Italy – Roma – Rossi, G.B. de. – La Roma Sotteranea Cristiana. Publicata per ordine della Santita di N.S. Papa Pio Nono.

Giovanni Battista de Rossi (1822 – 1894) is considered the greatest of the 19th century Roman archaelologists. While working on Inscriptions, de Rossi also explored the catacombs. He built on Antonio Bosio’s research, and made extensive use of the old Itineraries, pilgirm guides to the catacombs. The first catacomb he explored, in 1848, was that of Praetextus. His most famous discover was made in 1849. It was known from older sources that there was a papal cementary in one of the catacombs, and it was located close to the Cementary of Callixtus on the Appian Way. In a shed belonging to a wineyard, he found a stone with the partial inscription ‘NELIUS MARTYR’. The only possible name was Cornelius. Pope Cornelius (251-253) died in exile, and was therefore considered a martyr. De Rossi continued his search of the area, and found the Chapel of the Popes in the Catacombe di San Callisto, where 14 popes were buried. He also excavated the catalcomb of Thrason (1872) and of Catacomba die Priscilla (1880’s). In 1863 de Rossi founded the Bollettino di archaeologia cristiana to publish his finds. The next year, he published the first volume of Roma Sotteranea, volume two was published in 1867 and a third volume was published ten years later in 1877, not offered here. – A bright copy, with wide margins, only very ocassionaly some minor foxing at th edges; few plates with light foxing, edges of the binding very slightly rubbed. Over all a beautiful copy.