The Catacomb of Marcellinus and Peter in the context of Christianity in Rome between the 3rd and 4th centuries CE.

• Grant number: 25/14408-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2025
• End date: December 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Archeology - Historical Archaeology
• Principal Investigator: Vagner Carvalheiro Porto
• Grantee: Fernando Henrique Ferreira Rocha
• Supervisor: Francesca Romana Stasolla
• Host Institution: Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia (MAE). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza, Italy
• Associated to the scholarship: 25/02695-3 - The Catacomb of Marcellinus and Peter in the context of Christianity in Rome between the 3rd and 4th centuries CE., BP.IC

Abstract

This research internship project (BEPE) aims to deepen the archaeological and historical study of the Catacomb of Marcellinus and Peter, located in Rome, within the context of Christianity during the third and fourth centuries CE. Building on an ongoing undergraduate research project developed at the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology of the University of São Paulo (MAE-USP), this internship will enable direct field research in Italy, including visits to the archaeological site, consultation of Italian libraries and archives, and interaction with academic specialists. The research will be hosted by Sapienza Università di Roma and supervised by Professor Francesca Stasolla, a prominent scholar in Christian and funerary archaeology.The project seeks to investigate the religious, social, and symbolic role of the Catacomb of Marcellinus and Peter through the analysis of its frescoes, funerary architecture, material culture, and archaeological context. It aims to understand who the individuals buried there were, what their beliefs were, how they interacted with pagan communities, and how Christians managed to use such sacred spaces even under imperial persecution. The research will apply the methods of Image Archaeology alongside historical and archaeological approaches. Key topics include the cult of the martyrs, the emergence of Christian iconography, and the use of Greco-Roman mythological imagery in Early Christian art.The internship will provide access to primary sources and materials not available in Brazil, as well as participation in seminars and academic activities in Italy. This experience will enhance the candidate's academic training and promote the internationalization of research produced at USP. All data collected and analyzed during the internship will be compiled into a comprehensive illustrated dossier, published in the Digital Library of Intellectual Production of USP (BDPI), and integrated into the database of the Laboratory of Provincial Roman Archaeology (LARP). The results will contribute to Brazilian scholarship on ancient Christianity and to international debates on identity, memory, and funerary practices in Late Antiquity.