Diving into History: San Clemente Basilica and Underground Site and Church of St. Peter in Chains Guided Tour in Rome

A Roman itinerary is incomplete without a tryst with its glorious past. This tour of San Clemente al Laterano and Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli will treat you to priceless gems of Roman culture as well as architecture. 

Our trail begins with the Basilica of St. Clement, located at just a stone’s throw from the Colosseum, dating back to the 12th century as well as the archeological site of San Clemente. This incredible basilica is home to over 2000 years of fascinating history, spread of three levels, first discovered by an Irish Dominican Roman Catholic priest and archaeologist in 1860. The first level comprises a basilica from the 4th century, which was converted from the house of a nobleman. The second level reveals a pagan Mithraic temple while the third one contains the remnants of ancient Roman homes. The 12th century basilica itself is quite gorgeous with its sparkling gold mosaic in its central nave and makes for a great picture of Christian traditions back in the days.

The second part of our tour is dedicated to Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli or the Church of St. Peter in Chains, housing of the most important Christian relics, the chains which bound St. Peter while being captured in Jerusalem. Besides the chains, which are placed under the main altar, you can also catch sight of Michaelangelo’s best sculptures here, Moses. Uniquely sculpted with two horns on his head to connote thee “radiance of the Lord”, it’s a reflection of Hebrew linguistic heritage wherein beams of light were often compared to horns. 

If you are in Rome and have a couple of free hours on your itinerary, this is a tour you must indulge in!

About the Supplier: EcoArt Travels, a premium tour operator based out of Rome, is known for their unique experience based tours and activities, which incidentally, are created sustainably keeping the delicate ecology of the city in mind. With accessibility to their office, free lockers to store your belongings while you are travelling and a plethora of unforgettable experiences on offer, EcoArt is definitely one of our best local partners we are proud to be associated with.