Basilica of San Clemente - The Rabbit Hole

The Basilica with its underground archaeological complex is one of the world’s great treasures, a place loved by pilgrims, students of art and visitors from all over the world.

Here, as in no other place, one can visit and experience different levels of Rome’s past.

Descending below the present church, one enters a 4^th century church containing some of the world’s finest medieval frescos, dating from the 8^th to the 11^th century.

Going down lower again, one enters the 1^st century area with its Mithraic temple, and across a narrow alleyway, a large public building, around whose foundations flow the lost waters of ancient Rome.

Above the excavation stands the present 12^th century Basilica, with its magnificent mosaic, early renaissance frescoes, the 6^th century marble chancel from the earlier church, the Cosmatesque floor, etc

First Century Roman buildings in the underground.

Going down deeper, one descends under the 4^th century basilica by an ancient staircase to arrive at the first century level.

Here is the well know 2^nd century Mithraic temple, installed in the pre-existing “cryptoporticus” or semi-subterranean gallery of a 1^st century Roman house (a domus).

The stuccoed ceiling and dining area belonged to this early phase of the house’s existence.

The altar with its scene of the slaying of the bull and other features are from the period when it was converted into a centre of Mithraic worship.

Different areas of the house were used by the followers of this oriental cult which became one the most influential religions in Rome and across the empire.

Leaving the domus we cross a narrow alley and enter a public building, whose outside walls were made of great blocks of tufa, capped by travertine.

Here we walk through a long series of rooms of a public building which is now considered to have been part of the imperial mint constructed in this area in the first century.

The Lower 4th century church

Descending under the present 12^th century church, one enters the older 4^th century basilica of San Clemente.

The 12^th century foundation walls, and 19^th century brick pillars and vaulting underpinning the basilica above, at first obscure the simple form of the 4^th century Basilica with its narthex, side aisles, central nave and apse.

The contents of this earlier basilica – altars, marble choir and relics – were all brought to the upper church before it was abandoned in the 12^th century.

What does remain of the old church is a wonderful series of medieval frescos, dating from the 8^th to the 11^th century.

In a remarkable way, they illustrate the history, art and faith of the medieval Roman Church.

Here we see 8^th century frescoes in the byzantine style, 9^th century frescoes such as the Anastasis and Ascension and finally, the very fine series of 11^th century frescoes.

Among these last, is the depiction of “the Legend of Sisinnius” with its famous example of early written Italian.

Here too in this underground church, is the site treasured by so many, the venerated tomb of St Cyril, apostle of the Slav people, patron of Europe and inventor of an alphabet which was to become the Cyrillic alphabet.