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As the Christian community in Rome grew, so did the importance of the suburban cemeteries, particularly those that contained the tombs of martyrs. Memorial services were held to commemorate their anniversaries, and in many instances basilica complexes were constructed above. Remnants of such structures may be found, for example, at the catacombs of Domitilla.
The catacomb was discovered in 1593 by the first modern explorer of Christian cemeteries, Antonio Bosio. At that time, Bosio believed he was in a part of the vast catacomb of St Calixtus. It was only in the 19th century that Giovanni Battista de Rossi (1822-1894), founder of Christian archeology, understood this was really the catacomb of St Domitilla and the sanctuary of the martyrs Nereus and Achilleus. The apse of the 4th-century basilica was excavated in 1874 and later restored.
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