The Church of San Calisto is located on the square of the same name in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome. The biggest attraction of the church is formed by two angels sculpted by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
San Calisto Church Rome
Address, Opening Hours and Admission
The address of the Chiesa di San Callisto is Piazza di San Calisto, 16 – Rome (tel. +39 065814802). Bus: H, 780, N8. Tram: 8.
History and description
The San Callisto Church was built at the spot where the saint used to pray and where he was martyred by being suffocated in a well. This happened in the 3rd century, in an oratorium in the cloister of the convent that at the time was connected to the church. (This cloister has now been transformed into a chapel itself.)
Initially San Calisto was only remembered by a memorial chapel, but in the year 741 Pope Gregory III had the church constructed.
A restoration took place in 1610 and a Benedictine convent was added at the same time, in order to give the Order a new home after they had lost their original one when the Palazzo Ponteficio del Quirinale was enlarged. The architect of this restoration was Orazio Torriani.
After the occupation by the French troops the church was left severely damaged and in 1851 Pope Pius IX ordered a new restoration.
The present facade was added in the 17th century and contains the coat-of-arms of Pope Paul V.
The interior consists of a single nave, with a chapel on each side.
Tourist Attractions Church of San Calisto
- From the chapel on the left one can see the garden and the well San Calisto was drowned in.
- The chapel on the right contains the famous Bernini angels. The painting they are holding up was painted by Pier Leone Ghezzi.
- “Saint Calisto and Others Adore the Virgin” (near the main altar) was done by Avanzino Nucci.
- The ceiling fresco on the vault, “Glory of San Calisto” was painted by Antonio Achilli.