Home > Basilica of San Clemente

This ancient church was transformed over the centuries from a private home that was the site of clandestine Christian worship in the 1st century to a grand public basilica by the 6th century, reflecting the emerging Roman Catholic Church's growing legitimacy and power.

The house was originally owned by Roman consul and martyr Titus Flavius Clemens who was one of the first among the Roman nobility to convert to Christianity. He allowed his house to be used as a secret gathering place for fellow Christians, the religion being outlawed at the time.

There is evidence of pagan worship on the site as well. In the 2nd century members of a Mithraic cult built a small temple dedicated to their bull-god Mithras in an insula, or apartment complex, on the site. This temple, used for initiation rituals, lasted until sometime in the 3rd century2nd century 3rd century 4th century other centuries) Events The Sassanid dynasty of Persia launches a war to reconquer lost lands in the Roman east. 230 232 AD). Crisis of the Third Century shakes Roman Empire Emperor Valerian I is taken captive by the Pe, by which time Christianity had largely supplanted pagan worship in Rome.

By the 4th century3rd century 4th century 5th century other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 4th century was that century which lasted from 301 to 400. Events Definitive declaration of biblical canon: Council of Carthage Demotic is replaced by Gr, after Christianity became the state religion of Rome, the small church underwent expansion, acquiring the adjoining insula and other nearby buildings. Architects began work on the complex of rooms and courtyards, building a central naveFull descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are found at the entry Cathedral diagram. Tewkesbury Abbey. The nave is coloured yellow and red. The crossing (red) is visually and liturgically part of the nave. Eliminating the rood screen visually over the early church site, and an apseThis article is about an architectural feature; for the astronomical term see apsis. Tewkesbury Abbey. The apse is coloured gray (ambulatory and radiating chapels) and green (sanctuary). In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral and church archi over the former Mithraic temple. The new church was dedicated to Pope St. Clement (San Clemente in ItalianItalian is a Romance language spoken by about 70 million people, most of whom live in Italy. Standard Italian is based on Tuscan dialects and is somewhat intermediate between the languages of Southern Italy and the Gallo-Romance languages of the North.), a 1st century Christian convert and a contemporary of Titus Flavius Clemens.

Over the next several centuries, San Clemente became a beacon for church artists and sculptors, benefitting from ImperialThe Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire was the eastern section of the Roman Empire, with its capital at Constantinople (modern Istanbul), which remained in existence after the fall of Rome in the 5th century. The Byzantine period is usually consider largesse. Today, it is considered one of the most richly adorned churches in Rome.

The current basilica was built in 1108Events May Battle of Ucles Consecration of Chichester cathedral Saint Magnus becomes the first earl of Orkney In Pistoia, Italy, Cathedral of San Zeno burned to the ground. Alexius I Comnenus and Bohemund I of Antioch negotiate the Treaty of Devol. Births after the original church was burned to the ground during the Norman sack of the city in 1084.

An Irish order of Dominican priests have been the caretakers of San Clemente since 1667, when Britain outlawed the Irish Catholic Church and expelled the entire clergy. They were given refuge at San Clemente, where they have remained, running a residence for priests studying and teaching in Rome.

On one wall in the courtyard there is a plaque signed by Pope Clement XI that praises San Clemente, declaring, "This ancient church has withstood the ravages of the centuries."