The Count of Monte Cristo

Passage Through Rome’s City Gates

At the city gates, the porter initially raises obstacles to their late-night passage, but the Count of Monte Cristo produces an official permit from the governor of Rome authorizing travel into or out of the city at any hour. The portcullis is raised, the porter is paid a louis for his trouble, and the group proceeds on their way.

Arrival at the Catacombs Entrance

The carriage travels the ancient Appian Way, which is lined with tombs; Franz occasionally spots what appear to be sentinels among the ruins, who retreat at signals from Peppino. The group alights near the Baths of Caracalla, where the count tells Franz they will reach the catacombs in ten minutes. He gives Peppino quiet instructions, and Peppino departs with a torch along a narrow Campagna path, vanishing into tall red undergrowth.

Traversal of Catacomb Tunnels

Franz and the count follow Peppino’s path to a small valley, where they meet a bandit lookout accompanying Peppino. The group proceeds to a narrow crevice hidden behind a clump of bushes and rocks that opens into a gradually widening catacomb passage. After stooping to navigate 150 paces of tight tunnel, they are halted by a sentry’s challenge; Peppino vouches for the pair, and they descend 20 steps into a mortuary chamber with five corridors radiating out like star points, lined with stacked burial niches. A faint light glows from one distant corridor, and the count leads the quiet, torch-extinguished Franz toward it, passing through three arcades into a large square chamber lined with similar niches, where they discover a camp of resting bandits.