The Art of the Catacombs

Painted frescos in Rome's catacombs witness to a very early devotion to the Virgin: The catacombs of Priscilla, for example, show the Madonna and Child with Balaam who points to a star with his hand, symbol of the famous prophecy of Balaam (cf. Nb 22-31).

These representations probably date back to the years 230 or 240 AD. The most famous Roman catacombs are those of Saint Callixtus (where almost all the third century popes were buried), Saint Sebastian, Saint Priscilla and Saint Domitila.

The Latin expression "ad catacumbas" referred to the Saint Sebastian cemetery located near a ravine (in Greek kumbos means ravine and kata near) along the Via Appia. When, in the sixteenth century, other similar cemeteries were discovered, they were called by the same name. The word "catacombs" means an underground cemetery used during the early Christian era, which was dug in long galleries on several floors. Rome's catacombs are located between twenty and sixty feet below the surface and cover an area of approximately two hundred and forty acres around the Via Appia up to the Via Ardeatina.

In underground cemeteries reserved for Christians many frescos depict the Madonna and Child

When Pope Zephirinus, in the beginning of the third century, appointed Callixtus as administrator of a cemetery on the Via Appia, underground cemeteries, solely reserved for Christians, appeared on lands owned by the Church. These galleries were decorated with paintings of great importance today to understand the history of early Christianity. Symbols and frescos on the walls of the catacombs offer a pictorial Gospel. For example, the fish is the symbol of Christ (Ichtus means fish in Greek but is also an acronym for “Jesus, the Christ, Son of God, Savior”). The Good Shepherd holding a lamb is another symbol of Christ carrying his faithful disciples.

After the great Roman persecutions of Christians under the Emperors Septimus Severus, Decius, Valerian, and Diocletian in the third century, peace returned in 313 A.D., thanks to the official recognition of the Christian religion by Constantine. The citizens of Rome converted to Christianity in mass crowds and the Christian catacombs expanded greatly. Along with this peace, the cult of martyrs developed. In his accession in 331 and during his pontificate, the Pope Damasus created underground shrines to highlight these tombs and allow pilgrims to worship there. Most often, the Virgin Mary is represented in the catacombs as the Madonna and Child or as the Praying Virgin.

The Mary of Nazareth Team