- UNESCO
- Free 1st Sunday
Photo: Fiat 500e, CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
- Type
- Archaeological site
- Coordinates
- 41°54′27″ N, 12°31′11″ E
History and description
The Catacomb of Sant'Ippolito is a catacomb on the via Tiburtina in Rome, now entered from via dei Canneti in the modern Nomentano quartiere.
History
It is named after the best-known saint buried in it, Hippolytus of Rome, from early in the 3rd century, recorded as a priest, bishop, soldier, anti-heretical writer and martyr in the ancient literary sources. He was exiled to Sardinia with Pope Pontianus, both dying in the mines. The Depositio martyrum entry for 13 August records that Hippolytus was buried on the via Tiburtina and Pontianus in the catacomb of Callixtus on via Appia, both on 13 August. Hippolytus is remembered in the poem that Pope Damasus I had engraved by Furius Dionysius Filocalus, several fragments of which have been discovered in the pavement of the Basilica of St. John Lateran.
The Christian writer and poet Prudentius, who visited the cemetery at the beginning of the 5th century, speaks of it in the eleventh poem of his Peristephanon: he describes the underground crypt where the martyr was buried, the fresco portraying him and the ornaments enriching his tomb, along with a three-aisled basilica above ground, of which today no definite remains have been found. The 5th century Martyrologium Hieronymianum mentions the martyrs Concordia (22 February) and Genesius (24 August) as both also being buried in the catacomb. The 7th century Notitia ecclesiarum urbis Romae adds two more martyrs, Tryphonia and Cyrilla, but no traces remain of their monuments in the catacomb. …
Description
It is on five levels, though the only accessible one is the middle one. The oldest part is that around the underground basilica, built by pope Vigilius around the tomb of Hippolytus. A crypt built by Damasus I in the second half of the 4th century was already on the same site. The construction of the basilica and a vast 'iter' for pilgrims irreversibly altered the layout of the ancient centre of the cemetery.
The most-discussed discovery in the catacomb was a statue rediscovered by Pirro Ligorio in 1553, now in the entrance hall of the Biblioteca apostolica vaticana. It shows a bearded man sitting on a throne, dressed as a philosopher, with the sides of his footstool sculpted with the Greek titles of Hippolytus' books. Previously identified as Hippolytus, but the epigraphist Margherita Guarducci has shown that it is actually a reworking of one or more sections of 2nd century articles, reused in the 3rd century (when the list of Hippolytus' works was sculpted) and with Ligorio himself adding the upper part of the bust, the arms and the head.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Catacomb of Sant'Ippolito».
Getting there
Roma TiburtinaTrain, nearest
1.0 km as the crow flies
Catacomb of Sant'Ippolito
Aeroporto di Roma-Ciampino13.5 km
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
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Nearby
See on the mapMore archaeological sites in Lazio
- Free 1st Sunday
- Free 1st Sunday
- UNESCO
Frequently asked questions
Where is Catacomb of Sant'Ippolito?
Catacomb of Sant'Ippolito is in Rome, in the province of Roma (Lazio), Italy. GPS coordinates: 41.90761, 12.51986.
What else is there to see near Catacomb of Sant'Ippolito?
Nearby you’ll find: Museo di Anatomia comparata Giovanni Battista Grassi (300 m away), Museo parigino a Roma (400 m away), Catacomb of Novaziano (500 m away).
Sources and licences
Text. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Data. Wikidata (CC0); opening hours and contacts OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Photos. Wikimedia Commons, author and licence on every image.
Credits for the 1 photos
- Statues of Saint Hippolytus — Fiat 500e, CC BY 4.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences