Catacombs of Domitilla
Good Shepherd, wall painting
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Coordinates41°51′32.09″N 12°30′19.90″E / 41.8589139°N 12.5055278°E / 41.8589139; 12.5055278

The Catacombs of Domitilla are an underground Christian[1] cemetery named after the Domitilla family that had initially ordered them to be dug.[2] They are located in Rome, Italy.[3] They are situated over 16 metres underground, about 2 kilometers from the south of Appia Antica[4] (Appian Way) and span 15 kilometers in distance.[4] They were actively used as a cemetery from the first through the fifth centuries AD[4] and were rediscovered in 1593 by Antonio Bosio, an archaeologist[1] They include more than 26,000 tombs.[1] More recently, they have been restored using lasers, giving a much clearer view of the images on the walls.[2] Unlike other Roman catacombs, these catacombs still hold the remains of humans.[4]

Renovation

Domitilla Catacomb
Domitilla catacomb

The catacombs are composed of tufa, a form of limestone that is porous.[4][2] Finishing in 2017, restorers used lasers to help restore two rooms.[1] The restorers worked to remove layers of algae, smoke deposits, and a chalky substance.[1] What was revealed were both pagan and Christian inspired frescoes.[4] So far, only 12 out of about 70 rooms have been restored.[5]

Wall paintings

Inside the Catacombs of Domitilla are images, some of which were revealed by the restoration, reflecting the life of bakers,[2] grape vines, Jesus with the apostles, Noah's ark, and Daniel with the lions.[2] Other biblical figures in the various cubicula include the Virgin Mary with child,[6] Adam, Eve, Jonah, The Good Shepherd, a young man dressed as a cardinal with apostles Peter and Paul.[7] Non-biblical, or pagan, figures include representations of Spring and Summer in the form of females with wings, both pictured with attendants[7] and scenes depicting Orpheus[8] surrounded by birds, beasts and the sheep that typically accompany him.[9] There are also other images of mythological and wild or tame beasts beyond the depictions of Orpheus.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Povoledo, Elisabetta (30 May 2017). "Fresh Finds at Rome's Ancient Catacombs". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-11-21.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Domitilla catacombs unveiled after years of renovation". Retrieved 2018-11-21.
  3. ^ LORENZI, ROSSELLA. "Not by Bread Alone - Archaeology Magazine". www.archaeology.org. Retrieved 2018-11-21.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Urzì, Clara; De Leo, Filomena; Krakova, Lucia; Pangallo, Domenico; Bruno, Laura (1 December 2016). "Effects of biocide treatments on the biofilm community in Domitilla's catacombs in Rome". Science of the Total Environment. 572: 252–262. Bibcode:2016ScTEn.572..252U. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.07.195. ISSN 0048-9697. PMID 27501424.
  5. ^ Squires, Nick (2017-05-30). "Laser technology uncovers 1,600-year-old Christian frescoes in Rome's biggest catacomb". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2018-11-21.
  6. ^ Lasareff, Victor (1938). "Studies in the Iconography of the Virgin". The Art Bulletin. 20 (1): 26–65. doi:10.2307/3046561. JSTOR 3046561.
  7. ^ a b Parker, John Peter (1877). The Archaeology of Rome: The Catacombs. London: Oxford. p. 72.
  8. ^ a b Huskinson, Janet (1974). "Some Pagan Mythological Figures and Their Significance in Early Christian Art". Papers of the British School at Rome. 42: 68–97. doi:10.1017/S006824620000814X. JSTOR 40310729. S2CID 191442822.
  9. ^ Barker, Ethel Ross (1913). "The Symbolism of Certain Catacomb Frescoes-I". Burlington Magazine Publications LTD. 24 (127): 43–50. JSTOR 859450.

External links

Media related to Catacombs of Domitilla at Wikimedia Commons

Preceded by
Casal Rotondo 		Landmarks of Rome
Catacombs of Domitilla 		Succeeded by
Catacombs of Rome
Landmarks of Rome
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