The Catacombs of St. Callixtus, on Rome’s ancient Appian Way were the official cemetery of the Church of Rome in the 3rd century A.D.
Martyrs and popes are buried in 12 miles of galleries
Around half a million Christians were buried in these Catacombs, many of them martyrs and 16 popes. Named after the 3rd-century deacon St. Callixtus, since 1930 they have been entrusted to the custody of the Salesian Brothers of Don Bosco. Among the largest and most important catacombs in Rome, they and occupy an area of 90 acres. The network of galleries is some 12 miles long, on four levels and over twenty meters deep. The crypt of the popes, the most important and venerated in the cemetery, is called Little Vatican as it was the official burial place of nine popes. It is still possible to see the original Greek inscriptions of five popes. On four of three tombstones, near the name of the pope, there is also the title of bishop, since the Pope was, and still is, the head of the Church of Rome.
The Crypt of Saint Cecilia
Cecilia is the popular patron saint of music and was the daughter of a noble Roman family. She was martyred in the 3rd century and entombed where the state now stands. Venerated in this crypt for at least five centuries, in 821 her relics were transferred to Rome’s Trastevere district to the basilica dedicated to her. The statue in the Catacombs is a copy of the celebrated 1599 work by the sculpture Stefano Maderno.
Rome’s Catacombs were lost for centuries
When the Barbarians invaded Italy they systematically destroyed monuments and sacked many places including the city’s catacombs. In the course of time landslides and vegetation hid the entrance to these burial chambers and all trace of their existence was lost. The exploration and scientific study of the catacombs stared centuries later with Antonio Bosio (1575-1629) nicknamed the Columbus of Subterranean Rome. The systematic exploration of the catacombs, and in particular those of Saint Callixtus, was later carried out by Giovanni Battista de Rossi (1822.2894) who is considered the father and founder of Christian Archaeology. 
Guided tours for visitors
In 1930 the Holy See, as the owners of the catacombs, entrusted the Catacombs of Saint Callistus to the care of the religious Congregation of the Salesians of Don Bosco. There are guided tours for visitors. For information: www.catacombesancallisto.it/en/index.php
