A Tourist in Rome - Catacombs of Priscilla
| Location: | 41.92973, 12.50862 Via Salaria 430, take bus 92 or 310 about 25 minutes north from Termini, or bus 63 from Piazza Venezia, and ask the driver for Piazza Crati. From there, walk through the little market, then down Via di Priscilla 5 minutes to the orange building on the left at the top of the hill. |
| Metro: | None |
| Time: | about 45 minutes |
| Cost: | €8 |
| Hours: | Tuesday - Sunday, 8:30 AM - noon, and 2:30 PM - 5 PM. Closed Monday. |
| Photos: | Prohibited |
Similar to the Catacombs of San Callisto and Catacombs of San Sebastiano along the Appian Way, the Catacombs of Priscilla contains 8 miles of underground passageways in which Christians were buried from the 2nd century through the 4th century. The catacombs also contain wall paintings made during that same period, including the first known painting of Mary with Jesus on her lap. You can only enter via a guided tour which lasts about a half hour and is very informative. These catacombs are located north of the city and are much less crowded than the two along the Appian Way. If you're going to see one of the catacombs on the Appian Way I'd recommend you skip the Catacombs of Priscilla if you're just a simple Tourist in Rome like me, since there's not much that's unique to these catacombs. However, if you're trying to select one catacomb to see and wish to avoid the crowds along the Appian Way, these catacombs are a good choice.
