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Catacombs of St. Callixtus
The Catacombe di San Callisto have the most popular (and crowded) tours, but also some of the most amazing sights of any catacombs on Rome's Appian Way
Catacombe di San Callisto (Catacombs of St. Callixtus)Via Appia Antica 110–126
tel. +39-06-513-0151 or +39-06-5130-1580
www.catacombe.roma.it
Open Thurs–Tues 9am–noon and 2–5pm
Closed Jan 17–Feb 24
Adm
Viator.com tours
• Catacombs and Roman Countryside Half-Day Walking Tour
• Christian Rome Afternoon Tour (note: visits only one of the three catacombs, based on seasonal availability)
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TOURS FROM TRUSTED PARTNERS
A fresco of "The Good Shepherd" in the Catacomb of St. Calixtus in Rome, ItalyOf all the catacombs, the catacombs of St. Calixtus has the biggest parking lot, and hence the largest crowds of tour bus groups—and the cheesiest, most Disneyesque tour, full of canned commentary and stilted jokes.
On the other hand, some of the tunnels are phenomenal: 70 feet high and less than six feet wide, pigeon-holed by elongated tomb niches all the way up to the ceiling. Cool.
Of all the catacombs, those of San Callisto are among the oldest and certainly the largest (12 miles of tunnels over 33 acres and five levels that house the remains of half a million Christians), and were the final resting place of 16 early popes.
For general info on the catacombs, click here. For info on how to get to the catacombs, see the main Appian Way page.
On the tour, you also get to ogle some of the earliest Christian art—frescoes, carvings, and drawings scratched into the rock depicting ancient Christian symbols like the fish, the anchor, the dove, and images that tell some of the earliest popular Bible stories.
Tips
- Planning your day: The tour of the catacombs takes about 30–40 minutes, but get here at least 12–15 minutes early, so budget an hour (plus another 30 minutes each way for public transportation—remember, these things were built outside the walls of Rome on purpose).
- Book a tour: If you prefer a private guided tour that visit to one of the catacombs, book one via our partner site Viator.com.
• Catacombs and Roman Countryside Half-Day Walking Tour
• Christian Rome Afternoon Tour (visits one of the three catacombs, based on seasonal availability) - How to get to the Catacomb of San Callisto: Bus 118 also heads here from outside the Piramide stop of Metro line B. Or you can take Bus 218 from the San Giovanni Metro stop, which follows the Via Appia Antica for a bit, then veers right onto Via Ardeatina at Domine Quo Vadis church. After another long block, the 218 stops at the square Largo M.F. Ardeatine, near the gate to San Callisto catacombs. Or you can take the Archeobus (www.trambusopen.com). (More on public transport to the catacombs/Appian Way
)
Related pages
- The other major catacombs: San Domitilla, San Sebastiano
- Other Appian Way sights: Domine, Quo Vadis, Tomb of Cecilia Metella
- More sights outside the walls
- More ancient sights and ruins in Rome
- Churches in Rome
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This material was last updated February 2011. All information was accurate at the time.
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