An Archival and Historical Survey of the Jewish Catacombs of the Villa Torlonia in Rome

The catacombs discovered in November of 1919 during excavations to reinforce the foundation piers of the “scuderie nuove” or new stables at the southwest corner of the Villa Torlonia were the last to be identified as Jewish in Rome in modern times. Nearly a century later, they are still the most studied of Rome’s ancient Jewish cemeteries, although their accessibility has long been an issue for a variety of political, economic and environmental concerns. In light of the proposed changes to the Villa Torlonia, including new structures that could directly affect the Jewish cemeteries and other ancient remains below its public grounds, we review the building history of the site and recent studies of the catacombs’ chronology and conservation, with the expectation that what is known of these catacombs in their present state might undergo significant changes in the near future.