Beneath Rome Underground Tour

The first place you’ll visit on your Beneath Rome Underground Tour is the Basilica of St. Clement’s. At first, it seems like a standard, beautiful old church, just like so many others in Rome. But there’s more to this place than meets the eye…

The Basilica of St Clement’s was built between the 11th and the 12th century. In the mid 19th century Father Joseph Mullooly, a Dominican friar, started excavating beneath the basilica. 

Although Father Mullooly was an amateur archeologist, he was also remarkably talented and determined. Giovanni Battista de Rossi, the “father” of underground archaeology in Rome, helped Father Mullooly in this ambitious enterprise. 

Together, the two men discovered that below the basilica there was another, much older church, from the 4th century. 

But the surprises didn’t end there. Digging under the older church, they found a Roman temple of the mysterious god Mithra, dating back to the 2nd century AD. 

And then there was more… Some years later, at the beginning of the 20th century, Father Nolan continued the exploration. He discovered another gigantic structure, right next to the temple of Mithra. 

This building is even more ancient, and dates back to the late 1st century AD, the time of the construction of the Colosseum. It was the mint of ancient Rome – the place where coins were manufactured.

During your underground tour, a professional tour guide will lead you through this maze of ruins, and help you to gain a deeper understanding of one of the most fascinating archaeological sites in Rome. 

The tour starts in the upper basilica, which is beautifully decorated with shiny mosaics and frescoes. Next, you’ll go underground to visit the older church, which is still active and used today. Finally, descending to the next level, you’ll explore the temple of Mithra and the nearby mint. 

Down here, you’ll learn all about the mysterious rituals that the followers of Mithra performed in their underground cave, and about the clash with the early Christian community. 

Your tour guide will also tell you about the life and death of St. Clement – his martyrdom and his miracles. He suffered a tragic death abroad, but his bones were eventually returned to Rome and buried here.

After exploring the deepest subterranean layer of St Clement’s, you’ll return to the surface, and head to another unique underground site – the Roman Houses on the Caelian Hill.