In this Great Jubilee Year of 2000, Rome, the centre of Christianity, was visited by millions of pilgrims and tourists from many different countries and religions. They came to Rome on a pilgrimage, because Rome has been consacrated by the presence and the sacrifice of the Apostles and by the blood of numberless martyrs.

The first Christians pilgrims to Rome were the very Apostles Peter and Paul. They were the founders of Christian Rome, which is the motherland of all Christians.The testimony of the Apostles and of the martyrs who founded and, by their blood, enriched the Church of Rome is one of the most convincing proofs of the Christian Faith.

Even though the Jubilee was celebrated in every country of the world, all Christians would have liked to come to Rome, but the greatest majority were prevented from doing so

This Internet site is the oldest complete data transmission presentation of the Christian Catacombs of Rome. The wealth of content is illustrated with many coloured photographs and text in twelve languages including the three most widespread and important oriental ones: Chinese, Korean and Japanese. It constitutes a basic, complete and concise aid to know the catacombs and to prepare a pilgrimage of faith to Rome.

THE ORIGIN AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS SITE

Online since 1997, the site arose from the need to spread the knowledge of the catacombs as historical evidence on the martyrs and on the faith of the early Church.

1. The site fills an obvious gap on the Roman catacombs proving itself an indispensable instrument for studying them.
2. It enables all readers, young and old to understand at the level of those who have completed compulsory education. It is written in a clear and easy style and each technical term is immediately explained in its proper context.
3. It presents a text which is historical in character and archeologically reliable since it is based on the major works of accredited scholars in Christian Archaeology e.g. Carletti, Fasola, Ferrua, Josi, Mazzoleni, Reekmanns, Testini, Wilpert, Hertling, Kirschbaum, Styger, Marucchi and above all, Giovanni Battista de Rossi, considered the founding father of Sacred Archaeology.
4. It is a base for advanced studies on the persecutions and their causes, on the daily life of the Church of the Martyrs and on the continuity in faith with the Church of Today.
5. It is comprehensive in its coverage referring to places which are not included in the ordinary itineraries of pilgrims and Catacombs not open to the public. Every year hundreds of schools take their pupils to visit the Catacombs.We note that they ignore them completely or that they know very little about them, but at the same time they are eager to learn as much as they possibly can.
6. It answers many of the questions on the Catacombs and debunks popular myths and legends spread by films and novels, but having no historical basis.
   
   The Internet site gives a wide range of answers to the many questions of visitors
   
   What are really the catacombs? Why did the Christians dig their cemeteries underground? When did they originate? Why did they develop so extensively? Why are they located outside the city walls, along the great consular roads? Is it true that the catacombs were the secret hiding places of the Christians during the persecutions? Since the catacombs are only cemeteries, how can they tell us the history of the early Church in Rome? Why did the Christians use so many symbols? Why were the Christians persecuted? Did the persecutions last uninterruptedly for centuries? What was the behaviour of the Christians during the persecutions? Did they suffer them passively, without any resistance or did they react to this injustice? How many martyrs were there? Are the "Passions" of the Martyrs are documented history or legendary narratives? Why do we find so many inscriptions in Greek? Why do we find the tombs nearly all open and empty? How many catacombs are open to the public? What is the importance of the Catacombs for the Church of today?
   
   
7. Beginning small, it has developed gradually based on the requests and suggestions of visitors and continues to be enriched by new pages on the Web.
8. The site has received much appreciation and recognition from many lay and religious organisations throughout the world.
9. There are over a hundred coloured photographs, which help to visualize what these burial grounds are like. They help to get a good idea of the structure and appearance of the Catacombs. Lastly, as an introduction to the site the visitor is offered a selection of images of the Catacombs, which will induce him to deepen his knowledge of this fascinating topic of the Christian religion.

TARGET GROUP

The site was aimed at and prepared for four groups of people in particular:

1. All those who are prevented from coming to Rome due to lack of money, being in prison, old age, ill health or in any other way unable to visit the Catacombs.
2. School Pupils who have in this site a useful learning aid which is easy to consult on historically important matters which are little known.
3. Tour Operators and Pastoral Assistants who find in the site the information necessary for preparing and conducting a journey to Rome (opening and closing days, hours, nature and duration of the visit, prices and facilities for schools and parishes, possibility of celebrating Holy Mass).
4. Visitors/ Pilgrims who wish to relive the feelings of being in the Catacombs and revive their memories of the visit through the help of books, packs, audio and videocassettes, films and religious souvenirs of the Catacombs.

WHAT THE WEB-SITE CONTAINS

The website, by its nature, religious, historical and archaeological, is subdivided into sections which with short and precise texts present the different aspects of the Catacombs. It consists of:

1. GENERAL PRESENTATION
   
   * Introduction:
   What the Catacombs are. When and Why they were begun.
   The catacombs are the ancient underground cemeteries of the Christian community. They are places where the Eucharist may have been celebrated at times without interference during the persecutions. They were sanctuaries of the martyrs and for centuries centres of devotion and pilgrimage.
   
   * Brief history and description of the Catacombs (Structure, tombs and symbols)
   The history of the Catacombs is narrated from their origins about the end of the Second Century to their decline and complete abandonment after the Eighth and Ninth Centuries due to pillaging by the barbarians and the transport of the bodies of the martyrs and other saints into the churches within the city.
   
   The Catacombs are described as a vast network of galleries, cubicles and crypts, with various forms of tombs from the simple loculus to intricately-worked sarcophagi. There is the legacy of symbols, frescoes, inscriptions, statues which document the uses and customs, the lives, faith and heroism of the early Christians.
   
   * Archaeological and Historical Importance of the Catacombs
   * Information to visit the Catacombs
   
   
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE CATACOMBS OF SAINT CALLIXTUS
   * Brief summary with historical notes, the itineraries of the pilgrims and their importance for the renewal of faith.
   
   * Detailed description
   

   1. The Surface Area
   2. The Underground Cemetery
   3. The Crypt of the Popes
   4. The Crypt of St. Cecilia
   5. The Galleries
   6. The Cubicles of the Sacraments
   7. The Region of Pope Melchiades
   8. The Region of SS. Gaius and Eusebius
   9. The Western Region
   10. The Liberian Region
   11. The Crypts of Lucina
       
       

3. THE SPIRITUALITY OF THE CATACOMBS
   
   This section answers the questions most frequently asked by the pilgrims:
   
   What did the Early Christians believe? How did they express this in the symbols, frescoes, statues, sarcophagi, and funerary inscriptions? How did they live and where did they find the strength to profess their faith even to undergoing martyrdom?
   
   What is the importance of the Catacombs for us today? What do they say to us?
   This is the most important part of the website which helps to transform a purely tourist visit into a pilgrimage of faith.
   
   The spirituality of the Catacombs is Christocentric, Biblical, Sacramental, Communal, Eschatological, New and Transforming. It is a silent spirituality which evokes the lives and sacrifices of the Early Christians, a spirituality which is a message of reform of life and renewal of faith.
   
   
4. ASPECTS OF CHURCH LIFE DURING THE TIMES OF THE PERSECUTIONS
   
   1. The defence of Christianity in the writings of the Apologists
   It is like an identity card of the Early Christians. Visitors often ask how the Early Christians responded to the calumnies and persecutions of the pagans ? Did they submit passively or did they defend themselves ? What was their attitude to the authorities ? Here we quote some significant passages from the Apologies (Discourses defending the Faith by Christian writers of the time).
   
   2. Letters of Support between the Churches of Rome and Carthage
   They bring back the climate of uncertainty, of danger, of the faith and fortitude of the Christians of these churches. They are historical documents of the humanity and fidelity to Christ in times of trial.
   
   3. The Litanies of the Martyrs and other Saints of Saint Callixtus.
   This brings back to mind the Martyrs and other Saints who were buried in the Catacombs of San Callisto and of the Saints and other pilgrims who came to them.
   
   
5. THOUGHTS OF POPE JOHN PAUL II ON THE CATACOMBS
   He has defined them as "privileged places of prayer and renewal of faith."
   "perennial schools of faith, hope and charity"
   " together with the great Roman basilicas, the necessary destination of the pilgrims of the Holy Year."
   
   
6. STUDY AND RESEARCH ON THE SUBJECT OF THE CATACOMBS
   An ever-expanding collection of books and short articles by scholars on the vast range of topics related to the Christian Catacombs of Rome and to the history of the early Church.
   Texts on the web-site, unless otherwise designated, may be freely downloaded and printed out, on condition that quotations are acknowledged as coming from the original site on the Christian Catacombs of Rome.
   The illustrations which are from various sources, especially from the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, are protected by Copyright and may not be reproduced in publications or on other sites without explicit written authorization.
   
   
7. TWO THUMBNAIL GALLERIES OF PICTURES which constitute a panorama of the world of the Catacombs of Rome and a virtual tour of the catacombs themselves.
   
   
8. THE JUBILEE AT THE CATACOMBS
   
   
9. THE HISTORY OF THE CATACOMBS OF SAN CALLISTO from their archaeological rediscovery (1844) from the accounts of those chiefly involved: Pope Pius IX and the archaeologist Giovanni Battista de Rossi.
   
   
10. BOOKS AND AUDIOVISUAL AIDS
    
    1. Antonio Baruffa
    THE CATACOMBS OF SAINT CALLIXTUS History-Achaeology- Faith
    Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 00120 Città del Vaticano,
    ISBN 88-209-2289-4 Second Edition in English - January 2000
    The author is a lecturer in Christian Archaeology at the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome and has been for many years a guide working at the Catacombs of Saint Callixtus. He has written this scientifically-accurate book in popular style, illustrating it with many coloured photographs.
    
    It is the most historically-accurate and up-to-date presentation of the Catacombs of Saint Callixtus.
    
    It has recently been favourably reviewed in many specialist periodicals such as Civiltà Cattolica (A. Ferrua), Revue d'Histoire Ecclésiastique (Louis Reekmans), Rivista di Archeologia Cristiana (D. Mazzoleni), Gregorianum (Jos Janssens), Orientamenti Pedagogici (G. Semeraro), Divinitas (L. Bogliolo), etc.
    
    The book is not a tourist guide nor a mere devotional work, but a real pastoral guide and a popularization of the highest level of the historical, artistic and above all religious legacy from the Catacombs.
    
    The book is published in Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, and in shortened editions in Bohemian, Polish, Slovene and Slovak.
    
    2. Rainer Korte
    VOCI DAl PROFONDO
    Meditations on the Christian Catacombs of Rome
    Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 001120 Città del Vaticano, ISBN 88-209-2574-7, 1st ed. 1998, pp. 94
    
    The book contains a series of meditations under the guidance of the richest materials which the pilgrim admires in the Roman catcombs. The author, a German pedagogist and writer and for years a guide in the Catacombs of San Callisto, presents the message of the faith of the popes, martyrs and ordinary christians buried in the catacombs.
    
    It is a new and original work, which gathers the spiritual aspects of the catacombs.
    
    The fundamental message of these reflections is the witness of the Early Church, from the martyrs popes to the unknown martyrs, from the glorious saints to the simple faithful who were buried in these sacred places.
    
    The meditations constitute a real catechetical text in the original form of meetings with the people shown in the catacombs. They are drawn from the Hebrew Scriptures and from pagan mythology e.g. Psyche, Orpheus, Ulysses. Early Christians believed in the love of the Lord in a sometimes corrupt and hostile pagan society. They are from Christians who knew indifference, exclusion and persecution, but who showed their faith with courage and constancy in everyday life.
    
    The reflections invite us to listen to the voices reaching us from the depths of the Catacombs and appropriate them into our own lives. We can then purify our hearts and renew the grace of the Lord to become more able to show our faith after the example of the martyrs and other christians of the Catacombs.
    
    This pastoral aid can be used in teaching religion in school, in prayer meetings and groups of youngsters in the parishes, since the witness of the Martyrs and other Christians is not an isolated event, but the community experience of the whole Church.
    
    In his discourse to the members of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology and Directors of the Catacombs, the Pope has hoped for pilgrim guides with short and up-to-date explanations which are both scientific and spiritual. Korte's text fully responds to these pastoral imperatives especially duringthe Great Jubilee of the Year 2000.
    
    The book is published in Italian and in German.
    
    3. Antonio Baruffa,
    "GIOVANNI BATTISTA de ROSSI. Archaeologist Explorer of the Catacombs"
    For the centenary of the death of Giovanni Battista de Rossi (1822-1894), the author has written this new life of the Founder of Christian Archaeology. It is an interesting and well-documented biography of the man who made a complete exploration and study of the Catacombs of San Callisto. The book is considered as a useful general introduction to the history and study of Christian Archaeology.
    
    4. Antonio Baruffa,
    "THE CATACOMBS. The Fascination of a Forgotten World"
    Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Città del Vaticano, ISBN 88-209-2141-3, 2000 , 16 pages.
    
    This presents the legends and reality of the Catacombs. A very short illustrated account of the Christian Catacombs of Rome. Editions in Italian, English, French, German and Spanish.
    
    5. "THE CATACOMBS OF ST. CALLIXTUS"
    A folder in 6 pages.with coloured photographs to help people relive the time spent in visiting the catacombs.
    It reminds us of the value and significance of this pilgrimage of faith. It invites us to return to the Early Church so that we may bear witness to the faith today in our lives with the same courage and love. It is printed in seven languages (Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Polish and Korean). More than a million copies have been given out freely.
    
    6. Audiocassettes
    These have a recording of the commentary for a visit and are produced in 39 languages.
    
    

    25 European:
    - (Bohemian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian)
    
    10 Oriental:
    - (Burmese, Chinese-Mandarin, Chinese-Cantonese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Tamil, Vietnamese)
    
    3 Middle- Eastern:
    - (Arabic, Hebrew and Iranian).
    
    1 Universal
    (Esperanto)

    
    
    The cassettes are used when there is no guide available to speak the required language. In such cases, the group is accompanied by another guide. Each stopping place on the tour is indicated in Italian for the benefit of the one leading the group.
    
    The cassettes are recorded by announcers in the mother tongue from Vatican Radio and copied accurately so that they may be given free to group leaders as souvenirs of the visit.
    
    7. Videocassette: THE CATACOMBS OF ST.CALLIXTUS.
    
    The videocassette is produced in Italian, English, French, German and Spanish, either in VHS-PAL (European System) or in NTSC (American System).
    
    The videocassette fills a gap strongly. felt in the field of teaching on the Catacombs. In fact the other existing cassettes are historically or culturally inadequate products, or use technical language comprehensible only to specialist audience, or contain only one partial subject, e.g. the subject of the sarcophagi.
    
    The LDC videocassette is a particularly useful aid to catechists in parishes, especially for groups of youngsters, since it is both brief (30 mins) and complete. It is fairly descriptive, of a peculiar pastoral character, using plain language and avoiding technical terms. Particularly helpful is the soundtrack which accompanies the text.
    
    With the videocassette is a teaching guide, which provides a background of historical and archaeological notes. The guidebook describes the stages in rediscovery of this catacomb. It tells the story of the sufferings of Popes buried there, from Pontian condemned to exile and forced labour in Sardinia, where he died a martyr; to Sixtus surprised in this Catacomb and beheaded there. The booklet carries the poems of that great promoter of the martyrs, Pope Damasus. It develops the themes of faith shown in the Cubicles of the Sacraments, in the Symbols, in the Crypts of Lucina, etc. Finally, the guidebook develops different aspects of the spirituality of the Catacombs, which is that of the Primitive Church in its youthfulness of martyrdom and conquest.
    
    The greatest worth of the videocassette is its pastoral and religious character. The pilgrim is enabled to discover the spiritual message of the Catacombs. The sense of community and desire to remain together even in the sleep of death is clearly remembered., together with the sharing and solidarity with the poor, the needy and the slaves; the veneration of the martyrs and the reverence for the dead.
    
    The Christians of Rome often shunned and persecuted by the pagans, drew courage and strength form the example of their pastors, from the heroic witness given by the martyrs and from the humble but precious example of their brothers and sisters in the faith. Above all there was the example of Christ shown as the Good Shepherd, Teacher of Faith and Saviour. The video strongly underlines the centrality of Christ and through Him illustrates the means of salvation especially in the Sacraments of Baptism and of Eucharist. These are shown in the symbols, in sculptures, frescoes, on the stones closing the tombs along the galleries and within the crypts. There are so many funerary inscriptions that they form an intimate conversation between the living and the dead thus documenting the faith of Christians in the final resurrection promised by Christ.
    
    8. Slides of the Catacombs of San Callisto
    
    A set of 24 slides edited by the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, Via Napoleone III, 1 - 00185 Roma. The slides are accompanied by a brief introductory text in various languages.
    
    9. Bibliography.