Rome's Christian catacombs: The accidental discovery of the art of the early church
Christian Today staff writer Thu 31 May 2018 11:36 BST
On this day in 1578 a momentous discovery of Christian history was made in Rome, completely by accident.
An entrance into the ancient Roman catacombs was discovered on the Via Salaria, in 1578. The actual significance of the site wouldn't be discovered until 1593, when archaeologist Antonio Bosio first explored the catacombs and dedicated his life to understanding what he found, documenting it in a landmark book, Roma Sotterranea, not published until after his death.
The discovery of the Roman catacombs granted a remarkable insight into the life of the early church. Images found there depicted not only its attitude to life and death but its creative use of symbols too.
https://www.christiantoday.com/church/romes-christian-catacombs-the-accidental-discovery-of-the-art-of-the-early-church/129502.htm
