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Catacombs of St Senator in Albano Laziale: from quarry to cemetery on the Appian Way
The Catacombs of San Senatore are located along the ancient Via Appia, at the fifteenth mile (from Rome), in the territory of Albano Laziale. Before becoming a Christian burial site, it was a pozzolana quarry. The cemetery developed between the late 3rd and early 4th century AD, with numerous saints and martyrs buried there, as documented by the Hieronymian Martyrology.
The frescoes of the crypt
The crypt contains several frescoes. One depicts Christ among the Sponsores (or martyrs) and the Alban martyrs, dated between the 5th and early 6th century AD. Another portrays St Senator, after whom the catacombs are named, dating to the 4th–5th century AD. A later fresco is an 11th–12th century AD Christ Pantocrator between St Smaragdus and the Virgin Mary, already in the full medieval period. Another fresco can be seen in the apse of the minor crypt. The archaeological finds discovered in the crypt are now on display at the Civic Museum of Albano.
Practical information
The catacombs can be visited by people with disabilities. They are located at Via Appia Antica, 00041 Albano Laziale.
