“The pilgrimage to the catacombs is configured as an itinerary in which to experience the meaning of Christian expectation and hope“
Papa Francesco
The archaeological complex
At the third mile of the Via Labicana Antica (present-day Via Casilina), in the place called ad (or inter) duas lauros are the catacombs of Saints Marcellino and Pietro and the Mausoleum of St. Helena. which constitute a unique monumental hub, a visit to which constitutes an extraordinary experience, a full immesion into late antique Rome.
Catacombs of Saints Marcellino and Pietro
The cemetery, located at the third mile of the Via Labicana Antica was dedicated to the memory of the two martyrs buried here during the time of Emperor Diocletian in 304 AD.
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Mausoleum of St. Helena
The mausoleum is an imposing funerary monument in which Constantine had his mother Helen buried inside a large red porphyry sarcophagus. The Mausoleum was built by Emperor Constantine between 315 and 326 AD.
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Ad duas lauros
The area contains countless evidence of mausoleums and sepulchres in an area that stretches between the Prenestina and Casilina consular roads. in particular: the ancient building c.d. Rotonda di Centocelle, the mausoleums along the Via Casilina, the mausoleum in the area of the Villa De Sanctis, ; the mausoleum c.d. Torrione, the mausoleum c.d. Tor de’ Schiavi, the villa dei Gordiani along the Via Prenestina, the imperial villa in the area of the former airport of Centocelle, the elevated remains of the Alessandrino aqueduct.
The catacombs of Saints Marcellinus and Peter boast one of the richest expressions of early Christian painting that has come down to us.
Guided tours of the catacombs
Visits are in Italian and English; visits in French, Spanish and German can be arranged upon request.
Reservations
Reservations are required to visit the catacombs. Access to the catacombs is only possible under the close supervision of a guide.
Admission to St. Elena’s mausoleum museum does not require reservations.