Catacombs Excursion

• PHOTOS

In our opinion, the little-visited catacombs of Saint Agnes, on the Via Nomentana, offer the best glimpse of the beguiling, hidden world of the Christian catacombs and their artistic, cultural, and religious legacy. Discovered in 1865, these are some of the best preserved catacombs in Rome. While there are no paintings, the numerous inscriptions and many intact loculi--as well as the quiet atmosphere that remains untarnished by tourism--offer a clear idea of the role of these extraordinary structures in early Christianity.

Your group will be picked up by one of our drivers and a Context docent. The latter will be either an art historian or historian of religion who will spend the 30-minute trip out to the catacombs providing you with the background history and context-setting information for your visit. Upon arrival, we will descend into the labrynthine corridors and rooms where during the early medieval period, Christian faithful interred their dead. Finally, we will ascend into the

In our opinion, the little-visited catacombs of Saint Agnes, on the Via Nomentana, offer the best glimpse of the beguiling, hidden world of the Christian catacombs and their artistic, cultural, and religious legacy. Discovered in 1865, these are some of the best preserved catacombs in Rome. While there are no paintings, the numerous inscriptions and many intact loculi--as well as the quiet atmosphere that remains untarnished by tourism--offer a clear idea of the role of these extraordinary structures in early Christianity.

Your group will be picked up by one of our drivers and a Context docent. The latter will be either an art historian or historian of religion who will spend the 30-minute trip out to the catacombs providing you with the background history and context-setting information for your visit. Upon arrival, we will descend into the labrynthine corridors and rooms where during the early medieval period, Christian faithful interred their dead. Finally, we will ascend into the magical space of the church itself, one of the most significant early Christian spaces in the city. In her rumination on the church, Geometry of Love, writer Margaret Visser describes the sublime architecture of this church as a "recognition of ... spiritual awakening."

It is important to note that our approach to visiting the Catacombs is a little different than a normal tour company's. We will spend a certain amount of this itinerary visiting the above-ground church of St. Agnes in order to comprehend the entire context and history of the catacombs as an architectural type.