San Sebastiano fuori le Mura

English name:	St Sebastian's outside the Walls
Dedication:	Sebastian
Denomination:	Roman Catholic
Titular church	Yes
Built:	4th century, reconstructed later
Address:	136 Via Appia Antica

San Sebastiano fuori le Mura is an ancient basilica dedicated to St Sebastian, a 3rd century Roman martyr.

History

The church is built at the site of one of the catacombs and in fact the word 'catacomb' comes from this site. In ancient times, it was called 'catacumbas', from Greek 'katà kymbas', meaning 'near the hollow'. The name was eventually used for all the catacombs. The name San Sebastiano ad Catacumbas is still used at times.

The first church here was a great basilica built in the 4th century over several pagan tombs and parts of a Roman villa. It may have been constructed during Constantine's reign. It was called Basilica Apostolorum, the Basilica of the Apostles.

In the 9th century, it was rededicated to St Sebastian, who was buried here.

It has been reconstructed several times. The last major reconstruction of the interior was started by Flaminio Ponzio in 1608, on the orders of Scipione Cardinal Cafarelli-Borghese. Ponzio died in 1613, and work was continued by G. Vasanzio.

The church is served by Fransiscans.

The current titular of the church is H.E. Johannes Cardinal Willebrands.

Exterior

The façade is from the 18th century, and it's a rebuilding rather than a reconstruction of the original façade.

At the back of the church, reached by following the Via delle Sette Chiese, you can see what it originally looked at from the outside, and you can ask the friars to admit you to an ancient part of the interior.

The catacombs are entered to the left of the church. There is a also a small souvenir shop here.

Interior

As mentioned above, you can ask the friars to let you in through a back entrance. This will take you to part of one of the ancient aisles, which is very well preserved. There are ancient inscriptions and fragments of sculpture there, as well as a model of the ancient basilica. A well in there is of uncertain origins, but it was probably the shrine of St Quirinus, a 5th century bishop and martyr.

The wooden ceiling is from the 18th century.

The chapel above the tomb of St Sebastian was ordered by Cardinal Scipione Borghese in the 17th century. At the shrine of St Sebastian is a statue of the dying saint by Antonio Giorgetti, one of Bernini's pupils. It may have been made after a drawing by Bernini himself.

Opposite that shrine is the Chapel of Relics, with the original footprint relic from Domine Quo Vadis, and an arrow said to be one of those that killed St Sebastian as well as the column he was tied to when he was killed. The chapel was designed in the 18th century by Carlo Fontana.

The sarcophagus of Pope St Fabian (236-250) was discovered here in 1915.