The Catacombs of S. Callisto and S. Sebastiano sit on the outskirts of Rome. Both date back to the 2nd century and are among the earliest Christian catacombs. We couldn't take photos inside the catacombs, but they had lovely early examples of Christian iconography. Since the land consisted of volcanic rock, early Christians could tunnel into the ground and dig graves into the walls. The rock became stronger when it was exposed to air, so the graves could be separated by very narrow walls and then the openings were covered in plaster. The simplicity of the graves came across as much more sincere and meaningful than many of the over-the-top churches of later centuries. Holy sights sit atop the catacombs now, and we could get photos of those.
Bernini's last work in the church at by the San Sebastiano catacombs.
The ceiling in the Basilica de San Sebastian was wood with paint applied directly to it rather than the plaster and paint technique found in most frescoes in Rome's churches. The effect gave the church a very warm feeling that most of the other churches lacked.
