The Morgans Go European

March 9, 2018 The Catacombs of Priscilla

The Catacombs of Priscilla are well known from all the ancient topographic and liturgical sources and are located on the Via Salaria, with the entrance in the cloister of the ancient convent of Benedictine Sisters of Priscilla. Because of the great number of martyrs buried within, it is called “regina catacumbarum”, the queen of the catacombs.

Originally dug out from the 2nd to the 5th centuries AD, they spread from as a series of underground burial chambers and number approximately 40,000 graves. They originated from the family of the noblewoman named Priscilla, who may have donated the field where our catacomb was dug. This is the probable reason why this cemetery has always been named after her since the 4th century. After six centuries of abandon, the Catacombs of Priscilla were rediscovered in the 15th century and they still hold an archaeological treasure of more than 1700 years.

We had a guide take us through, but because photos were prohibited, I have nothing to post. The catacomb area open to tours is empty of human remains, but there were a few sealed graves that still contain the deceased. With high mortality rates, the dug out graves came in several sizes right down to newborn. Very sad. These were our only catacombs thus far. We might try for St. Peter's catacombs under the Basilica before we leave Rome a week from today (March 14).

To cheer up such a gloomy post, I will post some random pictures that don't really fit in to other posts.

Clare celebrated her 8th birthday in Rome!

Assembling her cardboard dollhouse gave her hours of entertainment. Let's hope she can disassemble it and fit it in her suitcase for the next house.

This is an advertisement in the Metro. I love this picture of Paul telling the dog a secret!

One of the churches we were in had an entire hallway filled with pictures of Pope Saint John Paul II done by an artist that had given each picture a title. I found the titles profoundly moving.