Rome Basilica of San Clemente Underground Guided Tour with Mithraic Temple

Descend beneath a 12th-century basilica
through 2,000 years of Roman history

Meet your guide at the meeting point near the Basilica of San Clemente to start the tour. Skip the ticket line and enter the basilica, then spend about 1 hour exploring the church and the three underground archaeological levels with your guide's commentary. Each level holds buildings from a different era stacked on top of one another, giving you a clear picture of how Rome was built.

Explore the 12th-century basilica and its gold mosaics

In the 12th-century basilica at street level, admire the glittering gold mosaics. After the guided tour, you have about 30 more minutes to look around the basilica.

Discover the 4th-century basilica and an ancient Mithraic temple

On the first underground level you will see the 4th-century basilica, which was long forgotten after the 12th-century basilica was built on top of it. Further down are the remains of an ancient pagan Mithraic temple, complete with its altar.

See the underground spring and ancient Roman houses

Hear how an Irish Dominican priest and archaeologist discovered the underground levels in 1860. On the lowest level you can see the underground spring that caused confusion during the excavations, as well as the remains of ancient Roman houses preserved through careful excavation. The tour ends where it started.

※ The itinerary may change depending on local conditions.