The plot deepens

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This was published 13 years ago

The plot deepens

Tales from the crypt . . . tomb relics.

Tales from the crypt . . . tomb relics.Credit: AFP

Marian McGuinness descends beneath Rome to where pope, saint and slave alike were laid to rest.

THIRTY rock-carved steps and I'm now down to the second layer of tomb-tunnels that riddle the hills of Rome. There is barely any room beside or above me.

I'm claustrophobic and framed by tufa, the soft, volcanic rock that hardens when exposed to air.

Perfect, really. Easy for second-century gravediggers to work with and durable enough to withstand centuries of body holding, pilgrim trails and grave robbers.

It doesn't take a sense of ghoulish interest to bring you to the catacombs. My original thoughts were of skeletal remains, tattered linen shrouds and soulless skulls, but much to the relief of many in my group, there are no bodies.

I'm at the back of the group and I can't hear our guide's commentary.

I squeeze past a couple of hefty troglodytes and worm my way to the front. The lantern-bearing Therese has been a guide in the catacombs for 26 years and I'm keen to hear her explanations. In ancient times, this area was known as catacumbas, from the Greek, kata kymbas, meaning "by the hollow".

It was a Roman world changing from paganism to Christianity and from cremation to burial (to emulate the entombment and bodily resurrection of Christ), but it was the Greeks who set up the first Christian construction companies to dig the labyrinth of passageways.

Roman law at the time did not allow for burial within the walls of the city. Contamination and hygiene were major concerns as was the problem of space. It was far cheaper to dig underground than to buy land. It also gave a sense of being one family, even in death. During this time of Christian persecution, these subterranean cities provided refuge as well as privacy to mourn.

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In the Catacombs of San Sebastian are 11 kilometres of twisting tunnels dug on four levels. There are about 50 similar catacombs surrounding Rome. They originally housed millions of ordinary Christians along with popes, bishops, saints and slaves. Some catacombs have only recently been discovered.

As we wind our way, squinting like moles through the dark corridors, we pass rectangular niches cut out of the walls.

They are the loculi, and were hewn to hold one corpse.

Christians were too poor to have coffins. Perfumed, shroud-wrapped bodies were bought to the entrance of the catacomb by their loved ones.

They were presented to the grave diggers. The body was then sealed inside the loculi by a slab of marble or terracotta. Some are still intact and I can see the faint engravings made by families so that they could later find them to visit.

One tomb inscription is for a horse acrobat. Another, for three-year-old Libera, is lovingly frescoed with images of grazing sheep and Noah's dove.

When I put my nose to the porous shelf, it smells musty. Although there are no bodily remains, it's as if the rock is infused with the vapours of the dead.

As we continue, we pass larger arched niches where whole families, including their slaves, were buried. At the end of a narrow, grave-lined tunnel we come through a doorway into an underground opening.

We climb stony steps and are, weirdly, standing on a sort of underground verandah.

It overlooks a group of crypts.

"It was called the dining room," Therese says with a flourish of gestures. "It is here that families would come to picnic with their dead. They would bring food and wine and celebrate their birthdays and their death days."

I can only imagine the scene, families feasting by oil lamps, breathing in the waft of wine and the stench of decay. Their gathering also gave visitors a chance to graffiti the walls and write prayers on clay tablets imploring the saints to intercede for them. At one time, saints Peter and Paul were buried here, too. After a final hike up narrow, steep steps, our group emerges through a secret door into the daylight of the church of San Sebastian, built over the catacombs. Sebastian, the soldier saint, was persecuted for his beliefs.

After surviving an onslaught of arrows, he was taken to the Palatine Hill and beaten to death. He was buried near the remains of the apostles Peter and Paul.

After exploring its dank and fascinating catacombs, wandering along the paving stones of its ancient roads worn flat by the wheels of chariots and the feet of a millennium, you can't help but be in awe of Rome . . . from top to sacred bottom.

Trip notes

Getting there

Most major airlines fly from Sydney to Rome. 133 133, flightcentre.com.au.

Getting around

The catacombs are the ninth stop on the green, open-top, hop on-hop off Archeobus. Buy tickets at the kiosk at Termini Station, from €10 ($13.50). trambusopen.com.

Staying there

Hotel Columbus, in a 15th-century palazzo on Via delle Conciliazione, has doubles from €174 a night, including breakfast and tax. A 15 per cent discount applies if you pay when you book. +39 06 686 5435, hotelcolumbus.net.

See + do

San Sebastian Catacombs is open 8.30am to noon, 2.30pm to 5.30 pm. Closed Sundays. Guided tour costs €8 (you cannot go unassisted). If going by Archeobus, make the catacombs your first stop. San Callisto Catacombs are also open for inspection (stop eight).

More information

Visit italiantourism.com.au.

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