The vault of Colombario di Pomponio Hylas was widely used from the time of Augustus and was highly suited for mass burials. The name comes from the shape of these sepulchres, whose walls had niches capable of holding hundreds of urns containing the ashes of the deceased. The vault is a must see and can be reached by a small staircase that has two statues of griffins on each side to protect the sepulchre from the evil eye. Inside has brightly coloured mosaics depicting birds, vines and dancers in a garden.
