Rome - Catacombs and the Appian Way

Back to our trip to Rome ....

After leaving Otis Antica, we drove to the catacombs.  Pictures were not allowed but I got this one on-line.

It wasn't TOO claustrophobic.  

Rick Steves writes about them..  Christians buried "their dead in mass underground necropoli — catacombs — dug under the property of the few fellow Christians who owned land. These catacombs are scattered all around Rome just outside its ancient walls, including two inside this park.

The tomb-lined tunnels of the catacombs stretch for miles and are many layers deep. Many of the first Christians buried here were later recognized as martyrs and saints. Others carved out niches nearby to bury their loved ones close to these early Christian heroes. While the bones are long gone, symbolic carvings decorate the walls: the fish stood for Jesus, the anchor was a camouflaged cross, and the phoenix with a halo symbolized the resurrection.

By the Middle Ages, these catacombs were abandoned and forgotten. Centuries later they were rediscovered. Romantic-era tourists on the Grand Tour visited them by candlelight, and legends grew about Christians hiding out to escape persecution. But the catacombs were not hideouts. They were simply low-budget underground cemeteries."

I had always heard that they were used for hide-outs so I was a little disappointed to hear that was not the case.  They told us this when we were there, just as Rick Steves says.

Next we drove to the Appian Way -
                        pictures from the bus

Some decorate their patios, others leave pretty plain.  Are those refrigerators on the 6ht floor?

I find it interesting to see how others live - someone with a little one at this place.

goodness

Roman wall

The Appian Way was Europe's first super highway.  It was built in 312 BC and was 400 miles long! Today 10 miles of it is preserved as a park.  

"While our modern roads seem to sprout potholes right after they're built, sections of this marvel of Roman engineering still exist. When I visit Rome, I get a thrill walking on the same stones as Julius Caesar or St. Peter...."


        If you look close, you can see indentation of where wheels went.

"...Huge basalt paving blocks form the sturdy base of this roadway. In its heyday, a central strip accommodated animal-powered vehicles, and elevated sidewalks served pedestrians." R. Steves

Ancient tombs line the road.

We sat down for a lesson while the locals strolled and biked on by.

They really aren't supposed to drive on this road as they want to protect and preserve it.

But it is done anyway.

Paul walked this road in 61 AD.  It was the road that led to his death.

Where does my road take me?

Am I willing to go on whatever road the Lord leads me on?