We had a wonderful tour of these catacombs which is one of the oldest Christian catacombs in the world. Our guide took us back in time to early Roman Christian life where we learned about the shift from paganism to Christianity and heard about early martyrs and persecutions.
The catacombs are an endless maze of underground burial chambers which spread across 4 levels.
Very few frescoes have survived, but those that have depict the faith of the first century Christians in Rome. This fresco portrays St. Paul, one of the oldest depictions of him.
Castel Sant'Angelo:
Built around 123 AD, the original intent for this structure was as a mausoleum for the Roman Emperor Hadrian and his family.
The building was later converted into a fortress and castle to be used by the popes.
A covered fortified corridor called the Passetto di Borgo was constructed to connect to St. Peter's Basilica.
In 590 Pope Gregory I apparently saw the Archangel Michael sheathe his sword on top of the mausoleum during a plague to signal the end of the epidemic.
Since then the castle has been called Castel Sant'Angelo to honor the holy angel.
