Catacombs of Rome
 

The answer to this might be in another post, but I can't find it. Where are the Catacombs of Rome, and why can't I find any information about it in travel books?

The Catacombs are mainly located on the Via Appia Antica. There are several: The Catacombs of San Callisto, San Sebastiano and Domitilla are the largest. There are also catacombs along Via Nomentana under the church of Sant'
Agnese Fuori le Mura. I don't understand why you can't find information about them in the guidebooks. Sometimes they are at the end in a section called "day-trips" or "farther afield" because they are a bit of a trip out of the historic center of Rome.

I just check the tour books I have for all the places you just mentioned - nothing. Guess I will have to search for them on the internet. Are they worth visiting?

If your tour books of Rome don't describe the Catacombs, I suggest you find some other tour books! Eyewitness, Cadagon and the Blue Guide all do a good job with them. Yes, I think they are worth a visit. My favorite is San Sebastiano--very interesting tomb architecture and graffiti. Also, if you are doing a pilgrimage to the seven churches of Rome, San Sebastiano (the church above the catacombs) is one.

Hi
here's some info

http://www.catacombsociety.org/visit...-Torlonia.html Jewish catacombs in Rome

www.catacombe.roma.it Official site of Romeys Christian catacombs, with visuals,
historical descriptions, and explanations of ancient
symbols

the following is from fodors guide to Rome:
"to reach the Catacombs and the prettier part of the Via Appia Antica, take bus 218 (which starts from San Giovanni in Laterano) at the stop near Porta San Sebastiano; the bus route followsVia Ardeatina, parallel to Via Appia Antica. You can get off at the stop nearer to the Catacombe di San Callisto, or at Via San Sebastiano at the Catacombe di San Sebastiano, where you start the walk along Via Appia AnticayWalk south on Via Appia Anticayyou have to retrace your steps to return to the bus stopyservice is not frequent."

I was taken by a local to the below site back in 1960 and frankly am shocked it is still open to the public (but then everything in Rome is ancient!). It was a fascinating experience and still 40+ years later remembered as a high spot of our visit to Rome.

Capuchin Cemetery, church of Santa Maria della Concezione (Via Veneto) First check out the saying in Latin on the church, "Here lies dust, ashes, nothing." But the real attraction is the Capuchin cemetery, a chapel decorated with the bones of 4,000 monks, lamps made out of bones and wreaths of skulls. (Yet another place to earn bragging rights.)

San Callisto & San Sebastiano are both very good and definitely worth seeing. I recently took bus 218 and got off at San Callisto, but it was closed that day. San Callisto closes on Wed., but San Sebastiano was open so we walked a short way down the road and toured those catecombs. I believe San Sebastiano is closed on Thurs. If you don't want to walk back to where bus 218 stops at, you can take bus 118 which stops right outside of San Sebastiano and makes a stop at the Circus Maximus.

Thanks everyone! We will drive ourselves - can anyone tell me if they are north or south of Rome?

Like palette, I went as a child more than 40 years ago & still remember them. I then went about 3 years ago with my wife & our 15 y/o child & her cousin & they all loved the experience. For us it was a primarily historical/cultural experience & definitely not a religious one. Go.

Dale & Kathy