Basilica of San Clemente

Dedicated to Pope St. Clement I (88-97 AD) the church was founded shortly before 385 AD over Roman buildings. It hosted councils in 417 and 499, underwent several restorations in the eighth and ninth centuries and was destroyed by the 1084 looting. In 1099 Pope Paschal II (1099-1118), who was Cardinal of San Clemente before his rise to the papacy, ordered the construction of a new basilica on the former. Highlights are the XII century mosaics, the Triumph of the Cross and a spiral column next to the choir. At a lower level there are V and VI century catacombs that aren't open to the public.