Vatican Necropolis

Vatican Necropolis
An ancient Roman tomb near the supposed tomb of St. Peter.
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General information
LocationVatican City
Coordinates41°54′08″N 12°27′12″E / 41.902301°N 12.453293°E / 41.902301; 12.453293

The Vatican Necropolis is a necropolis that lies underneath Vatican City containing tombs dating from the first to fourth century AD, at depths varying between 5 and 12 metres (16 and 39 ft) below Saint Peter's Basilica. The Vatican sponsored archaeological excavations (also known by their Italian name scavi) under Saint Peter's in the years 1940–1949, which revealed parts of a necropolis dating to the Roman Empire. It is the home to the Tomb of the Julii, which has been dated to the third or fourth century. The necropolis was not originally one of the Catacombs of Rome, but an open-air cemetery with tombs and mausolea.

The Vatican Necropolis is not to be confused with the Vatican Grottoes, the latter of which resulted from the construction of St Peter's Church and is located on the ground level of the old Constantinian basilica.

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