Overview
The Catacombs of San Callisto constitute the largest underground cemetery complex in Rome, the result of the union of several independent tunnel systems. They are four levels deep, extending some 16 kilometres. They are named after Callistus, a banker who became a deacon and later pope, to whom Pope Zephyrinus entrusted the management of the Christian cemeteries, placing them under the direct control of the Church. The oldest portion of the complex is represented by the ‘Crypts of Lucina’, a set of hypogea located near the Appian Way. Dating back to a period between the late 2nd and early 3rd century AD, these tunnels were extended until the end of the 4th century. To this early period also belongs the so-called ‘Crypt of the Popes’, the burial place of nine pontiffs who succeeded Callistus. Between the end of the 3rd and the first half of the 4th century, the Gaius-Eusebius region developed, named after Popes Gaius and Eusebius, whose remains are preserved there. The areas known as the ‘Sotere region’, the ‘Liberian region’ and the so-called ‘labyrinth’, characterised by a particularly irregular layout, date back to the later phase of the complex, between the mid 4th and early 5th century. The complex is accessible through three main entrances: the first is located at the junction of Via Appia Antica and Via Ardeatina; the second is situated on the right side of Via Appia Antica, just before the Catacombs of St. Sebastian; the third is located along Via delle Sette Chiese. In July 2015, the Museo della Torretta was opened, displaying a selection of valuable sculptural and epigraphic artefacts dating back to the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. This museum makes an important contribution to the understanding of the Christianisation of Rome during Late Antiquity.
Enrich your visit Catacombs of San Callisto by participating in the experience of Rome Trastevere: Underground Walking Tour
Via Appia Antica, 187b, 00178 Roma RM, Italia
