The Cistercians in Rome

Via Appia

San Nicola Castrum Caetani

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The church of San Nicola Castrum Caetani, which was dedicated to Saint Nicholas of Bari on May 12th, 1303, is one of the few Cistercian Gothic buildings in Rome. 

The church, which lies on the Via Appia, was built by the Caetani family as part of the Castrum Caetani, a fortified walled village, which also incorporated the tomb of Cecilia Metella. 

The Order of Cistercians was formed at Cîteaux Abbey (south of Dijon) in 1098, and the architectural style of the church may have been influenced by Pope Boniface VIII (r. 1294-1303), born Benedetto Caetani, who spent a long period in Paris as a cardinal.