This book presents the Christian catacombs of Rome, based on the most recent scientific research. In particular, it focuses on their origins and development, their artistic decoration and the inscriptions found there. Three chapters, written by specialists of their respective fields, deal with the topography, iconography and epigraphy of the catacombs. Abundant illustrations document the current state of the catacombs following the extensive restorations of recent years and also incorporate the results of the latest excavations. ///// Die römischen Katakomben können ohne Übertreibung als einer der beeindruckendsten, aussagekräftigsten und besterhaltenen Komplexe der gesamten antiken Welt bezeichnet werden. Mit diesem Buch liegt nunmehr eine umfassende Publikation zu den christlichen Katakomben Roms vor, die die aktuellen Ergebnisse der internationalen Katakombenforschung anschaulich und umfassend darlegt.
The christian catacombs of Rome
History, Decoration, Inscriptions
The new edition of this book was created for the Holy Year 2025, which has the motto ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. At the request of Pope Francis, the number of Roman catacombs that are open to the public has been expanded, as they are among the most important witnesses to early Christianity and preserve many martyrs' graves. These are proposed to the Roman pilgrims as important stops, also to commemorate the Christians who are persecuted for their faith in many countries. This book is the second edition of a comprehensive publication on the Christian catacombs of Rome in four languages, which presents the current results of international catacomb research in a clear, comprehensive and up-to-date manner.