Rome Underground Tour of St Clement’s Basilica: From the Early Underground Church to the Legal Church
The Crucis Rome Underground Tour of San Clemente explores ancient Catholicism via the archaeological excavations of the early Roman church of Pope St Clement (San Clemente), above which stands the basilica of the same name today.
The fourth Bishop of Rome, St Clement was the leader of the illegal, underground Christian community towards the end of the 1st century AD, though the basilica we see today just a stone’s throw from the Colosseum dates back only to 1100. This majestic church is built on top of the ruins of the original 4th century basilica, converted from a former noble residence when Christianity was legalised in the Roman Empire and many public and private buildings were subsequently converted into churches.
The 4th century basilica, in turn, stands above the remains of Pope St Clement’s home, in which he led covert liturgical ceremonies and congregations for the early Christian community until his arrest, imprisonment and ultimate martyrdom in the Crimea.
Thus your Rome Underground Tour takes us deep down underground to the very beginnings of Christianity in the Roman Empire and then back up through the ages, exploring themes such as solidarity, community and martyrdom and the challenges faced by those brave enough to become part of this revolutionary new religion.
The Rome Underground Tour of St Clement will therefore firstly explore the 1st century buildings including an ancient pagan temple of the Cult of Mithras. From the Mithraic underground temple, we will then explore the underground house of St Clement and learn of its exciting metamorphosis during the Christian persecutions.
From there you will move up to the fascinating 4th century Basilica of the legalised Catholic Church, exploring the fascinating and ancient frescoes that detail the stories of ancient Christian heroics. Important also from an art history perspective, the artistic frescoes are a stark contrast to the practical engineering of this archaeological house of cards.
This Rome underground tour then moves up to the magnificent upper 12th century Basilica where your expert Catholic guide will explain the awe-inspiring mosaics for you to discover the fascinating and rich symbolism of the images and their relation to the mystery of suffering.
A bite-sized tour of just one hour, the Crucis Rome Underground Tour of St Clement includes the relics of St Clement, St Ignatius of Antioch and Sts Cyril & Methodius and is ideal for those travellers who are less able to manage an arduous walking tour and yet wish to be immersed in the ancient history of Rome.
This tour is an essential tour for any pilgrim visiting Rome wishing to deepen their knowledge, understanding and faith.
Another Crucis tour easier on the legs and is of great interest to pilgrims is our Basilica of St Mary Major Rome Tour, running Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3.00 to 4.00pm. Contact us to explore package deal options.
Those who wish to delve even deeper into the early Church may also choose to book the Early Christianity Tour – essentially this Rome Underground Tour then continuing to see the Arch Basilica of St John Lateran and the Relics of the Passion of Christ at the Basilica of the Holy Cross.
To learn more about the Catholic faith, visit Crucis.cc.
| MEETING POINT | Outside the Basilica of St Clement (Piazza di S. Clemente).
See the precise location on Google Maps or What3Words. |
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| END POINT | Inside the Basilica | ||||
| DEPARTURE TIME | 11.00am Wednesdays,
9.00am Fridays. Please be at the meeting point 15 minutes before departure. |
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| DURATION | Approx. 1 hour. | ||||
| DRESS CODE | Comfortable clothing, covering shoulders and knees. | ||||
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Additional information
| Ticket Type | Adult (16+), Student ID, Child (under 16) |
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1st Century Home of St Clement (San Clemente)
On entering the Basilica of St Clement we will immediately descend to the lowest part of the excavations, three floors below the 12th century edifice. Here in the cool silence we’ll learn about the life of St Clement, a Jewish-Christian convert and the fourth Bishop of Rome, ordained by St Peter himself. At this level we’ll also see the ruins of St Clement’s unlikely neighbour – a pagan temple to the ancient cult of Mithras!
4th Century Underground Basilica of St Clement
In the 4th century, Emperor Constantine legalised Christianity with the Edict of Milan in 313 and immediately a Basilica was built over St Clement’s family home. You will explore this ancient underground basilica with our guide who will explain the stories and importance of the important frescoes and architecture.
12th Century Basilica of St Clement
We conclude our fascinating St Clement Rome Underground Tour back up on the top level, where your guide will help decipher the hidden language of symbolism in the mosaics and spellbinding artwork in the 12th century basilica. The Basilica of St Clement is owned and maintained by the Irish Dominicans, who are responsible for the excavations that took place in the 1950’s despite much of the early ruins being under the water table. The tour will include in seeing the place of the relics of St Clement, St Ignatius of Antioch and Sts Cyril & Methodius with a reflection on the role of Christ’s suffering for us.
Outside the Basilica of St Clement, Piazza di S. Clemente, close to the Colosseum and Colosseo Metro. See the precise location on Google Maps or What3Words.
Tour Reviews
I was blown away by the amount of history in this tour down in the 1st century excavations as much as I was by the beauty of the 12th century basilica above. My family and I had a great time and we were stunned how much knowledge the guide had. I highly recommend this exciting tour.
Tom’s mastery of Catholic theology continued to shine brightly as we embarked on our subsequent adventures. With each tour, he revealed new layers of insight into Rome’s spiritual heritage, enriching our understanding of its sacred sites and traditions. Whether we were exploring the catacombs beneath the city or tracing the path of the ancient apostles, Tom’s passion for his work illuminated our path, transforming each moment into a profound encounter with history and faith.
Stupendous tour, mind-boggling. So much history crammed into 1 hour!
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