Are you ready for an unforgettable experience?
When you visit San Clemente and its underground passages you will be fascinated and amazed by this unique Church.
In the Monti district, on the route from San Giovanni in Laterano to the Colosseum, stands the Basilica of San Clemente.
The History of the Basilica
The basilica that we admire today was founded in the 12th century and its peculiarity is due to the fact that we can still see three different periods of its construction/history at three different depth levels, the convent is located above ancient buildings buried two levels deep, the oldest of which dates back to the 1st century AD; the two levels below the present basilica were rediscovered and brought to life in 1857 thanks to Father Joseph Mullooly, then prior of the convent.
The three levels are, from above: the present basilica, medieval; the ancient basilica, in a building once the home of a Roman patrician; a set of Roman buildings from the post-Neronian period. A fourth level below the previous ones contains traces of older Roman buildings.
The first two subterranean levels have been brought to light and reinforced, and are now mostly accessible and open to visitors. The richness of its architectural, artistic and historical elements, spanning almost the entire Christian era, makes it a unique monument in the history of art in Rome.
The official entrance of the basilica, which is only used on ceremonial occasions, is from St Clement’s square through a small brick prothyrum and two Roman columns.
The underground passages of San Clemente Basilica
Through a hidden staircase we can begin our adventure in underground Rome, the access to this priceless treasure is in Via San Giovanni in Laterano and we will descend to 10 metres below ground, the lowest level of the complex.
This is the site of the ancient city dating back to the 1st century, which in the 4th century, having been abandoned for a long time, was buried and the first basilica was built on the upper level, which was declared uninhabitable due to structural failure and this level was also buried in the 11th century.
In the lower basilica, at the west end of the south nave, are believed to be the relics of St Cyril, evangeliser of the Slavs, who brought the relics of St Clement to Rome from the Crimea.
Ascending one level, you enter the present basilica, founded in the 12th century.
The interiors of the Basilica
The interior of the basilica is divided into three naves, without a transept, with a semicircular apse; the naves are separated by bare Roman columns. In the central apse is preserved the wonderful mosaic, made shortly after 1100, with Christ crucified between the Virgin and St John the Evangelist in the centre.
In the nave is one of the most famous frescoes in the basilica, not just because of its artistic importance, but also because the lower panel of the painting contains transcriptions of phrases expressed in a language intermediate between Latin and the vulgar tongue. These inscriptions (datable between 1084 and early 1100) constitute the first example where the Italian vernacular appears to be written and also used with artistic intent.
The painting depicts a fragment of the Passio Sancti Clementis in which the patrician Sisinnius is ordering his servants to tie and drag St Clement. The servants, blinded like their master, are instead carrying a marble column. The first part is all in the vernacular, with clear Romanesque influences, the second part is written in Latin and is a free quotation from the Passio, where the text reads: “The hardness of your heart is turned to stone; and since you consider stones gods, you have deserved to drag stones”.
Tickets and how to reach information
The ticket price is 10 euros for adults and 5 euros for children, if you want to add the guided tour offered directly from the church it is 8 euros for adults, children free.
Easily reachable with a walk of less than 10 minutes from the metro station Colosseum.
All the information you need to organize your visit to the Basilica of San Clemente are now in your hands.
So what are you waiting for?
Take advantage of the beautiful spring days in Rome to go for a walk and book a Colosseum Tour after visiting the basilica.
