Catacombs of Domitilla

Early history

Consisting of a variably soft stone called tufa, a form of limestone that is porous, the terrain around Rome was well-suited for building catacombs. The volcanic nature of the earth made it easy to dig into the ground to create galleries and to expand existing hypogea.

Built on property owned by Flavia Domitilla, the imperial family of Vespasian, the catacombs are among the oldest and largest in Rome. From the nuclei to the composition of the great subterranean necropolises, the stages and developments of Christianity can be traced.

Developed between the second and third centuries, this underground cemetery consists of three main regions. The first region includes the Cubicle of Ampliato, which belonged to a family of imperial freedmen who had dug the hypogeum; this vast environment is separated into two sections by an arch used to support a landslide vault. The decoration on the cubicle was redecorated one on top of another with each family member being placed within it. The second region contains the Flavi Aureli, whose entrance staircase would eventually be destroyed by the construction of the basilica during the fourth century. The Flavi Aureli is a double cubicle that houses an inscription mentioning a "Happy Annio" and intact tombs. The third region includes the lavish hypogeum of the Flavi and another area containing a group of martyrs.

During the fourth century, the basilica and two more regions were constructed, the south and southwest regions. The south includes a crypt of six saints found in polygonal cubicles, one of which contains a frescoes depicting a scene of the coronation sanctorum. The southwest region consists of regular galleries and the cubicle of the great apostles.

Architecture

Added to the complex at the end of the fourth century, during the pontificate of Pope Damasus, the semi-underground basilica was built in dedication to Saints Nereus and Achilleus. The church was virtually lost in the early Middle Ages and rediscovered in the 1870s by the archaeologist Giovanni Battista de Rossi.

The basilica is composed of a narthex, three naves, an apse, and is separated by two rows of four columns. Of the main altar, there is only one surviving column which is decorated with a scene of the beheading of Achilleus. Behind the altar rests a cubiculum containing an arcosolium with a fresco of Saint Petronilla. Generally, historians assume Petronilla as a Roman saint or martyr, celebrated as the daughter of Saint Peter and revered by the Franks. Although her remains were removed from Domitilla and moved to the Vatican at the insistence of the Frankish king, it is believed that the cult of Petronilla was celebrated in the underground basilica of Nereus and Achilleus, relating her hagiography to their Passions.

Inside the Catacombs of Domitilla are images, some of which were revealed by the restoration, reflecting the life of bakers, grape vines, Jesus with the apostles, Noah's ark, and Daniel with the lions. Other biblical figures in the various cubicula include the Virgin Mary with child, Adam, Eve, Jonah, The Good Shepherd, a young man dressed as a cardinal with apostles Peter and Paul. Non-biblical, or pagan, figures include representations of Spring and Summer in the form of females with wings, both pictured with attendants and scenes depicting Orpheus surrounded by birds, beasts and the sheep that typically accompany him. There are also other images of mythological and wild or tame beasts beyond the depictions of Orpheus. …

Current use

As of January 2009, the Catacombs of Domitilla were entrusted to the Society of the Divine Word (SVD). SVD has been responsible for the care of the sacred place, as well as communicate the deep meaning of its history. The Catacombs are currently open to the public for guided tours and the Priests and Brothers of this missionary Congregation hope to convey the cultural and spiritual complexity of the Christian Catacombs to all who visit. The Catacombs are also available to be requested for the celebration of the Eucharist, to hold services, or ecumenical liturgies in the basilica or the burial chambers. The SVD believes that visiting this historical location and seeing the testimonies of ancient centuries through the fragments of frescoes, provides the opportunity to understand the various aspects early Christian life, their faith in Christ, and their hope in the resurrection and life eternal.

So far, only 12 out of about 70 rooms have been restored. What was revealed were both pagan and Christian inspired frescoes. Two frescoes commemorating the city's early Christian roots have been exposed thanks to a seven-year restoration project, using laser instruments to burn away chalky deposits, algae, and residual smoke from oil lamps. Scenes depicting Old and New Testament figures, likely commissioned 1,600 years ago, emerged from the debris and pollution and provided useful context to the transition period from Paganism to Christianity.