Catacomba di Santa Cristina (Necropoli Paleocristiana)

Beneath the Basilica of Santa Cristina in Bolsena lies an early Christian cemetery used from the third to the fifth century. Its branching galleries, family epitaphs and venerated burial place of the martyr Christina preserve evidence of the city's Christian past.

Why it matters

The catacomb records burial and devotion in the community of ancient Volsinii. Christina's remains were brought to the cemetery in the mid-fourth century, and an underground chapel, the Grotta di Santa Cristina, developed around her tomb. The grotto preserves sixteenth-century frescoes and a terracotta image of the saint by Benedetto Buglioni, modelled between 1493 and 1497.

What to notice

The galleries follow a branching pattern often compared to a fir tree: the side passages shorten as they extend from the main corridor. Among the inscriptions is the epitaph of Cestronia Castoria, who died in 406. Another recurring funerary greeting reads “PAX TIBI CUM SANCTIS” — peace be with you among the saints. In the crypt, a late-imperial sarcophagus is associated with the urn bearing an inscription for Christina; the 1880 excavation also recovered small bones and a tenth-century silver coin. Lamps, glass vessels and marble slabs are displayed in the antiquarium above ground.

Context and history

An oratory and altar stood at Christina's tomb by the fourth century, according to the archaeological history of the site. Her veneration became part of Bolsena's identity and is reflected in the medieval pilgrimage tradition associated with the town. The catacomb was rediscovered and cleared during nineteenth-century excavations, and objects from that work remain with the sanctuary.