Word: torlonia
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...entrance to the second catacomb is hidden behind a mass of shrubbery on the Villa Torlonia, a 13-acre estate in the center of Rome that was once the residence of Mussolini. Slippery, moss-covered steps lead into an airy passageway lined with crude burial slots -probably designed for poorer Jews -about 1 ft. deep, 2 ft. wide and varying in length for children and adults. Both catacombs feature memorial stones carved with Greek or Latin inscriptions (Hebrew was apparently reserved for religious rites). Reads one: "Here lies Pe-gaianos, the scribe and lover of the Law." Both catacombs...