Welcome to the catacombs of San Sebastiano.
These catacombs have always been the most accessible of the many underground cemeteries
which can be found in the region.
For this reason, it is also one of the least preserved ones and also one of the smaller
ones when it comes to sheer size.
However, the word "smaller" really has to put into context here, as the tunnels have
a total length of around 11 kilometers.
So the fact that it is one of the smaller catacombs doesn't take away the fact that
it is absolutely huge.
Exactly when the catacombs were constructed is hard to say.
What the historians do know is that the catacombs were built in the first place and that the
basilica in turn was built on top of them.
The catacombs were built mainly as a cemetery for Christians and as a place to hold secret
religious meetings during the worst times of the Christian persecution.
As I previously mentioned, the basilica was constructed after the catacombs.
More precisely, the originally basilica was constructed in the 4th century AD.
Its official name is "San Sebastiano fouri le mura", meaning "San Sebastiano outside
the walls".
This name refers to the fact that the basilica is built outside the Aurelian Walls.
The reason for using this name is to differentiate the basilica from the church of San Sebastiano
on the Palatine Hill in Rome.
The basilica is dedicated to a popular Roman martyr of the 3rd century, St. Sebastian.
However, this dedication only dates back to the 9th century.
The basilica was initially known as "Basilica Apostolorum", meaning the Basilica of the
Apostles.
The reason for this is that the legend has it that both St. Peter and St. Paul was temporary
buried here in the 3rd century.
This legend is why the basilica was constructed over the catacombs in the first place.
Later, the apostles' remains were moved to their respective basilica of today.
While the remains of the two apostles are gone, this basilica still holds the remains
of St. Sebastian.
Today, his tomb is located inside the basilica, but his original resting place was in the
catacombs underneath it.
His remains were temporarily moved to a safer location in year 826, due to fear of a Saracen
attack.
The Saracen actually did attack not long after St. Sebastian's relocation, an attack which
destroyed the entire basilica.
It didn't take long until the whole building was reconstructed.
The basilica of today does however not date back to the 9th century.
Some parts of the current structure were built during the 13th century, but the majority
dates back to the 17th century.
There is a lot to see here at the Basilica of San Sebastiano and its catacombs.
In the tunnels you can discover ancient mosaics, graffiti and other wall paintings.
You can also see the old Christian burial chambers and sarcophagi, although the bodies
have since a long ago been relocated.
You can also find a small underground Christian altar which was used to hold services during
times of the persecution.
There are also features in the basilica which deserves a special mention, for example the
Relics Chapel directly across the nave.
It holds several holy artifacts, such as one of the arrows which struck St. Sebastian together
with a part of the column to which he was tied during the martyrdom.
It also holds a stone with a relief that is said to be the footprint of Jesus.
The basilica is also home to a beautiful bust of St. Sebastian, which has been attributed
to the famous Italian renaissance artist Bernini.
This place was until year 2000 one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome; a place all
Roman Catholics were expected to visit.
Despite the fact that is now has lost that status, many pilgrims still include it in
the list of must visit places.
The site has also not lost its popularity as a tourist destination and it is visited
by thousands of people each year.