Santa Rosa necropolis, Necropolis in Vatican City

The Santa Rosa necropolis is an open-air excavated sector of the Via Triumphalis Roman necropolis in Vatican City, uncovered in 2003 during construction of the Santa Rosa parking garage. It preserves about forty burial buildings and more than two hundred individual tombs, mostly of slaves and freedmen, dating from 23 BC to AD 337. A landslide from the hill above buried the site and protected it.

The Santa Rosa sector was discovered in 2003 during construction of a parking garage in Vatican City. Its tombs, mainly for slaves and freedmen, date from 23 BC to AD 337. A landslide from the hill above sealed the site, preserving about forty burial buildings and over two hundred individual tombs. Excavation by Vatican Museums archaeologists revealed the marble sarcophagus of Publius Caesilius Victorinus (AD 270–290) and the chamber tomb of the Passieni.

The name comes from the Via Triumphalis, the road to the Etruscan city of Veio, about half a kilometre away; Roman law required burials outside the city, so tombs lined the roads. Inscriptions on the cippi and stelae often give the deceased's trade or place of origin, and grave goods accompany them. Among the tombs is that of Alcinus, a scene painter of Pompey's theatre, shown with a chisel and his measuring tools.

The necropolis is reached through the Vatican Museums, and tickets must be booked in advance; choose either the necropolis alone or a combined visit with the museums. The route follows walkways over three levels, one for each construction phase, so the visit involves stairs and uneven ground. Check current conditions and visit types before booking.

The necropolis was preserved when a landslide from the hill above buried it, sealing the tombs until archaeologists from the Vatican Museums excavated the site in 2003 during work on the Santa Rosa parking garage. Around forty burial buildings and more than two hundred individual tombs came to light, nearly all in excellent condition.