The catacombs are interesting and often disturbing burial places in Italy, with some of the best found in Rome and Sicily. Burials within the walls of Rome were forbidden as early as the 5th century BC. C., so underground tunnel mazes were used outside the city center to bury thousands of bodies in ancient and ancient Christian times. Today, some of them are open to the public for visits.
While they can be a bit intense for younger children, Italy’s catacombs and mummies offer fascinating insight into the country’s history. They are generally especially popular with children ages 10 and up.
Roman burial in Via Appia Antica
Rome’s Via Appia Antica , the ancient Appian Way, outside the walls of Rome, was used as a burial place for early Christians as well as pagans. In all the catacombs along the Appian Way, the bones of the dead have been removed to areas deep in the tunnels, away from the public eye. What you see now are burial niche combs that once had bones and, in some cases, urns with ashes.
- Catacombs of San Callisto, Catacombe di San Callisto : San Callisto, the largest and most popular of the catacombs, has a network of galleries about 19 km long and 20 meters deep. Highlights of the catacombs include the Crypt of Nine Popes and early Christian frescoes, paintings, and sculptures.
- Catacombs of St. Domitilla, Catacombe di San Domitilla : St. Domitilla has the oldest catacombs, with an entrance through a 4th century church. Tour groups in St. Domitilla tend to be smaller, but one of the highlights is a 2nd-century fresco of the Last Supper.
- Catacombs of San Sebastián, Catacombe di San Sebastiano : San Sebastián has about 11 km of tunnels, but the tour is restricted to a very small area. The highlights of these catacombs include early Christian mosaics and graffiti.
Roman catacombs in Via Salaria
The Catacombs of Santa Priscilla, Catacombe di Priscilla , are among the oldest in Rome, dating from the late 2nd century AD. C. They are just outside the center on Via Salaria, another of Rome’s old roads that leave Rome at the gate of Salaria, Porta Salaria , and head east towards the Adriatic Sea.
Capuchin Crypt in Rome
One of the most impressive and unusual burial sites in Italy and probably the creepiest place in Rome is the Capuchin Crypt below the Capuchin Church of the Immaculate Conception, built in 1645. The crypt contains bones of more than 4,000 monks, many arranged in patterns or even forming objects like a clock or chandeliers. You’ll find the church, crypt and a museum on Via Veneto near Piazza Barberini.
Catacumbas en Syracuse, Sicily
The Syracuse Catacombs are located below Chiesa di San Giovanni , the Church of Saint John, in Piazza San Giovanni , just east of the archaeological zone. The Church of San Juan was established in the 3rd century and the Crypt of San Marciano is located below what is believed to be the first cathedral erected in Sicily.
Catacombs of Palermo
The Palermo Catacombs are located in the Capuchin Monastery in Piazza Cappuccini , on the outskirts of Palermo. While the catacombs found in the Sicilian city of Syracuse are similar to those found in Rome, the catacombs in Palermo are very unusual: the Palermo catacombs contained a preservative that helped mummify the bodies of the dead.
The catacombs contain mummified bodies, many in good shape that still look realistic, and some even have hair and clothing remaining. Sicilians of all classes were buried here in the 19th century. The last burial here, that of a girl, took place in 1920. It goes without saying that these catacombs, more than some of the others in Italy, are not recommended for the squeamish or for children.
Other mummies in Italy
Like the mummies in Palermo, there are mummies in the Le Marche and Umbria regions of central Italy that have been preserved naturally. Here’s where to go check them out:
- Church of the Dead, Urbania Mummies Cemetery : Church of the Dead, Chiesa dei Morti , is a small church in the village of Urbania de Le Marche that has an interesting and slightly macabre display. The cemetery of the mummies, Cimitero delle mummie , is in a small chapel. A guide takes you to the chapel and tells you about the mummies on display. Get visiting details at Urbania Mummies Cemetery.
- The Museum of the Mummies : The small town of Ferentillo, in southern Umbria, offers an interesting surprise under the Church of Santo Stefano. The bodies buried there were preserved by a rare micro-fungus that attacked the corpses and turned them into mummies. Some of the best preserved mummies are on display in what is now the mummy museum at the bottom of the church.
