Original church: 337-352 ca.

Renovation: 1200

Current church: 1609

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• In 257 emperor Valerian forbade Christian gatherings in Rome. Thus the bodies of St. Peter and St. Paul were moved to this cemetery where Christians could pray. Later when Constantine (306-337) ended persecution, he built churches for St. Peter and St. Paul and the bodies were returned.

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• Eventually, the church became associated with St. Sebastian who was buried in the cemetery. Sebastian was a Praetorian Guard killed by Diocletian (284-305) for being Christian. His popularity grew after prayers during the Roman plague of 680

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• With the old church falling into disrepair, Cardinal Borghese (1576-1633) in 1609 had Flaminio Ponzio design a new church. It was completed by Giovanni Vasanzio