Catacombe di Priscilla

The late Antique mosaic of Orpheus decorated a small room, approximately 18 m2 in area, connected with two even smaller ones, in 4 m2 and the other 2 m2 in area, belonging most likely to a small funerary chapel (or tomb) discovered in the ancient necropolis by the Damascene Gate in Jerusalem; it was discovered in 1901 by H. Vincent.
The author proposes a new interpretation of the iconographic program of the Orpheus myth used by wealthy Christians in a sepulchral context (see Olszewski M.T. «Orphée endeuillé de la mosaïque funéraire de Jérusalem», in Rey Mimoso-Ruiz, B. ed., Actes du colloque «Orphée entre Soleil et ombre», à l’Institut Catholique de Toulouse du 16 au 17 novembre 2007, Inter Lignes, numéros spécial – mars 2008, pp. 205-214, 226). He also proposes a new interpretation of the role Orpheus played in Roman funerary art, concentrating on the importance of the play on words and the visual and textual punning that was popular in ancient art and especially in funerary art. He rejects the popular interpretation of Orpheus as Christ in the Roman catacombs and proposes to interpret the image as that of Orpheus, bard of the departed souls, without any ahistorical connection with Christ. The program of the mosaic from Jerusalem is thus explained as a play on the words Orpheus-orphanos and Chiron (Chi-Rho) and Pan [Παν(τοκράτωρ)].The frequently used Christian funerary formula of resting in peace, Christ or the Lord corresponds
perfectly with the mood created around the mythical bard.
Orpheus’ universal role as singer and musician moving even the most stony of hearts, extolling the beloved departed, is absolutely justified in the context of a 6th-century Christian tomb. Orpheus is a popular and neutral figure, meaning that in effect it does not constitute a threat to Christian theology and can be tolerated by the educated Christians of Jerusalem.

Il 26 febbraio 1817 fu rinvenuto il corpo di Santa Ciriaca, di nome proprio, nelle catacombe di Santa Priscilla a Roma, avvolto in eleganti vesti di seta, con ampolla tinta di sangue e una lastra di marmo con una iscrizione: QUIRIACAE IN PACE.
Il 15 marzo 1834 Papa Gregorio XVI donò il corpo della Santa per consegnarlo ai cittadini di Pianella a Padre Giuseppangelo De Fazio (1801-1838), Cappuccino da Pianella, vescovo, missionario, Prefetto e Visitatore Apostolico.
Nella chiesa di S. Antonio abate si venera il corpo di S. Ciriaca Vergine e Martire come già riportava lo scrittore Achille Moltedo nel Dizionario geografico-storico-statistico de’ comuni del Regno delle Due Sicilie, alla voce “Pianella”, stampato a Napoli nel 1858.
Già dalla seconda metà dell'Ottocento è documentata una grande affluenza di pellegrini nella Città di Pianella per rendere omaggio a S. Ciriaca V. e Martire.
I fuochi pirotecnici, suonatori di pifferi e tamburi, e le rinomate bande musicali accompagnavano ed allietavano la festa. Per molti anni le sacre reliquie della Santa furono conservate sotto l'altare maggiore (fino al 1946).
I Maestri Andrea Di Fonzo e Andrea Di Girolamo composero Inni per la Santa nel corso della prima metà del Novecento.
Molti e diversi sono i miracoli registrati a Pianella riportati attraverso le fonti scritte e orali.

Vaults of Memory offers twentieth-century viewers a record of the catacombs of Rome. Glimpses of the Jewish catacombs of Villa Torlonia and Vigna Randanini, as well as of Christian and pagan cemeteries, document the present condition of paintings still visible on the walls and ceilings of these underground burial places.

The basilica of St. Silvestro, at the catacombs of Priscilla in Rome is a recent construction, it was built in the early XX Century, but it was constructed over the foundations of a structure developed in different times during the Late Antiquity. It is now at the end of a meaningful restoration. The South-East part of the original building was conceived as a space for burials. Currently this area is used as storage for the archaeological materials found during the excavations of the past century. The new museum of the sculptures will contain 405 pieces of sarcophagi dated between the beginning of the III Century A.D. and the first half of the IV Century A.D. One of the most important pieces in this collection is a well preserved marble sarcophagus, dated around the III Century A.D., engraved with scenes from everyday life, agriculture and sheep-herding. This piece is the object of this paper, quite a challenge for a digital survey, because of the complex characteristics features of...

"The archive of the International Catacomb Society contains approximately 5,000 photographic images, which are completely digitized and cataloged in a searchable database. The strengths of the archive include the Jewish catacombs of Rome, epigraphy from the catacombs, and early Christian and Jewish iconography.
The archive may be consulted in person by appointment or by contacting the staff of the society with a research request. The archive is available online for members of the International Catacomb Society."