised that they were an extensive Christian cemetery which branched off towards the Vatican Basilica. In 1980 Margherita Cecchelli theorised that these galleries formed part of the lost catacomb of Saints Processus and Martinianus, which extended from its most important nucleus under the Collegio Urbaniano.

Works to build parking under the Janiculum in 1998-1999 revealed more ancient underground structures, again destroyed. During the same period other discoveries were made under the monastery of Sister Dorothea. A definite identification based on iconographical, topographical and archaeological finds is still far off, especially given the difficulties in preserving and studying the archaeological finds in the area for a longer period of time.