San Clemente basilica: a treasure in the underground Rome

SAN CLEMENTE BASILICA: A TREASURE IN THE UNDERGROUND ROME

Just behind the Colosseum, few steps far away from the Gladiator's gymnasium, there is the church of san Clemente, located in via san Giovanni in Laterano, on the way to reach the Cathedral of Rome.

The church is opened every day from 10.00 am to 12.00 am and from 3 to 5 pm.

This wondeful basilica is actually three churches superimposed one upon the other, with massive stonework and piles of masonry from 3 distinct roman epochs.

When saint Peter was serving as bishop of Rome there was a priest named Clement, who allowed his residence to be used as a titulus, or house-church.Everything indicates that Clement belonged to the noble Flavian family which gave Rome 3 emperors, Vespasian, Titus and Domitian.

In the year 88 AD, Clement was elected to the throne of saint Peter, becoming the fourth pope of the infant church afflicted by the persecutions. Clemens was executed by the emperor Domitian ( probably his cousin ) and in the IV century AD when Constantine declared Christianity legal, the faithful built a basilica over his home.

Through the early Middle ages, saint Clemente Church remained one of the most prominent of all the city's Christian shrines.Then in 1084 came the Norman sack of Rome: Robert Guiscard burned all the public buildings from the Lateran to the Capitol hill.

In 1108 pope Paschal II began the construction of a new basilica over the remains of the fourth century structure. The half hidden older church was filled in completely and vanished from human sight for seven hundred and fifty years.

Since 1667 san Clemente has been in the care of the Irish Dominican priests. It wasn't until 1857 that the amazing stratifications of the property was discovered and the Dominicans solicited funds from all over the world to have the lower edifice completely cleared. The interior of the upper basilica features all the aspects of a typical medieval church, including a mosaic adorned apse, a marble baldachino over the main altar and a marble-enclosed schola cantorum, or choir area.

Even the pavement of san Clemente is a masterpiece of art and a perfect example of the Cosmatesque marble floor, laid out in geometric patterns.

And so it is then, that visiting the beautiful basilica of san Clemente, one can step out of a twenty century vehicle and roll back eight centuries by stepping into the church built by Paschal, roll back eight more by descending a staircase into the church of the IV century AD and again picking more stairs into Clemente's house-church of apostolic times, with the unusual room dedicated to the persian god Mitra, venerated by the Roman soldiers in the III century AD.

Only in the Eternal City is possible to enjoy an experience so unique in its undergroud soil.

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