Calling All History Buffs: Take Part In An Ancient Roman Funeral This Sunday In Malta
If anyone is interested in travelling back in time, like all the way back to the ancient Roman era, then St. Paul’s Catacombs in Rabat is the place to be this weekend.
On Sunday the 17th of February, the public is invited to take part in a live reenactment of an ancient Roman funeral. The event, ‘Mortem – A Roman’s Last Journey’, will follow the traditional format of an ancient Roman funeral. Currently, the ‘body’ of a Roman aristocrat is on display at the Domvs Romana in Rabat, and on Sunday it will travel to the catacombs where he will be laid to rest.
Inspired by the Roman festival ‘Parentalia’, adults and children will be able to join in an immersive experience
Parentalia is an ancient Roman festival that took place between the 13th and 21st of February and was celebrated to honour departed ancestors and loved ones.
At 11am on Sunday, the ‘body’ will leave the Domvs and travel to the catacombs. And in case anybody is feeling a weird mixture of intrigue, fear and excitement at the thought of a centuries old body being put on display, you can calm down. It’s not a real body, just a mannequin.
The catacombs will be open all day on Sunday
The entrance fee has been discounted to just €2, and the final admission will begin at 4.30pm. A series of activities and events will be taking place throughout the day, listed below.
Lecture (in Maltese) – The Gods of Death. The Death of Gods.
Location: Children’s Pavilion, St Paul’s Catacombs, 9:30am
Children’s Treasure Hunt.
Location: Children’s Pavilion Plaza, 10:00am
The Roman Funeral re-enactment.
Location: Starting from Domus Romana and proceeding to St Paul’s Catacombs, 11:00am
Legio X Fretensis soldiers re-enactment.
Location: Central field, 12:00pm
‘Open the showcase’ – with the Senior Curator of St Paul’s Catacombs.
Location: Visitor Centre, 1:30pm
The Roman Funeral re-enactment.
Location: Starting from St Paul’s Catacombs and proceeding to St Augustine’s Catacombs, 3:30pm
A highlight for the day will definitely be the 3D room which will be open to the public for the first time on Sunday. Here, one will be able to experience and navigate through the 3D models of a number of catacombs without the need to actually go down to the catacombs themselves.