Take Express Bus 60 from Piazza Venezia to Viale XXI Aprile then walk 1 block further
Time:
60-90 minutes?
Cost:
Free
Hours:
?
I did a really dumb thing. I visited a church in Rome as a tourist, on a Sunday morning. If I was visiting to worship, or to learn how a church service works in Rome, this would have been fine. But I was visiting to see and photograph the bits of interest that make up the church, and that's difficult to do while a church service is going on. It's also difficult to visit the church's side attractions, like a catacomb or a mausoleum, while the people that staff its attractions are all at a church service, therefore all the attractions are closed! But by taking 2 or 3 times as long as the church as I'd planned, I was able to wait out the service and see the mausoleum, but the catacomb never opened.
First is the entryway off Via Nomentana, and a lot of wandering around outside while waiting for the service to wind down.
Walled garden of the church of Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura, beside the Mausoleum of Constantina, which was once a Basilica built by Constantina See all Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura photos.
The exterior of the Mausoleum of Constantina, on the grounds of the church of Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura See all Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura photos.
The facade the church of Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura, viewed from its garden within the monestary's grounds See all Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura photos.
The facade the church of Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura, viewed from its garden within the monestary's grounds See all Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura photos.
The facade the church of Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura, viewed from its garden within the monestary's grounds See all Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura photos.
Finally the service ended and I was able to go into the church, even though there was some official-looking activity taking place.
Stairway leading down to the church of Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura, installed in 1590, wall decorations are inscriptions from the catacomb See all Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura photos.
Stairway leading down to the church of Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura, installed in 1590, photo taken from the bottom of the stairs, wall decorations are inscriptions from the catacomb See all Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura photos.
The nave of the church of Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura. The 14 Corinthian columns are of precious marble, the four nearest the apse in the rare Porta Santa, the two next of pavonazzetto and the last eight of grey breccia from Serravezza. These were all pillaged from ancient buildings, and have matching capitals except for the four in Porta Santa which have crude replacements of the 7th century. The fresco on the triumphal arch depicts the martyrdom of St Agnes, and is by Pietro Gagliardi. See all Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura photos.
The apse of the church of Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura. The Byzantine-style mosaic is from about 625, and depicts St Agnes (in the center) being given the crown of martyrdom by the hand of God (extreme top), flanked by flanked by Pope Honorius (left), holding a model of the church, and Pope Symmachus (right) holding a jewelled gospel-book. See all Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura photos.
The apse and main altar of the church of Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura. The baldacchino over the altar was built in 1614 and has fine polychrome marble work. The four porphyry Ionic columns are ancient. See all Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura photos.
A head of Christ in the Chapel of the Holy Deacons of the the church of Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura, possibly by Nicolas Cordier, which is very important in art history, as it is thought to be a copy of a now lost original by Michelangelo See all Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura photos.
A head of Christ in the Chapel of the Holy Deacons of the the church of Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura, possibly by Nicolas Cordier, which is very important in art history, as it is thought to be a copy of a now lost original by Michelangelo See all Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura photos.
I made a trip down into the crypt below the high altar, where the remains of Saint Agnes are kept.
The stairs leading down to St Agnes' tomb beneath the high altar in the church of Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura See all Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura photos.
The central altar of the Mausoleum of Constantina of the church of Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura See all Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura photos.
The central altar of the Mausoleum of Constantina of the church of Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura See all Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura photos.
The ceilings in the outer aisle of the Mausoleum of Constantina of the church of Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura See all Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura photos.
A replica of Constantina's red porphyry sarcophagus in the Mausoleum of Constantina of the church of Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura (the original is in the Vatican Museum) See all Sant'Agnese Fuori le Mura photos.
The 3-level Catacombs of Saint Agnes never opened that day, so I guess I'll just have to return to Rome someday to see them.
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