Archaeology and Christian history
An exploration of how Rome’s history is sometimes preserved beneath the level of today’s streets.
Photo credit: Palickap / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0.
Tours from €100 per group
The San Clemente complex is known for its succession of historical levels. Today’s basilica stands above an earlier church, and investigations have also revealed earlier Roman structures. The visit offers a tangible picture of how the city was built over its own past.
The walls, rooms and changes in level are more than isolated remains. They help reconstruct how people used and transformed the same place in different periods. The connections between architecture, religious practice and urban life make the site especially rich.
A themed explanation can show what to notice at each level and why material evidence must be interpreted carefully. San Clemente then becomes an accessible introduction to Rome’s layered archaeology.
