Catacomba di Priscilla

Useful Information

Location:	Via Salaria, 430, 00199 Roma RM. BUS 310 or BUS 92 or BUS 63 to the Priscilla stop. (41.9297262, 12.5087652)
Open:	All year Tue–Sun 9:30–13, 14–17. Closed 01-JAN, 06-JAN, Easter Sunday, Chistmas (24-26), second half of JAN and AUG. Online booking mandatory. [2026]
Fee:	Adults EUR 10, Children (7-16) EUR 7, Children (0-6) free, Students (-25) EUR 7, Disabled free. [2026]
Classification:	Catacomb Roman Catacombs
Light:	Electric Light
Dimension:	T=13 °C.
Guided tours:	D=45 min, Max=25.
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	Giuliani Raffaella (2016): Le catacombe di Priscilla, Città del Vaticano, 87 pp, ISBN 978-88-88420-21-9. online
Address:	Catacomba di Santa Priscilla, The Catacombs of Priscilla, Via Salaria, 430, 00199 Roma, Tel: +39-06-45428493. E-mail: Associazione Pro Deo Et Fratribus – Famiglia Di Maria, Via Monte Santo 14, 00195 Roma.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

2nd century	begin of use as a cemetery.
4th century	cemetery abandoned.

Description

Catacomba di Priscilla (The Catacombs of Priscilla) is not located at Via Appia, it is in the north of the city at the Via Salaria. Quite typical: during Roman times this was a quarry, and it was used for thousands of Christian burials from the late 2nd century to the 4th century. Its unclear why it was named after Priscilla, she is not a . One theory says she belonged to the Acilii Glabriones family and was the woman patron who donated the site. The quarry was quite extensive, today there are 13 km of tunnels on two levels. And it is also one of the oldest underground cemeteries in Rome. The passages and chambers are often decorated with frescoes, mainly on the cubicles, arcosolia and niches. They show mostly scenes from the Old or New Testament.

Numerous martyrs, such as the brothers Felice and Filippo, sons of the martyr Felicita were buried here. Some sources say that more than three hundred martyrs were buried in the cemetery. Also, a total of seven popes.

The highlights of the tour are the paintings in the Cubicolo della Velata (Cubicle of the Veiled) named after a “Veiled” woman painted in the lunette praying. The scenes here are interpreted as important moments in the life of the deceased, like marriage, motherhood and her admission among the blessed. They were dated to the second half of the 3rd century. The Criptoportico (Cryptoporticus) is the oldest part of the catacombs, dating back to the time of the emperor Gallienus (*253-✝268). The paintings here show Susanna, the adoration of the Magi, and the Fractio panis (Breaking of bread) a well-known scene from the New Testament. Cryptoporticus is actually a type of subterranea, but this place is named such without being one. The oldest depiction of the Virgin is also seen on the tour, dated to the beginning of the 3rd century. It shows the Virgin and Child and the prophet Balaam pointing to a star above the Virgin’s head predicting the coming of Christ. Seems a little weird to us, as Christ is already there so predicting him is not very prophetic.

There is also the Basilica di San Silvestro (Basilica of San Silvestro), which is an underground basilica built on the tomb of San Silvestro, who was Pope from 314.