The Vatican opens the “city of the dead” to everyone

Deep under Vatican City lies a Roman burial site, the Via Triumphalis necropolis which is often described as a city of the dead. Now the burial site has opened to the public in connection with a new exhibition about life and death in the Rome of the emperors, several media reports.

In the past, the site has mainly been accessible to students, researchers and other experts.

The Vatican Necropolis is located outside of central Rome. Ancient Roman laws prohibited burials within city limits for safety and hygiene reasons.

The burial site was originally excavated in 1956. In 2003, additional graves were discovered during the construction of a parking lot.