Roman catacombs unveiled after years of renovation

The Domitilla catacombs are named after a member of the Roman family who commissioned the burial grounds. They form the largest burial sites in Rome, stretching over 12 kilometers (7.4 miles) and descending four levels with 26,250 tombs, dating from the second to the fifth centuries.

Today, the Domitilla catacombs are situated in a modern residential area in suburban Rome, at the Via delle Sette Chiese. "In Rome, Christendom started to spread out from the outskirts of the city," explains Ortwin Dally, director of the German archaeological Institute.

Dally is referring to an entire network of catacombs underneath arterial roads like the Via Appia. Because Christians, compared to other Romans, chose to be buried in close proximity to saints, the catacombs were also used as sacred places.

"These tombs represent the roots of our deepest identity, the roots of Rome and of Christianity," says Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, the head of the pontifical commission. Monsignor Giovanni Carru of the Pontifical Commission of Sacred Art, who sponsored the renovation works adds: "These works show the difficult path the Romans walked on the way to their new faith."

The now-renovated areas include frescoes from both pagan mythology and Christian faith, showing how intertwined the two were in the early Church. The new area also includes a small museum displaying statues, parts of sarcophagi and other artifacts from the tombs.

The first area dates back to the third century and still has many references to pagan art. Its tombs show details with cupids, which were used for the smaller tombs, most likely belonging to children. Many of the crypts have frescoes that seem blotted out. In fact, they were stripped by "ripping," when catacombs were looted and frescoes cut out and removed as trophies in the Middle Ages.

In the second area, known as the "Dei fornai," the "room of the bakers," vivid depictions of Christ and the Apostles accompanied by scenes from the life of a baker are shown. Not only do they tell the story of life in Rome, but they highlight the importance of bread in both Christian and pagan symbolism.

The small museum by the Domitilla catacombs showcases how Roman and early Christian art developed parallel to each other. "Christendom didn't invent anything from scratch, but reinterpreted existing forms of art instead," Ortwin Dally points out.

Final touches still have to be put on the museum, which the organizers hope to open to the public by the end of June. It will be several months longer before the restored areas are opened. In the meantime, the rest of the vast archaeological site is open to visitors throughout the summer.