When you arrive in Rome, what is the first monument you want to see? In my case it was the Colosseum and its underground, where beasts and gladiators were taken before the fight. They were dark places, hot and usually with little oxygen because of the torches that illuminated the galleries.
But before this amphitheater was built in 68 AD, where were the fights held? Where did the Roman citizens attend the shows that the expression "Panis et Circensis" was based on ("Bread and Circus", as a way for the government to keep the Roman people happy by feeding the hungry and staging huge gruesome spectacles)?
For this we have to cross the border and go to the Vatican. It was there the old amphitheater was constructed by Calígula and it was called "The Circus of Nero", a place where many Christians were slaughter. When you pass through the dark gates, the first thing you'll see is a stunning obelisk, the only surviving monument from that time.
Nowadays, this area is where The Basilic of Saint Peter is. There you can take a guided tour, that includes a visit to the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel, but all of this doesn't hold a candle to "The City of the Dead", that lies in the basement of the Basilic - The Necropolis. There you will be guided by a representative of the church, in your own language. It is basically a time travel to the first three centuries of the Christian Era.
Vatican City by night
A few meters below the thousands of tourists, you will find a city that has remained intact for almost 2000 years. The Necropolis was where the Roman dead were deposited, it is like a city with beautiful tombs, large enough to put an entire family.
These kind of cities were not built underground, they were normally on a hill, facing the city of the living where everyone could see and visit them. It didn't represent something gloomy, as we imagine today, on the contrary, the paintings are colorful and lively. It's almost like a movie set, where you can walk inside and enjoy beautiful frescoes that represent everything the dead would need in their new life.
Of course there were cities like this one in all corners of the Roman Empire, the Myra Tombs in Turkey are a fine example. But what I loved was stepping into a place that had been untouched and isolated from the world for 17 centuries. In the 4th century the Roman emperor Constantine buried the area and built a church on top of it, it was above it the Basilic was buit centuries later. The story that was almost forgotten.
Tombs of Myra - Turkey
It was only in the 1940s that the Necropolis got a visit from this world. The pope of the time, was building the grave for his predecessor, when he found the roof of a tomb by accident. Of course the Vatican knew of its existence, they know everything ... My Goodness, I really want to have the opportunity to access the books of that library one day... Well, the fact is that knowing about the existence is one thing and another more important is to leave the dead in peace. Besides, there were no archaeologists in the Middle Ages, right? These are probably the two reasons for its preservation.
Christ, represented as Sol Invictus. 3rd/4th A.D - Vatican Necropolis
A team of archaeologists began excavating during the 40s and finally brought us to this marvel that has been visited by few. The tombs contain Christian symbols and images, as well. Many of the Romans buried there were secretly members of this new forbidden religion, but in order to keep their relatives from getting persecuted, the images painted on the tombs were mixed with pagan mythology.
Vatican Necropolis
Walking through the streets and trying to interpret these symbols is a fascinating exercise that I recommend to any art and history lover. The feeling is unique and for the price of only €13 you'll leave with priceless memories. It's forbidden to take pictures, so you have to go there to see with your own eyes.
Further information, access: http://www.scavi.va/content/scavi/en.html
Thanks for reading!
