Fourth Catacombs Day - A world of symbols

The Fourth Catacombs Day presents a series of free itineraries to discover the world of Christian symbols of antiquity.

Walking through the galleries and the meanders of the catacombs inevitably makes us stop to admire the cubicles or the frescoed and decorated tombs, the evocative representations of biblical scenes or daily life, but also immerses us in an actual world of symbols, sometimes painted,  sometimes graffiti, or engraved on the stone.

We already know the meaning of some of these. Others appear more mysterious and arduous to decipher. But all refer to a very fundamental language used by the first Christian generations to affirm their faith, as all symbols connoted the graves of the Christians' loved ones or the first witnesses of the faith, the martyrs.

Some of the most frequent symbols we can meet in the catacombs are the monogram of Christ in its various declinations, the cross with the apocalyptic letters Alpha and Omega, the Fish, the Lamb, the Anchor, the Peacock, the Phoenix, the Dove with the olive branch in the beak, the Good Shepherd, the Ship and the Lighthouse, the Baskets with the loaves. We could define them the Twitts of antiquity, essential but meaningful messages.

The visit requires mandatory booking. You also must show your green pass and wear a mask.