Hypogeum of the Aurelii
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The Hypogeum of the Aurelii or the Hypogeum of Aurelius Felicissimus is a privately run catacomb in Rome.[1] It is sited at the junction of the modern viale Manzoni and via Luzzatti, behind the ancient via Labicana, in the Esquilino district.[2] It is on two levels, the upper one originally being a semi-underground hall (only the bottom part of which survives) and the lower one consisting of two completely underground spaces.[3]
It is named after one of its two underground areas, known as the Cubiculum of the Aurelii, in which was discovered a mosaic stating that an "Aurelius Felicissimus" dedicated the tomb to his siblings Aurelius Onesimus, Aurelius Papirius and Aurelia Prima. To one side of it is a marble inscription to a dead Aurelia Myrsina by her parents Aurelius Martinus and Iulia Lydia.[4]
It was discovered during the construction of a garage in 1919 and admired by scholars for its rich c. 230 AD frescoes, whose interpretation is still uncertain.[5][6] It was abandoned after the construction of the Aurelian Wall and the expansion of the pomerium and is not mentioned in any ancient, medieval or Renaissance literary sources.