abstract:The Catacombs of Rome () are ancient catacombs, underground burial places under Rome, Italy, of which there are at least forty, some discovered only in recent decades. Though most famous for Christian burials, either in separate catacombs or mixed together, they began in the 2nd century AD,Toynbee: 39–40.
The catacombsofRome, which date back to the 1st Century and were among the first ever built, were constructed as underground tombs, first by Jewish communities and then by Christian communities.
Today, travellers from all over the world visit Rome to explore its 600km network ofcatacombs, spread out over five storeys underground near the Park of the Tombs of Via Latina.