Catacombs of Domitilla

Rome, Italy

Close to the Catacombs of San Callisto are the large and impressive Catacombs of Domitilla (named after Saint Domitilla), spread over 15 kilometres of underground caves.

The Domitilla Catacombs are unique in that they are the oldest of Rome's underground burial networks, and the only ones to still contain bones. They are also the best preserved and one of the most extensive of all the catacombs. Included in their passages are a 2nd-century fresco of the Last Supper and other valuable artifacts. There are almost 150,000 bodies buried in the Catacombs of St. Domitilla.

They are the only catacombs that have a subterranean basilica; entrance to the catacombs is achieved through this sunken 4th-century church, at via delle Sette Chiese 282. In the past, the basilica had become unsafe, and was abandoned in the 9th century. It was rediscovered in 1593, and much of it was reconstructed in 1872.

References:

Comments

Your name

Website (optional)


Address

Via delle Sette Chiese 280, Rome, Italy
See all sites in Rome

Details

Founded: 2nd century AD
Category: Cemeteries, mausoleums and burial places in Italy

More Information

www.domitilla.info

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Colosseum (3,6 km)
Sistine Chapel (6,4 km)
Arch of Constantine (3,6 km)
St. Peter's Basilica (6,4 km)
Basilica of Santa Maria in Ara Coeli (4,3 km)
Altare della Patria (4,4 km)
St. Peter's Square (6,2 km)
Pantheon (5 km)
Vatican Historical Museum (6,7 km)


Villa d'Este (26,7 km)

User Reviews

Josiah Brunette (3 months ago)
Excellent and very knowledgeable tour guide. Few things to be prepared for the catacombs are a bit brisk, a light jacket is recommended. The catacombs are dark, rocky, small, and narrow. So watch your step. Our tour guide did a very good job at looking out for our group and catering to the needs of the group. Enjoy!
Alice (3 months ago)
Good but limited. I went here as part of the City Wonders guided tours and the place was awe inspiring. I’m not sure why there is no photography allowed in this place - it seems much more historical than spiritual, especially with all of the bodies long since removed. All though the place is massive there are only a limited number of corridors that tourists can go through, which is bad because your sense of the size of the place is limited, but good because I’m sure if they let people wander through the entire place they would a) get hopelessly lost and b) vandalize and destroy what is left.
Kelly (3 months ago)
Good but limited. I went here as part of the City Wonders guided tours and the place was awe inspiring. I’m not sure why there is no photography allowed in this place - it seems much more historical than spiritual, especially with all of the bodies long since removed. All though the place is massive there are only a limited number of corridors that tourists can go through, which is bad because your sense of the size of the place is limited, but good because I’m sure if they let people wander through the entire place they would a) get hopelessly lost and b) vandalize and destroy what is left.
Elizabeth Gill (3 months ago)
They have some well preserved frescos and an ornate, beautiful, underground basilica. Our guide did not speak English very well but was able to answer our questions and provide some information. No pictures are allowed inside. The tour costs €8 and they have tours in several languages.
suricatu razvan (3 months ago)
They don t allow photos "out of respect for the dead" even though almost all tombs are empty. Just a trick to make the crowd keep moving. Also, they boast 14 km of tunnels but walk you around for 50 meters in circles. For 8 euro it s not worth it. Maybe if you re really really curious to see where regular people were buried
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Must-see historic sighs in Luxembourg
Photo from Flickr, copyright damiankania550

Historic Site of the week

Moszna Castle

The Moszna Castle is one of the best known monuments in the western part of Upper Silesia. The history of this building begins in the 17th century, although much older cellars were found in the gardens during excavations carried out at the beginning of the 20th century. Some of the investigators, including H. Barthel, claimed that those cellars could have been remnants of a presumed Templar castle, but their theory has never been proved. After World War II, further excavations discovered a medieval palisade.

The central part of the castle is an old baroque palace which was partially destroyed by fire on the night of April 2, 1896 and was reconstructed in the same year in its original form by Franz Hubert von Tiele-Winckler. The reconstruction works involved an extension of the residence. The eastern Neogothic-styled wing of the building was built by 1900, along with an adjacent orangery. In 1912-1914, the western wing was built in the Neo-Renaissance style. The architectural form of the castle contains a wide variety of styles, thus it can be generally defined as eclectic.

The height of the building, as well as its numerous turrets and spires, give the impression of verticalism. The whole castle has exactly ninety-nine turrets. Inside, it contains 365 rooms. The castle was twice visited by the German Emperor Wilhelm II. His participation in hunting during his stay at the castle was documented in a hand-written chronicle in 1911 as well as in the following year. The castle in Moszna was the residence of a Silesian family Tiele-Winckler who were industrial magnates, from 1866 until the spring of 1945 when they were forced to move to Germany and the castle was occupied by the Red Army. The period of the Soviet control caused significant damage to the castle's internal fittings in comparison to the minor damage caused by WWII.

After World War II the castle did not have a permanent owner and was the home of various institutions until 1972 when it became a convalescent home. Later it became a Public Health Care Centre for Therapies of Neuroses. Nowadays it can be visited by tourists since the health institution has moved to another building in the neighbourhood. The castle also has a chapel which is used as a concert hall. Since 1998 the castle housed a gallery in which works of various artists are presented at regular exhibitions.

Apart from the castle itself, the entire complex includes a park which has no precise boundaries and includes nearby fields, meadows and a forest. Only the main axis of the park can be characterised as geometrical. Starting from the gate, it leads along the oak and then horse-chestnut avenues, towards the castle. Further on, the park passes into an avenue of lime trees with symmetrical canals running along both sides of the path, lined with a few varieties of rhododendrons. The axis of the park terminates at the base of a former monument of Hubert von Tiele-Winckler. On the eastern side of the avenue there is a pond with an islet referred to by the owners as Easter Island. The islet is planted with needle-leaved shrubs and can be reached by a Chinese-styled bridge. The garden, as part of the whole park complex was restored slightly earlier than the castle itself. Preserved documents of 1868 state that the improvement in the garden's aesthetic quality was undertaken by Hubert von Tiele-Winckler.

Map Top Sights Tags Historical Periods City Guides About Us Sign Up Upload new site
© 2019 SpottingHistory.com. All rights reserved.