Vatican media on opening of restoration project for Commodilla catacombs, with participation of Mehriban Aliyeva

The Holy Seechr("39")s media outlets write about the opening of the restoration project for the Catacombs of Saint Commodilla, which took place on October 16 with the participation of First Vice President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva, Olaylar informs.

An article in the Vaticanchr("39")s official newspaper, Lchr("39")Osservatore Romano, states that the opening ceremony was attended by First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva, Monsignor Pasquale Iacobone, President of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Culture and President emeritus of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, and Amedeo Ciaccheri, President of the Municipality of Rome VIII.

It is noted that the First Vice President and members of her family viewed the restoration work carried out as part of the project.

It is also noted that the restoration was carried out under an agreement signed on March 4, 2021, between the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology.

As Vatican News notes, a project supported by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation has rediscovered the first artifacts from the early Christian period preserved in the catacombs. The catacombs were reportedly discovered in the 18th century, with the first excavations beginning in 1900. The catacombs, which contain the first artifacts from the early Christian period, are also known for being the burial sites of the Christian martyrs Felix and Adauctus and were a pilgrimage site for believers in the Middle Ages. The frescoes in the catacombs, depicting the Christian protomartyr San Stefano, Jesus handing the keys of Paradise to the Apostle Peter, and other themes, are of exceptional religious and historical significance.