April 27 - City of the dead

We arrived at the Catacombs of St. Domitilla in Rome after an unintended but pleasant detour on the Appian Way, the oldest of the old Roman roads with its apparently original paving stones that have the same effect on modern automobiles as speed bumps.

The tour of the Catacombs was brief, about 25 minutes, but comprehensive in the guide's description of the 17 miles of tunnels and 180,000 tombs, of which only about 2,000 are allowed to be open to the public. The tombs, cut out of volcanic ash, are nevertheless strong enough to support the tunnels. They were dug as temporary resting places, since the early Christians believed that Jesus would be returning very shortly.

One thing the guide wanted to make clear: The tombs were NOT used as hiding places, despite what is depicted in "Quo Vadis?", because they would have been way too rank from the decomposition of bodies and the lack of ventilation.