Sanctuary of Saints Felicissimo and Agapito: Faith, History, and Underground Adventure in Rome

Nestled in the heart of Rome’s Christian history, the Sanctuary of Saints Felicissimo and Agapito safeguards the memory of two deacons who followed their pontiff, Sixtus II, to martyrdom. This place, steeped in faith and history, offers not only a profound spiritual experience but also inspiration for an adventurous exploration of Rome’s underground.

The Origins of the Cult and the Martyrs Felicissimo and Agapito

Felicissimo and Agapito, two deacons of Pope Sixtus II, suffered martyrdom together with their pontiff during a liturgical celebration in the Catacombs of Callixtus in the year 258 AD. Their sacrifice is an example of unwavering faith and dedication to the service of God. But who were these saints really?

While hagiographic sources do not provide many details about their lives before martyrdom, we know that their diaconal service was fundamental to the Roman Christian community. Together with the Pope, they were responsible for assisting the poor, distributing the Eucharist, and preaching the Gospel. Their martyrdom, therefore, was not only an act of personal faith but also a hard blow for the community they served.

A Sanctuary Born from Popular Devotion

Initially, the remains of the martyrs were placed in simple loculi within the catacombs, indistinguishable from the tombs of other faithful. It was the growing popular devotion that transformed these burial places into a sanctuary. Over time, the tombs were embellished with marble slabs and other architectural elements, testifying to the veneration enjoyed by Saints Felicissimo and Agapito.

The Intervention of Pope Damasus and the Enhancement of the Cult

A crucial moment for the enhancement of the sanctuary was the pontificate of Damasus (366-384). This pope undertook an ambitious project to strengthen the martyr cult in the Roman necropolises. He had marble slabs with verses of praise placed on the martyrs’ tombs, engraved with an elegant and solemn script by his secretary, Furius Dionysius Filocalus (from which the name “Filocalian script” derives).

The inscription that Damasus had placed on the wall of the loculi of Felicissimo and Agapito, discovered in 1927 and now visible in the “spelunca magna,” recalls how the two deacons imitated “the faith and merit” of Sixtus II and, under his guidance, “earned the triumph of Christ.” On the sides of the slab, Damasus had two small columns erected, topped by an architrave, perhaps to suggest the idea of a ciborium, a canopy over the altar, alluding to the liturgical celebration over the bodies of the saints.

An Unsolved Mystery: Why Were They Not Buried with Sixtus II?

A question remains hanging over the history of the sanctuary: why were Felicissimo and Agapito, martyred together with Sixtus II, not buried with him in the cemetery of the Church on the Via Appia? This question has sparked various hypotheses among scholars, without finding a definitive answer.

One possible explanation might lie in the different importance attributed to the martyrs. Sixtus II, as Pope, held a primary role in the ecclesiastical hierarchy, while Felicissimo and Agapito were deacons. However, their faith and sacrifice were indisputable, and popular devotion elevated them to the rank of saints, generating an autonomous cult at the site of their martyrdom.

An Adventure Underground: In Search of Traces of the Past

A visit to the Sanctuary of Saints Felicissimo and Agapito is not only a spiritual experience but also an opportunity for an adventurous search in the Roman underground. The catacombs, with their intricate paths and testimonies of faith from the early Christians, offer a unique and evocative setting.

Here are some ideas for exploring the sanctuary in more depth:

• Search for Pope Damasus’s inscription: Look for the copy of the inscription commissioned by Pope Damasus. Try to decipher the Latin text and understand the meaning of the words used to celebrate the martyrdom of the saints.
• Identification of the original loculi: Try to identify the original loculi where the remains of the martyrs were placed. Observe the walls of the catacomb and look for traces of the ancient burials.
• Exploration of the “spelunca magna”: Visit the “spelunca magna,” the underground environment where the sanctuary is located. Imagine what the life of the early Christians must have been like in this place, between prayer, persecution, and hope in the resurrection.
• Contact expert guides who know the history of the sanctuaries and Roman catacombs.

Useful Information for the Visit

Type: Object of worship not classifiable as an image or relic.

Collection of ex-votos: Data not available.

The period of activity of the sanctuary is identified between the first attestation of cult signaled by the Depositio martyrum of the 354 catalog and the end of the 9th century, the era in which the composition of the Itinerary of Einsiedeln is placed, the latest document in which the sanctuary is mentioned. There are, however, no reliable reports of a highly probable translation of relics into intramural buildings.