Il Messaggero: Azerbaijan saves Rome’s Commodilla catacombs Azerbaijan’s First Lady leads monumental restoration

The influential Italian daily Il Messaggero, known for its wide readership, has published an article titled “Secret Rome: The Frescoes of the Commodilla Catacombs Are Reborn Thanks to Azerbaijan’s Charitable Work.”

Journalist Franca Giansoldati emphasised in her article that another important example of Rome’s catacombs has been preserved and reopened thanks to years of cooperation with the Vatican and the charitable support of Azerbaijan’s First Lady, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Mehriban Aliyeva, who has previously funded several major restoration projects.

The article provides details about the restoration of frescoes in the underground Basilica of Saints Felix and Adauctus, as well as in the Cubicle of Leo — two of the most significant monuments preserved in the Catacombs of Saint Commodilla, located in Villa Serafini Park in the Ostia district of Rome. The catacombs, named after Commodilla, contain the tombs of Felix and Adauctus.

It is noted that the restoration work focused on developing the Commodilla Catacombs, which will soon open to the public. The works were carried out using the most advanced methods and techniques, including the use of eco-friendly materials safe for workers’ health, nanotechnology-based strengthening agents, and laser cleaning of painted surfaces. All materials used were carefully selected for their high compatibility with the underground environment.

The author also mentions an inscription found in the catacombs, written in vernacular Latin and dated approximately between the 6th–7th centuries and the mid-9th century. The phrase, “Do not speak the secret words aloud,” appears in the Chapel of Saints Felix and Adauctus. It most likely served as a reminder to priests not to utter aloud the secret prayers of the Mass — the so-called “mysteries” in the Greco-Latin tradition. According to liturgical practice, such prayers were to be whispered as sacred words addressed to God alone, not to the congregation.

In March 2021, a cooperation agreement on the restoration of the Commodilla Catacombs was signed between the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology.

By Tamilla Hasanova