San Clemente, Rome


	San Clemente San Clemente is like a palimpsest of Roman religious history. The lovely nave of the 11th-century church preserves some handsome mosaics, with a Christ lost in a profusion of garlands and volutes as well as an enchanting pastoral paradise. In the north aisle at the rear is the Chapel of St. Catherine of Alexandria, frescoed in the Early Renaissance style of Florence. As if this weren't enough for a visit, the church offers an Alice in Wonderland tour through the earlier, much damaged 4th-century church over which it is superimposed. Not only that, the Early Christian church with its fresco fragments is itself built over and around a Mithraic chapel and 1st-century Roman apartment house. The 20-meter descent into the past is eerie, the exploration a confusing jumble of cultural artifacts, the impact unforgettable—especially the sound of water rushing through ancient Roman ducts. Address: Via in San Giovanni in Laterano Rome Italy Telephone: +39 (6) 70-45-10