In early August '08 we will visit Rome as part of our family trip. Taking kids, daughter will be 15 and son 12. I would love to visit the Roman Catacombs again as when I was 14, many years ago! I've read posts about it and need more information. I thought they were in Rome but one thread said they are outside of Rome.

If you have any information of location, if need tour or not, hours of operation and anything else relating to seeing Catacombs, that would be helpful.

This site has been great in having people who have visited areas of question and giving wonderful feedback!!

Thank you VERY much.

This is a Fodors' post that should answer some of your questions. Regards, Walter http://tinyurl.com/j9w3d

The Catacombs are outside of the old city gates of the city along the Via Appia Antica. They are reachable with public transit.try this thread
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34591548

Our family had a good experience with the archeobus run by the tourist office last February but I think these buses can get very crowded in summer. The archeobus goes farther down the Appian Way than the catacombs, then over to the aqueducts leading into the city which are very impressive

We also took public transportation to the Catacombs at San Sebastiano. We had no problems at all but we were there in May, I imagine August will be more crowded.

By its nature (graveyards), you would know they must have been built outside the city limits. They are in fact outside the old Roman walls. I definitely recommend it and would go on a tour just to avoid the logistics of transport, tickets, and figuring out a guided visit.

The Catacombs are very easy to visit and paying for a separate tour is not worth the money as visitors must be taken down into the catacombs by the guides employed at the site. San Callisto is the largest and has the tombs of some early popes and the orignal burial spot of St. Cecilia. San Sebastino is under one of the seven pilgrimage churches of Rome and the catacombs, to me, are the most interesting as they have some fine examples of ancient Roman burial architecture with some impressive mauseleums and an interesting graffit wall. Both catacombs, as well as a few others, are a short bus or taxi ride from the center of Rome.

I might add to let you know we will have a car on last day of Rome and heading south to Gaeta which is on the Via Appia. I am hoping the catacombs are south of Rome to make it easy for us to reach as we must go that direction!

Walter of ParadiseLost and Vttraveler-- I copied your posts and will read them as soon as I can!

With a site I found I asked them for directions from Rome to catacombs as I see for sure they are on the Via Appia:

Catacombe di San Callisto, Via Appia Antica 126, 00179 ROMA (Italy)

They have not replied in two days now!

This site is a tour of Viator.com they offer a tour for $79.00 pp:

http://www.viator.com/tours/Rome/Ski...511-3731CRYPTS

Now I ask, does anyone know if catacombs are south of Rome on Via Appia? Is parking a problem there?

Grinisa, you mentioned NOT to take a tour, OK. Will guide who takes us down stay with us and tell us about what we see? I now will look into the catacomb areas you mentioned.

Thank you ALL for your help!!

The tour you have linked is not for the catacombs on the Appian Way, which are south of Rome. see http://catacombe.roma.it for info.
As Grinisa said, you can only visit those with one of the guides employed at the sites, they do language-specific tours (no reservations).
We took a cab, parking seems OK, though. I think the Appian Way is closed to traffic on Sundays.

ciaodeb, the link to the tour you posted indicates you go to the Capuchin Crypt which is central Rome and not really a "catacomb." It is tiny and there are no long lines to get in. You don't need a tour to go there. You also go to the church of San Clemente which is built on three layers. It is not a catacomb either. The church has guides on site that are very knowledgable about the history and various levels of the church so I wouldn't pay for a tour of that either. Finally, that tour goes to the church and catacomb of San Domitilla. It is near the Appian Way south of Rome. If you read the description of the tour, it just includes the price of the entry ticket, not a guided tour of the Domitilla catacomb. A guide at the catacomb would have to take you down into it so paying for a tour would be a waste of money. Paying for a guided to tour to the catacombs isn't necessary as every catacomb has it's own guides, who speak various languages (they will put you in an English speaking group)that you must use.

Grinisa, molto grazie! Parla l'italiano, per caso? I asked if you speak Italian by chance? I am American Italian and speak pretty good, but not perfectly.

Thank you for your information. I understand a tour is NOT necessary as guide will suffice. Have not read the trip reviews of previous posters yet, but seems the San Sanbastino catacombs are best to see from posters here. So I am clear, are these the ones south of Rome on Via Appia?

Now, the BEST ones I have seen several times, and my Sicilian cousins calls me macabre for it, are in Parlemo and called, "Catacombe dei Cappiccini", just under their church. Indeed gruesome, the deceased are all clothed and suspended with eyes that look at you as you pass by. Whoa!!! It was a special smoke process that kept them in tact! You can see that room as children are now in this area. The latest one prepared this way was a little girl with yellow ribbon, she was from Roma. When I was there in mid 90's the priest told me she'd be in her 70's if still living and up to recent, she had visitors from Roma!

Here's the website:

http://catacombe.roma.it/

You can do a google search and it will show you map of where they are in Palermo.

So, I am fascinated in catacombs and the Rome ones I saw at 14 were all behind stone.

LOL ciaodeb, a three year old Italian and I could converse pretty well! So, no, I don't really speak Italian, just enough to understand some important things and order food! Yes, I've been to the capuchin crypt in Palermo and it is indeed gruesome. The little girl is fascinating though. Yes, the catacombs of San Sebastiano are on the Via Appia Antica just south of Rome. My husband and I have walked to those catacombs, and San Callisto, from the center of Rome, but I don't recommend it. It's long, no sidewalk and there can be a lot of traffic. Other than the Capuchin Crypt in Santa Maria Concezione on Via Veneto, there aren't any "gruesome" catacombs in Rome. If you like bodies though, check out my travel note titled "Chills and Thrills in the Eternal City" which is on the Slowtrav.com website or google it.

Chills and Thrills in
the Eternal City
Grinisa

Brava!! Ha scritto tutto?

Thanks ciaodeb, I'm glad the travel not was helpful. I wrote it a while ago so hopefully I'll be able to update it this spring after I bring my daughters back to Rome. They seek out the macabre.

Grinisa, What no human sacrifices?

In roughly the exact center of the now fenced-off Roman Forum Square you can see a large rectangular hole.

That hole is called the Doliola, in 1903 it was excavated and the skeletons of a man and woman were found from the 7thC BC.

They were murdered and no funerary items were found with them which is unheard-of for burials before and after this time period.

They are in the Roman Forum Museum (Antiquarium Forense) Room #3 (they are the only 2 skeletons in this room which has a *large*
lead container in the center).

I recall that they both have finger-sized holes in their head but have never read that this was the method of execution but it seems to be.
Recently they said it was an expiatory human sacrifice.

Also there are maybe 6+ other skeletons on display and also cremation urns all discovered in the Forum.

The Roman Forum Museum is ~30m to the side of the Arch of Titus.
Often easily overlooked (small sign in Italian by the door) and often closed (often on monday and after noontime).
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/mayumi/watana...ud/antiqud.jpg The entrance door is just to the right of that person in the photo.
The Arch is not shown but it's just a few meters to the right of the photographer.

Now between that hole (Doliola) in the Forum and 5th & 6th (of 7) column bases that run along the southern side of the Forum Square a radar sounding (GPR) was done.
[ooooo*00 only the 6th & 7th column bases actually have columns on them]

It showed the bodies of a man, woman and child tied together who were thrown into this marsh and drowned.
Before the Forum was drained (~7C-BC) it was a marshland with pools of water.
Regards, Walter

Thanks Walter, my coverage of Ancient Roman creepy stuff is sorely lacking due to my interest in the Christian relics. But my girls will definitely like to see the skeletons on this upcoming trip so thanks for the info!