The burial grounds of Rome are ancient burial grounds, or underground funeral places under or near Rome, Italy, of which there are at least forty. Some were discovered only in current decades. Though most famous for Christian funerals, they include pagan and Jewish funerals, either in separate burial grounds or mixed together. They started in the second century, as much as a reply to overcrowding and deficit of land as a need for persecuted Christians to bury their dead secretly. The soft volcanic rock under Rome is highly acceptable for tunnelling, as it is softer when first exposed to air, toughening after. Many have kilometres of tunnels, in up to 4 storeys or layers. To go to visit the Roman Catacombs you maybe need an .
The Catholic burial grounds are very important for the art history of Early Christian art, as they contain the great majority of examples from before about four hundred AD, in fresco and sculpture. The Jewish burial grounds are in a similar way vital for the study of Jewish art at this period. The first big burial grounds were excavated from the following century onwards. Originally they were carved thru soft rock outside the bounds of the town, because Roman law forbade funeral places inside town boundaries. Initially they were used both for funeral and the commemorative services and celebrations of the anniversaries of Christian martyrs ( following similar Roman customs ). They were not used for regular worship. Many modern depictions of the burial grounds show them as hiding places for Christian populations during periods of persecution.
In 380, Christianity changed into a state religion. Initially plenty still desired to be buried in chambers alongside martyrs. However , the practice of burial ground funeral fell slowly, and the dead were increasingly buried in church cemeteries. In the 6th century burial grounds were used only for martyrs memorial services. Apparently Ostrogoths, Vandals and Lombards that sacked Rome also violated the burial grounds, doubtless searching for valuables. By the 10th century burial grounds were practically deserted, and holy relics were moved to above-ground basilicas. If you already know everything about Roma, another option is to take an .
Currently upkeep of the burial grounds is in the hands of the Papacy which has invested the Salesians of Don Bosco the supervision of the burial grounds of St. Callixtus on the outskirts of Rome.
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