Join TUI Smiles Rewards Club and get 100 or more Smiles for every experience. Sign up now
Menu
My booking
Cart
myTUI
Type here to search...

Experiences in Domitilla Catacombs

Type here to search...

Join and receive exclusive discounts, benefits and rewards, every time you travel.

2 Experiences
Catacombs and Capuchin Crypt Guided Tour with Transfer

Catacombs and Capuchin Crypt Guided Tour with Transfer

Duration: 3 hours · Free cancellation · Languages: en, it, fr +2

5/5

(1)

+100 Smiles
from: £66
Rome self-guided audio tour

Rome self-guided audio tour

Languages: en, it, fr +4

4.3/5

(8)

+100 Smiles
from: £6
Italy

Domitilla Catacombs tickets and tours

Concealed deep down within the bedrock of the countryside just outside of Rome, lie the Catacombs of Domitilla, the oldest of Rome's underground burial networks. Actively used as a Christian cemetery from the second to the fifth century, the catacombs were rediscovered in 1593 by archaeologist, Antonio Bosio. They spread out over 11 miles of underground caves and are laid out on four different levels, one on top of the other.

The land where the catacombs are found once belonged to noblewoman Flavia Domitilla, who happened to be related to emperor Vespasian (the builder of the Colosseum). After stating her beliefs in Christianity, she was exiled and sent to Ponza. After her death, she was buried in a family mausoleum on the site of the catacombs where they were eventually named after her.

A visit to the catacombs begins with the 4th century Basilica that was built above the tombs of the two martyrs, Nereus and Achilleus. They were said to be two soldiers of the imperial guard who were killed for confessing their faith. In fact, the Catacomb of Domitilla is the only Roman catacombs that has an underground basilica open to the public.

Numerous frescoes and symbols of biblical figures and different scenes align the walls inside the catacomb, giving you an insight of the Faith of the first century Christians of Rome. For history lovers, you will come across The Last Supper, a piece of work dating back to the 2nd century. Similar to da Vinci's famous painting, it depicts Christ and his disciples.

Discover the cemetery consisting of 26,000 tombs and burial place of reportedly 150,000 bodies when it was in use. Although not all of the catacombs are accessible to the public, the Domitilla catacombs is the best preserved and the only one that still contains bones on display. Archaeologists claim that they may never know the full extent of catacombs since they haven't discovered the entirety of their passageways.

The catacombs are open every day of the week except Tuesday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and then from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM, with the last guided tour starting 30 minutes before the closure both in the morning and the afternoon. Several buses will bring you to within walking distance of the catacombs from Rome's city centre or you can arrive by car.

See what travellers are saying: Domitilla Catacombs

Overall rated

4.4/5

(9)

Rome self-guided audio tour

TUI Musement Traveler

11 November 2022
5Italy

Audioguida utile e comoda per conoscere un po' Roma senza guide. Gli audio si attivano in automatico quando ci si trova nei paraggi dei luoghi di interesse (attivando la posizione) e si possono riascoltare, mandare indietro/avanti. Super consigliato!

Top destinations
Montego Bay, Jamaica
Montego Bay, Jamaica58 experiences
Sal, Cape Verde
Sal, Cape Verde50 experiences
Cancun, Mexico
Cancun, Mexico220 experiences
Riviera Maya / Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Riviera Maya / Playa del Carmen, Mexico188 experiences
Sorrento, Italy
Sorrento, Italy49 experiences
Lanzarote, Spain
Lanzarote, Spain192 experiences
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic128 experiences
Majorca, Spain
Majorca, Spain187 experiences
Tenerife, Spain
Tenerife, Spain220 experiences
Hurghada, Egypt
Hurghada, Egypt59 experiences
How to get there
Take me there
Domitilla Catacombs
RomeItaly
Get to know Rome
Rome
Rome