Leon first relates in detail, and with some translated excerpts from early accounts, about the discovery and excavation of Monteverde:
- Characterizes Bosio as 'famed as the "Columbus of the Catacombs," (46)
- Monteverde discovered Dec. 14th 1602
- Part of a few decades long popular hunt for catacombs in Rome following the 1578 discovery of the Christian catacomb on the V. Salaria.
- Located in a vineyard near the V. Portuense, about 1.25mi from the Porta Portese of Bosio's day (which itself is about 453m south on the V. Portuense behind the site of the old Trastevere railrod station of Piazza Ippolito Nievo), on the S. slope of the Janiculum, .25mi west of the present Trastevere rail station (1960).
- Contains an english translation of Bosio's account of the discovery of monteverde that reveals the following:
- -----after the Porta Portuense, took the first road on the right, ascended the Colle Rosato and entered the vineyard of Mutio Vitozzi (once owned by Bishop Ruffino). Vineyard faced the Tiber. Discovered a narrow cave opening on the side of a steep cliff beneath which were tufa quarries. Noted several other clogged entrances not explored. Loculi were closed not with slabs but with stucco covered bricks largely, which where always inscribed with red letters. "Crudely and roughly constructed" containing only two cubiculae, which are rather small. The wholecemetery was small, and no marble was found nor any painting. On practically every grave was a menorah (either painted in red or etched). At the head of a corridor one encounted a large menorah painted in red over the graves (illustrated: locate illustration?). Many rough lamps broken, one intact with menorah (illustrated). Metal medalion found in one grave.
- No more mention of the catacomb after the 1634 publication of Bosio's Roma Sotterranea until 18th c.
- Leon's publication in HUCA 5 1928 has details and bibliography of 18th c. explorers (Bianchini, Migliore, etc...)
- Excerpt from Migliore translated, contains notes of: vaulted structure with crumbling walls, perpendicular cinerary recesses in the walls, fragments of Hebraic emblems. Has a vivid description of the dangerous nature of the catacomb remains (perhaps reproducing these descriptions can add some color to our tour?).
- Later explorers were unable to locate the catacomb (perhaps mirroring our own present difficulty at pinning down the precise location). Muller, the eventual excavator of the catacombs, was himself unable to locate the catacombs despite several tries. (1884, 1888)
- (Re)discovered in 1904 when workers broke into some tombs while quarrying in Monteverde.
- Excavations undertaken sporadically in 1904, 1905, 1909. Discontinued after lack of funds.
- Weakened by the quarrying the catacomb soon collapsed entirely.
- In 1913 and 1919 other portions of the Monteverde catacomb were found and exacavated.
- Notes that the catacombs seem to usually have had a vestibule or forecourt open to the sky (perhaps he bases this argument on the vestibule of Vigna Randanini, which is presently open to the sky).
- Muller notes a vestibule at Monteverde (Jud Kat 22f).
- Vestibule (in Mullers account) was a long and narrow vaulted structure with brick walls (Jud Kat 22-23).
- Vestibule was not excavated.
- Leon suspects that the vestibules were used for funeral services (Muller argues that they were a place for the pall bearers and the bier to halt).
- The Monteverde catacomb was excavated in reddish tufa.
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