Visiting the Catacombs of San Callisto and San Sebastiano on the Appian Way: the most convenient hotel in Rome

Beneath the pines and cypresses of the ancient Appian Way lies a second Rome, carved into the tuff: kilometres of galleries, cubicula and crypts where the first Christians buried their dead and venerated their martyrs. The Catacombs of San Callisto and the Catacombs of San Sebastiano are the most important and most visited in the city, and they lie just minutes from Hotel Meeting Roma, the hotel at the Ciampino exit of the Grande Raccordo Anulare ring road that makes the ideal base for discovering Christian and archaeological Rome in the southern quarter of the city.

The Catacombs of San Callisto: the official cemetery of the Church of Rome

Founded at the end of the 2nd century, the Catacombs of San Callisto take their name from the deacon Callixtus, whom Pope Zephyrinus appointed to administer the cemetery and who himself became pope in 217. They were the first official cemetery of the Christian community of Rome: some 20 kilometres of galleries on several levels, up to twenty metres deep, that received tens of thousands of burials, including those of many martyrs and sixteen popes.

The heart of the visit is the Crypt of the Popes, known as "the little Vatican" because nine popes of the 3rd century were buried here, their Greek inscriptions still legible on the walls. Next to it opens the Crypt of Saint Cecilia, where the famous Roman martyr rested before her translation to the basilica in Trastevere in 821: a copy of Stefano Maderno's statue recalls her body, found intact. The route continues through the Cubicula of the Sacraments, decorated with 3rd-century frescoes depicting baptism and the Eucharist, precious testimonies of the earliest Christian art.

The Catacombs of San Sebastiano: where the word "catacomb" was born

A few hundred metres further on, at number 136 of Via Appia Antica, are the Catacombs of San Sebastiano. In antiquity the place was called "ad catacumbas", meaning "near the hollow", after the pozzolana quarry that opened there: it was from here that the word "catacomb" came to designate every underground cemetery of the Christian world.

Their fame is linked to the Memoria Apostolorum: according to a tradition dating back to the mid-3rd century, the relics of the Apostles Peter and Paul were hidden here during the persecutions, and the walls of the "triclia" still bear hundreds of graffiti left by pilgrims invoking the two saints. Saint Sebastian, the soldier martyred under Diocletian, was also buried here. The visit includes three remarkably preserved pagan mausoleums, with 2nd-century stuccoes and paintings, and the Basilica of San Sebastiano fuori le Mura, one of the seven churches of the Roman pilgrimage, rebuilt in the early 17th century by Cardinal Scipione Borghese: inside are Gian Lorenzo Bernini's last work, the bust of the Salvator Mundi, and one of the arrows of the saint's martyrdom.

How to reach the catacombs from our hotel in south Rome

Choosing a hotel in Rome in the southern quarter means having the Appian Way within easy reach. From Hotel Meeting Roma, at Via Pier Vittorio Aldini 38/A, the catacombs are about 8 km away: by car it takes a quarter of an hour along Via Appia Nuova and Via Appia Pignatelli, or along Via Ardeatina, and there are parking areas near the entrances. If you prefer public transport, take the hotel shuttle to metro line A (Cinecittà or Anagnina) or to Ciampino railway station, then buses 118 and 218, which stop right in front of San Callisto and San Sebastiano.

On your return, our hotel welcomes you with free private parking, comfortable rooms with free Wi-Fi, breakfast included, a bar and a restaurant. A convenient stay for families, parish groups and pilgrims who want to devote several days to the Rome of the early Christians, with the city centre 12 minutes by train from Ciampino station.

Useful tips for your visit

The catacombs can only be visited with a guide, in Italian and the main foreign languages, in tours of about 30-40 minutes; the underground temperature stays around 15-16 °C all year, so bring a light layer even in summer. San Callisto and San Sebastiano have different weekly closing days: always check opening times and periods on the official websites before setting out. Within a kilometre you will also find the church of Domine Quo Vadis, the Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella and the Circus of Maxentius to round off the day.

In short

The Catacombs of San Callisto and San Sebastiano tell the story of the first Christians of Rome in a unique setting of archaeology and faith on the ancient Appian Way. From Hotel Meeting Roma, a hotel fifteen minutes from the catacombs and a few minutes from Ciampino airport, you reach them easily by car or with the shuttle and public transport, returning to a welcoming hotel at honest prices.

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