The crypt of St. Cecilia

The Patron Saint of the Musicians

St. Cecilia came from a noble roman family. She used to live at Trastevere. When she was teenager she converted to Christianity. Married to a roman soldier Valerianus not according to her will. She converted him to Christianity and consecrated her virginity to Christ. Due to her faith she was sentenced to death by the prefect of Rome and she was martyred. She undergone all shorts of tortured and latter she was beheaded. According to the Passion of St. Cecilia written in the 7th century, they tried to cut-off the head three times but unable to cut-off the whole head so the saint was left in agony for three days and died later. Her body remained here from the 3rd AD - 9th AD. In the 9th century Pope Pascal I (817-824) rebuilt the Basilica of St. Cecilia dedicated to her at Trastevere right on the top of her house, so the body was translated there.

In 1599, Cardinal Paulo Sfondrati (1561-1618) ordered to open the sarcophagus of St. Cecilia and miraculously they found the body was intact and in the position as what we see here now. Stefano Maderno a renowned artist sculpted a marble statue to refigure the martyr. The original statue is now located at the basilica at Transtevere, a copy located in the catacomb was donated by a family from New York (USA).

The sculptor highlighted the cut in the neck, because according to the testimony and based on the "passion of St. Cecilia" the head was not wholly decapitated but the saint was left in agony for three days and died later. While in agony she pointed out one finger in the right hand and on the left hand with three fingers. These signs represented her believe in One God and Three Divine Persons: The Holy Trinity.