Kel's Excellent Adventures: Day 9. The Catacombes

I only have a short story today. Roberta and Mattia took me to the Catacombes at San Sebastiano this morning. I've run out of adjectives to describe this trip adequately....so you'll have to be content with reading "amazing". Hahaha. Sorry.

The Catacombes were made (built??) between 200 and 400 AD. I love being in buildings or structures that are that old. I just wish they could somehow beam their memories into my head. I'd love to see what they have seen. I really need Dumbledore's Penseive....hahaha...enough with the geekery Kelly!!!

The San Sebastiano catacombe goes for about 7 miles. That's a whole lot of cemetery!! Of course the bit you can visit doesn't have any bodies on display, which just quietly, was a bit disappointing. Morbid, aren't I!? But it was really interesting to see all the spaces carved out of the rock, and bits and pieces of the stones that covered the burials and the carvings etc. And of course, no photos were allowed. Sad face.

There are remnants of some pagan mausoleum's also. Still in their original condition. That was really interesting too. Not a whole lot has changed over the years in terms or burial etc. I can't remember now which came first, but all of it was covered and hidden at some point due to the Christian persecutions etc, and a church plonked on top in the 4th Century.

The church is gorgeous. It also happens to be the church Roberta and Fabio were married in last year, and Mattia was baptized there in July also.

So I spent some time poking about and taking more photos, and check out Saint Sebastion's final resting place.

His body was actually hidden downstairs for ages before the church was built and his relics relocated into the church. And of course, we all know the Catholic Church likes a good relic!! And I must admit I love that they do, as it gives me a whole lot to look at and go gaga over and ramble on in blobposts that probably only interest me! Oh well!

There was this cool bust of Jesus, carved by Bernini (squeee!). Apparently this was the last thing he carved. Aged 81 no less, not bad for an old geezer!

Oh, and the ceiling!!!!

Its all timber!! Gorgeous!!! I really need some sort of trolley to lay on so I can just scoot around all these churches etc and have a decent look at the ceilings without falling over backwards. Haha.

So after I had my fix, and did my standard tacky souvenir shopping (I love tacky travel souvenirs!! Haha) we wandered back to the car on the Appian Way.