The Roman catacombs conceal many secrets. They were used to bury not only humans.

Dark Energy Articles
5 min readOct 29, 2023

The Roman catacombs, alongside the Colosseum and the Pantheon, are one of the greatest attractions in the capital of Italy. Do you know when they were established? Here’s a handful of essential information you should be aware of before visiting.

St. Sebastian catacombs — [Photo: President.az, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons]

The Roman catacombs are one of the places you must visit when in the capital of Italy. What are they exactly? These are ancient underground cemeteries dating back to the period from the 2nd to the 5th century. They were primarily used by Christians and Jews.

When were the Roman catacombs established?

Catacombs are underground passageways that served as burial grounds for many centuries. Burials in Jewish, pagan, and early Christian catacombs began in the 2nd century and continued until the 5th century. Christians disagreed with the pagan custom of cremation, so they decided to create these extensive underground cemeteries.

The Roman catacombs consist of a vast network of underground passages. They connect into labyrinths spanning several kilometers, along which rows of rectangular niches were excavated. The deceased were wrapped in materials and placed in these niches. They were then covered with tombstones made of marble or, more commonly, fired clay. Burials…

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