Day 15: Catacombs

Mosaics from Mausoleum of Constantina

At the complex of St Agnes outside the walls can be found a 4th century mausoleum which was built for the sister of Constantine - Constantina, ruins of a huge basilica dedicated to the same, a basilica dedicated to St Agnes and underneath it multiple levels of catacombs carved out of 'tufa', the volcanic rock used for building.  We went here because Agnes is Maureen's confirmation name and because of the variety of things to see.

Mausoleum of Constantina

On the trip out we passed through one of the gates of the city called Porta Pia (designed by Bernini) and close to it a statue commemorating the lives lost in the fight for unification of Italy in the 19th Century.

The mausoleum is the best preserved one from roman times with amazing mosaics and a splendid circular structure with two rings of columns around the central dome.  I houses a copy of a huge porphyry sarcophagus, (the original is in Vatican Museums) the tomb of Constantina.

We had a guided tour around the catacombs and looked at bones, family chapels and lots of inscriptions describing the dead.  Many if the inscriptions had Christian symbols and the grave of St Agnes was believed to be placed here at the bottom level around 251 CE.  Her tomb is now under the altar of the main basilica.

Maureen at the tomb of St Agnes

Apparently these catacombs were a tufa mine- they mined the stone and then used the mine as a catacomb.  The tombs were re-used after 35 years when the warm moist air had broken all but the major bones.  Hence much like today the family 'rented' the space for that time.

The story and cult of St Agnes is interesting - there is another Church dedicated to her on Piazza Navona where she was allegedly martyred but this is unlikely since her grave is found outside the walls.



Tomorrow we head for Florence!