rome tours
Sunday 20 October
VIGNA RANDANINI CATACOMB
The Jewish catacombs of Vigna Randanini are located on the side of a hill between the Via Appia Antica and the Via Appia Pignatelli. These catacombs, discovered in 1859, reused a pagan building to which a vaulted roof and a mosaic floor with black and white tiles were added.
The catacombs have a system of tunnels and tunnels that extend over an area of 18,000 m². The galleries, rather large, are located at a depth of about 10 m and extend for a total length of about 700 m, today partly accessible on foot. Indicating a precise dating for these catacombs is very difficult, but the paintings and remains found date back to the end of the 2nd and 4th centuries AD.
Ancient Synagogue in Trastevere & the jewish ghetto
The building at 14, Vicolo dell’Atleta is commonly identified as the site of the old medieval synagogue in the Trastevere area. The building has a brick façade with a wide two arched loggia, surmounted by a cornice with small arches resting on ledges. The column of the loggia bears an inscription in Hebrew with the name Nathan Hai. This might refer to the Rabbi Nathan ben Jehiel, who is thought to have had a mikveh or ritual bath and a synagogue built in Trastevere in the late 11th and early 12th centuries. One of the best-known works by Rabbi Nathan ben Jehiel is his Sefer Ha‘Arukh (literally ordered [words]), a Talmudic dictionary of great importance within sacred literature.
UARK ROME CENTER – Palazzo Taverna – Via di Monte Giordano, 36 – 00186 Roma