Santa Priscilla is an important catacomb complex located at Via Salaria 430 in the Trieste quarter, but extending across the road into the Villa Ada in the Parioli quarter. There is an English Wikipedia page here.
For an introductory article, see Catacombs of Rome.
Makeup
The complex focuses on an extensive multi-nodal set of catacombs, begun in the first half of the 3rd century but mostly dating from the 4th century. It is accompanied on the surface by a restored early 4th century basilica, San Silvestro in Priscilla, dedicated to Pope St Sylvester (314-335). This is in the Villa Ada.
The modern appurtenances consist of a former convent close by at Via di Priscilla 25, and the so-called Casa delle Catacombe over the catacomb entrance. The latter has been taken over as the convent, and the former deconsecrated. The Casa chapel now also functions as a public dependent chapel of the parish of San Saturnino Martire.
History
Convent buildings, with chapel belfry near centre.
Origins
Overview
This set of catacombs was on the ancient Via Salaria Nova which, from outside the Porta Salaria and before the bridge over the Aniane river, ran through a very extensive series of cemeteries in ancient times (first century AD onwards). The road resembled the more familiar Via Appia in having many mausolea, tombs and and burial places lining it on its approach to the city, as well as six known catacombs. All the surface (ad divos) funerary monuments are now completely destroyed as a result of suburban development.
Santa Priscilla is the furthest known catacomb from the city. To get here from the city gate, the ancient traveller would pass Catacomba di Massimo (Santa Felicita), Catacomba di Trasone, Catacomba dei Giordani (with Catacomba di Sant'Ilaria) and Catacomba anonima di Via Anapo.
This set of catacombs is multi-nodal, and three separate points of origin can be discerned which were established by the end of the 3rd century (two of them began with other functions, and the dates of first funerary use are controverted):
Arenario
The oldest area of the Christian catacombs is thought to be the arenario, meaning "sand-pit" but here referring to an underground pozzolana quarry. Quarrying was by digging rather ample and irregular tunnels, and when the enterprise was abandoned the tunnels were ready-made catacomb passages. Funerary activity began in the latter 3rd century, and was rather low-key and culturally impoverished -apart from the famous frescoes of the Cubiculum of the Velata. About twenty arcosolia and cubicula were provided, also several hundred loculi.
The haphazard nature of the quarrying activities left the tunnels with structural vulnerabilities, and in the 4th century there was much shoring up with masonry walls and piers. Fortunately, these concealed many of the loculi from plunderers and they were left intact for archaeologists to find.
Cryptoporticus
The second focus of development was not originally a funerary area at all, but was the underground or cellar facilities of a 2nd century villa. These consisted of a wide L-shaped underground gallery or cryptoporticus, off which chambers were excavated. One of these was an underground nymphaeum, octagonal in plan. Which of the other tomb chambers now opening off this gallery were also part of the villa is now impossible to discern.
This especially applies to the famous "Greek Chapel", which seems to have been the earliest funerary area here. It was open for burials towards the end of the 3rd century, but whether it was dug out or converted from a villa cellar is still argued over.
Hypogeum of the Acilii
The third node in the primitive catacomb system was the so-called Hypogeum of the Acilii, which is under the left hand side wall of the basilica of San Silvestro.
The original excavators of this large rectangular chamber in 1888 found fragments of epitaphs belonging to members of the gens Acilii. The most famous one, on display, reads:
M[?anius] Acilius V[?erus], c[larissimus] v[ir] , [....] Priscilla c[larissima] [femina].
A more specific family identification with the Acilii Glabriones is provided by:
Acilio Clabrioni [sic] filio.
Also, two epitaphs in Greek were found incorporating the Acilius nomen.
Unfortunately, the epitaph fragments were found loose. The easy assumption on the part of the 19th century excavators that the chamber was a 2nd century hypogeum has been challenged. It is likely that it was a cistern, and that the epitaphs had been dumped there when surface mausolea were cleared out for re-use in the 4th century.
Sorelle dei Poveri di Santa Caterina da Siena were founded at Siena in 1873 by Bl Sabina Petrelli.
The Benedictines of Priscilla (Benedettine di Priscilla) broke away from these in 1936.
It is also the convent chapel of the Benedictine Sisters at the Catacombs of Priscilla (Suore Benedettine), who are responsible for the Catacombs of Priscilla located here. It is part of the convent buildings, and is reached by turning right after going in through the public entrance on the main road. The chapel entrance is round the corner of the little cloister, just beyond the modern entrance to the catacombs.
The ancient entrance to the catacombs is on the other side of the Via Salaria, in the park known as the Villa Ada. It is marked by the palaeochristian basilica of San Silvestro a Priscilla.
To the east of the present convent is the former convent of the same community of nuns, which was founded in 1936. This is now a government institution, but the private chapel of the nuns is still discernible in the complex. The façade stands at an angle to the arched entrance gateway.
San Silvestro
This church was originally erected by Pope Sylvester (314-335), over the existing burial site of the martyrs Felix and Philip in the upper level of the catacombs (the story of these alleged martyrs has been lost). The ground level was dug away to achieve this, leaving the shrine in between the apse of the basilica and its nave. Immediately in front of the entrance façade another, slightly larger apsidal building was erected, and this functioned as a mausoleum for many Christian burials attracted to the sanctitiy of the site.
The basilica itself later received the dedication of San SIlvestro after the pope, and is known by this name in pilgrimage itineraries of the early Middle Ages. It is not known when it was abandoned, but the 9th century is likely.
The archaeologist De Rossiwas the first to note the ruins, in 1890. Systematic excavation was undertaken by Orazio Marucchi in 1906, who revealed the adjacent mausoleum. Subsequently, walls and a roof were erected over the complex and an altar installed in the basilica. However, it was never re-consecrated (unlike the basilica at the catacombs Santa Domitilla, which received a similar treatment).
Access to the interior has been as part of a guided tour of the catacombs, but recently the tour seems to have excluded it at least on occasion. There has been a recent archeological investigation and restoration.
There is not much to see from the outside. The combined basilica and mausoleum is in a grassed area, but had bushes and trees growing right next to its walls until at least recently (which cannot be good for the structure).
The plan of the basilica nave is almost square, with a semi-circular apse attached as wide as the nave. The latter has a triumphal arch and a conch, and also has a wide arched recess at ground level. In this recess has been placed a so-called bishop's throne, a stone structure imitating ancient episcopal seats in other churches in Rome. Foundations were found for a pergula or altar screen under the triumphal arch, formed of slabs of marble on edge supported by low pillars. The present structure there is modern, but the two taller Corinthian pillars on either side are original and have been re-erected. There used to be a modern altar in front of the chair, but this seems to have been removed.
The walls of the basilica are used to display inscriptions recovered from the catacombs. Copies of two epigraphs by Pope Damasus are preserved, one dedicated to SS Felix and Philip and the other to Pope Marcellus (the originals were stolen). Also preserved is the base of a small column with an inscription reading Martyrum Filicis Filippi.
Summary of recent restoration (PDF)
Access
This is one of the sets of catacombs in Rome with open access. You just turn up, buy a ticket and wait for a guided tour. The ticket price (2017) is eight euros.
Opening times are 9:00 to 12:00, and 14:00 to 17:00. There has been a month's closure in January in the past.
These catacombs rank at about the fourth most popular, after Catacombe di San Callisto, San Sebastiano fuori le Mura and Santa Domitilla. A shortage of parking facilities for large coaches means that tour groups are not so prevalent. The quieter ambience should make it much more likely that you will avoid the noisome practice at the busier catacombs, of shortening the tours in response to busy periods. On the other hand, you might wait a little longer for a tour in the language of your choice.
Routinely available languages are Italian, English, German, French and Spanish. Romanian and Portuguese tours have to be pre-booked, and might not be available.
The Basilica of San Silvestro and the Hypogeum of the Acilii are now consecrated spaces, and pilgrimage Masses can be celebrated (booking in advance is needed, and obviously the priest needs to be able to show a celebret).
Liturgy
As a public dependent chapel of the parish of San Saturnino Martire, the chapel has a regular timetable of public Masses.
Weekdays: 7:00;
Sundays and Solemnities 7:30, 10:00, 11:00.