Basilica of San Clemente. Basilica of San Clemente - a multi-tiered ancient temple in Rome Basilica of San Clemente Rome

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Basilica of San Clemente (Basilica di San Clemente, IV century, reconstruction of the XII and XVIII centuries) was built on the site of the house where St. lived. Clement, the third pope after St. Petra.

In the upper church (XII century), to the right of the side entrance, there is Chapel of St. Catherine of Alexandria, decorated with frescoes by Masolino da Panicale (XV century). The main altar depicts the scene of the crucifixion of Christ, and on the side altars there are scenes from the life of St. Catherine, the 18-year-old daughter of the Alexandrian king, who converted the soldiers of the Roman emperor Maxentius to Christianity.

Mosaics in the Church of San Clemente

In the apse of the church there is a grandiose mosaic“Triumph of the Holy Cross” (XII century). The Life-giving Cross is decorated with 12 doves (according to the number of apostles), flanked by the Mother of God and the Apostle John. From the base of the cross, a grapevine diverges into two branches, symbolizing the salvation of all living things. The vine twists into numerous spirals running along a golden background, inside of which are depicted figures and attributes of saints. Of no less interest is the two-level crypt.

On the first level is early Christian church(IV century), in which the ashes of St. Kirill, compiler of the Slavic alphabet. In the 11th century, the Normans, who invaded Rome, destroyed city blocks from the Colosseum to the Lateran Basilica. The Church of San Clemente was also damaged. 100 years later, during the reconstruction of the church, its lower part was filled up and discovered only during excavations in the 19th century.

IN Chapel of St. Cyril and Methodius Thank you plaques were installed as a token of gratitude to the Slavic peoples, among which there is a bronze plate from the Russian people.

Church frescoes

Interesting ones have been preserved here frescoes(IX-XI centuries), commissioned by the Rapitsa family, are unique illustrations of episodes from the life of St. Clement. The soldiers sent to arrest the saint went blind and instead began to drag the column, and the then prefect of Rome urged them on, saying: “Drag, you sons of bitches!” (the only example of swearing on church frescoes). Clement, tied to an anchor, is thrown into the waters of the Black Sea, and at the place of his death, a grotto miraculously appears at the bottom of the sea. In the next fresco we see the water parting, allowing pilgrims to approach the saint’s grave. It also depicts the miracle of saving the son of a widow who lost her child at sea and found him alive a year later.

Temple of Mithra

During the excavations it turned out that under the early Christian church there was an even earlier building - Temple of Mithra(I-III centuries). The remains of this temple are visible behind the bars; on the right, on the marble altar, Mithra is depicted sacrificing a bull (this scene is traditionally called tauroctony). In the neighboring rooms, relief decorations on the ceiling and stone benches along the walls have been preserved.

The church also has a small catacomb zone V-VI centuries, opened in 1938. It contains 16 burials. Under the floor laid out with ancient Roman plinth bricks, under the grating, an underground stream flows.

Basilica of San Clemente in Rome

• Via Labicana, 95
• daily 09.00–12.30 and 15.00–18.00, Sun from 10.00

Visit the excavations at the Church of San Clemente

All visitors to the Basilica of San Clemente must be dressed appropriately, please turn off Cell phones and behave respectfully towards the holy place. For the safety of pilgrims and visitors, the excavation area is equipped with hidden cameras.

PHOTOS CANNOT BE TAKEN IN ANY EXCAVATION AREA

Opening hours:

• Monday - Saturday 09.00 -12.30 & 15.00 -18.00
  Last entrance to the excavation area 12.00 & 17.30
• On Sundays and holidays 12.15 -18.00
  Last entrance 17.30

Entry tickets:

• Adults (regular rate) – € 10.00 per person
• Children under 16 years of age in the company of parents – for free
• Children under 16 years old WITHOUT parents (preferential rate) – €5.00 per person
• Students under 26 years old (preferential rate) – €5.00 per person

Cyril and Methodius in Rome

In 864, two missionary brothers - Greek priests Cyril and Methodius - with their disciples and assistants went to Moravia, where they spent about three years preaching among the Slavs and converting them to Christianity. In order to translate liturgical books and Scripture into Slavic languages, Cyril compiled a new alphabet from the letters of the Greek and Hebrew alphabets, which later received the name Cyrillic.

SAN CLEMENTE

Waking up from sleep, I saw that I was in a completely unfamiliar environment. I remember that I fell asleep at about two in the morning, when our ship, standing at the pier, was taking fuel. My bunk was next to a wide window overlooking the deck of the Birch Tide. From the window I saw San Clemente Island approaching. For the first time I could look out onto the deck from my cabin: before, on oceanographic ships I had always lived in the lower rooms.

The vessel was no larger than a barge, and tapered somewhat towards the bow. On an open deck measuring 30 by 8 meters, we placed our vans in two rows, between which a corridor was formed. Below deck there was a narrow passage between the tanks. The engine room was located at the stern of the ship. The tanks held about 530,000 liters, and usually some of them were used for ballast, and some for storing fresh water or other liquids. At the bow of the ship there was a high wheelhouse, galley and crew quarters. With the blue painted wagons, the orange crane and the yellow Diving Saucer on deck, the ship looked picturesque. I lay in bed and relaxed: San Clemente was at least an hour away.

We spent the rest of the week working like horses, hauling equipment from Hugh Tide to Birch Tide. A huge floating crane removed our crane and placed it on the deck of the Birch Tide. As before, a marine inspector and a representative from the insurance company inspected the lifting device and its base. We carried supplies, oil, carbon dioxide absorbent, tools, electronic equipment, while a special team of welders welded additional vans to the deck of the Birch Tide. Both Saturday and Sunday they worked until midnight. Finally, all the property was transferred to the new ship. The Hugh Tide was deserted, with weld marks visible on the deck like scars.

It is significant that our assumption about the possibility of carrying out underwater work from any vessel and in any desired place was justified. It took less than 60 hours to reload the equipment. Despite the fuss and noise made by loaders, welders, and sailors for two days, Gaston managed to repair the engine. He found out that the water, which had short-circuited the motor, penetrated through the hatch cover, which was unscrewed during inspection. The underwater telephone, which was not particularly reliable, was repaired by a representative of the manufacturer. He found that the shortcomings in the operation of the hydrophone were apparently explained by the proximity of electric motors, interference from unprotected conductors and different systems installed on board the Saucer.

Now we were ready to take on our next client - representatives of the Navy weapons testing station.

From the bridge it was clear that far to the south the harsh and bare island of San Clemente rose straight out of the ocean. There are no trees on it, only rocks and steep slopes. The island is quite large: its length is 20 miles, and its greatest width is about 6 miles. The height of the rocks reaches 600 meters.

San Clemente Island is an ideal location for scientific work because it is a government property with no public access. Great depths here begin in close proximity to the shores. At about a mile the depth reaches its maximum value, 1200 meters. It was here, about 5 miles from Wilson Bay, that the first launches of Polaris rockets from an underwater position were carried out. This area is called a “pop-up” area. On a special platform installed at a depth of 75 meters, a cart moved along rails, simulating the movement of a submarine. A rocket was mounted on this cart, which was fired from under the water. A huge barge, equipped with a crane and a net, stood ready nearby. When the rocket jumped out of the water, it was caught with a net. Now this device did not work, since the testing of the Polaris missiles had long since ended. Little Joe was hard at work in the galley, preparing a hearty breakfast. When Birch Tide served the coastal oil fields, food was prepared for 8-12 people. The galley could accommodate 4-6 diners at a time. Since we sometimes had up to 26 eaters on board, the left cockpit was turned into a dining room, or wardroom. It could accommodate 10 people at a time. The crew of the ship still ate in the galley. In the wardroom we installed an additional refrigerator and a TV, which helped while away the evenings. Curtains and wall lamps, as well as photographs of movie stars hung by the ship's occupants, made the space cozy.

Several people gathered around the table were discussing new dives.

I wonder what kind of work the navy is going to carry out here? - said Joe Thompson.

“They sent us a general work plan,” I responded. - This includes detecting objects under water by direction finding, lifting torpedoes from the bottom of the sea and testing some cunning devices. They've built some kind of robotic underwater vehicle, and it seems to work pretty well.

The eggs were served. About this time Gaston entered, smartly dressed as usual. He cheerfully said “bonjour” and shook hands with everyone.

What would you like for breakfast, buddy? asked Little Joe. “How about some French toast?”

Sparkles appeared in Gaston's eyes, and he said, jokingly, but with a barely noticeable shade of mockery:

French toast made from American bread? Very grateful!

His favorite delicacy was fried slices of bread, which he dipped in coffee. Sometimes Canoe ate the same thing.

Suddenly there was dead silence. The captain stopped the cars, the ship moved by inertia along the coast, apparently not far from Wilson Bay. From the wardroom, which had only two portholes, it was difficult to see what was going on outside. Going out on deck, I saw a group of military sailors coming on board and talking about them - of course! - our old friend Andre Laban, who left us shortly before. We heard that he was due to return to help us master the operation of the Saucer. We expected to do a lot of dives, so two operators were required.

André Laban, shaven-headed, wearing a jacket with fur collar, in boots, looked like the commander of some top-secret submarine. His companions, naval specialists, were to dive in the near future.

We gathered in the most spacious van, which served as our office, where at one end there was round table and free space. Howard Talkington, a representative of the testing station, outlined the work plan for two weeks. He hoped to make two dives daily so that each member of his small group could become familiar with the Saucer. In addition to short-term dives, it was planned to carry out a number of rather complex operations. One of them was participation in a submarine crew rescue exercise. This operation was developed according to the deep-sea diving program recommended by management. Another task was to use the Saucer, equipped with special equipment, for hydrodirection finding and recovery of sunken torpedoes with special sound emitters. Howard was hoping to test out some of the devices within the first week, as several people were due to arrive from Washington to take part in the dives and generally see how things were going on San Clemente. The testing station specialists hoped that this coastal area could become a testing ground for all kinds of underwater vehicles and devices.

Most of the operations we were going to carry out fell under the category of "ocean engineering", or production useful works in the depths of the ocean. Although several dives were intended to be carried out for scientific purposes, many were intended to solve other problems. We doubted whether we would be able to implement them all. And so, despite frequent breakdowns and repairs, a record number of dives were completed. The next two weeks were to see if we could do twice as many dives.

The first dive went somehow unnoticed. It was supposed to inspect the underwater hydrophone at a depth of about 90 meters, but, as happened before, there were interruptions when listening to signals from the beacon operating at a frequency of 9 kilohertz. Only in the afternoon it became known that due to a misunderstanding, the lighthouse was not turned on by the coast station. It took diving a couple of times before things started to improve. I myself have seen that a beginner who intends to produce scientific works, masters the internal structure of the apparatus and methods only after two or even three dives. Not everyone is able to make valuable observations during their first dive. At best, he notices only a large section of the steeply sloping sandy bottom that characterizes the area near San Clemente, and gets an idea of ​​​​the working conditions at the Diving Saucer.

The next day, early in the morning, we checked the readiness of the equipment by mooring at the side of a large warship, painted ball-colored. I say “large” because any boat longer than our 136-foot Birch Tide seemed large to me. This warship had symbol YFU (type of support vessel) and was equipped with a deep well connected to the sea. Today we had to work not far from him, in addition, the Saucer had to carry out a number of operations together with YFU.

Ed Carpenter was the observer. As always, I showed the newcomer all the devices of the Saucer. During this briefing, I tried to thoroughly understand what exactly the observer intended to do. If the operation turned out to be more complicated than usual, I found out its specifics. Ed Carpenter was the first of the weapons test station specialists who wanted to see how suitable the Saucer was for participation in operations to salvage a sunken submarine. Before starting the dive, he brought Andre up to speed. The support vessel YFU was moored to three barrels in an area 252 meters deep. A metal structure was lowered from the central well on four cables, on which searchlights, television cameras, a 35-mm camera with a flash lamp and hydrophones were mounted. In the center of this structure was a nest, a copy of the one on which the “Saucer” was usually installed. A rod about 2 meters long was fixed along it, which should be captured by the “Saucer”, descending into the nest. The maneuver seemed difficult: it was necessary to get the end of the rod into the bracket on the conning hatch of an imaginary submarine. This operation imitated the now common naval method of attaching McCann's rescue chamber to the hatch of a damaged submarine. Until now, this operation was carried out only at depths of no more than 240 meters.

We launched Ed and Andre about 150 meters from the support boat. Val was the diver on duty, and Jerry and I got into the motorboat. About 20 minutes later, having confirmed that the Saucer was heading straight for the support vessel, Jerry and I asked permission to board the YFU to watch the operation on television.

“Don’t worry,” Fred radioed from Birch Tide. - If we hear anything, we'll call you.

We walked through all the nooks and crannies of the ship without meeting a soul. It turned out that everyone had gathered in the control room, where there were several televisions. At first it seemed to me that I was in an underground bunker and was present at the launch of a rocket. There were technicians in white overalls everywhere, and there were televisions along one of the walls. Voices croaked in the speakers, two operators pressed buttons and gave some orders, and light bulbs flashed.

A dim spot appeared on the screens - it was “Saucer”. The underwater phone on board YFU, also tuned to 42 kilohertz, worked great. The hydronauts steered towards the illuminated structure, which they noticed at least 100 meters away. Andre slowly raised the device above the structure to observe its movement. The roughness on the surface of the sea was quite noticeable, so the structure rose up and down, touching the bottom at one corner, the range of vertical movement was about 30 centimeters. The “saucer” turned to the side, then moved towards the tray again. Each of the 25-30 people gathered was sure that this time Andre would lower the device directly onto the tray. But even such a seemingly simple operation is not so simple: skillful manipulation of the low speed lever and the ballast movement handle is required. The presence of a current would make it even more difficult. Over the phone you could hear the engine turning on and off. Then Andre had to take in a sufficient amount of water as ballast at the right moment so that the apparatus would lower onto the tray. The “saucer” hung in the water, its bow down. I watched what was happening with bated breath. We couldn't figure out what was going on. The device remained in this position for quite a long time, at least for several minutes. Carpenter then reported, “We just dropped the load and are going up.”

Jerry and I squeezed through the crowd and rushed to the motorboat. “What’s the matter?” - we racked our brains. A little later, already in the boat, we heard on the phone:

Hello, on duty boat! Says "Saucer". We rise slowly. We lost our water jet nozzles. End of transmission.

It took the Saucer over half an hour to rise to the surface from a depth of 252 meters. Since the device was deprived of propulsion, Andre took water into the ballast tank, thereby reducing buoyancy and slowing down the rate of rise of the Saucer so as not to hit the bottom of the ship. The hydronauts surfaced at a sufficient distance from the YFU where the Birch-Tide could maneuver and lift them aboard.

Poor Gaston! - said Jerry. “He’ll probably have to tinker with the Saucer.”

We saw Gaston standing at the stern of the Birch Tide, watching as Joe hoisted the Diving Saucer aboard the ship. He looked at him as if all he knew was to break the apparatus during a dive.

Some time later I heard Larry tell someone: “It's all about the tubes that are connected to the U-shaped pipe. When they repaired the engine last week, their fastenings must have become loose. Pushover".

We have all adopted the favorite words of Canoe and Gaston. The most common phrase was: “It’s a small matter.” For weeks and months it was our motto, our slogan.

If the first dive that day (serial number 252) was short-lived, then with the second we were very late. It turned out that each time the preparation for the dive lasted an hour longer than we expected. And the duty diver, wearing his diving suit, overheated while waiting on deck. But no matter how much we rushed, it was impossible to spur Gaston on: he could not calm down until he checked all the details of the Saucer.

Besides Larry and me, there was one more person on duty on the boat, Joe Thompson. His duties included checking photographic and film cameras: he had to make sure that the cameras were properly taped, secured, and batteries charged; take care of devices used for documentary filming. Joe assisted the observers in Hard time. More than once it turned out that the film in the Edgerton camera jammed and all the beautiful photographs taken by scientists turned out to be spoiled. One of the most important results of underwater work were photographs and films, since they recorded everything that the hydronauts saw and that could later be required for study and reporting.

I don’t know what else to do,” Joe sighed more than once during our conversation in the van that served as a darkroom.

The camera operates intermittently. Sometimes everything works out well, but the flash doesn't work. Once after a dive I discovered that the plug connector was filled with water, another time it turned out that the contacts in the camera were very dirty. Apparently, the entire system needs to be checked every time.

The Edgerton camera was made especially for Cousteau by his old friend and fellow aquanaut Dr. Harold Edgerton. Dr. Edgerton, whom Cousteau jokingly called “Papa Flash,” was a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he taught a course in electrical engineering. The camera, created in 1958, was the prototype of a well-known model now used for deep-sea photography by oceanographers around the world. Our camera was not new and therefore required skill and a certain amount of care to make it work. In San Clemente, photography took a back seat, but Joe did his best to keep his equipment in order.

When it was time to launch the craft, he would first set up a movie camera, with the cameraman filming a few frames while Joe kept a board outside with the dive number on it so he could figure out what the frames belonged to later. Then I installed the camera outside and connected the flash cable. The cameraman took several pictures to make sure the flash was working well. When shooting with this camera, the dive number was automatically marked on each frame.

One day, Fred asked Joe to sit on a crane and lower the Saucer into the water just at the moment when he wanted to take some shots for the film. For Joe it was like a knife in the heart. He really wanted to shoot enough footage in six months and make a film about our work.

When everything was ready for the launch of the Saucer, I noticed that Fred, narrowing his eyes, looked suspiciously to the west, where the sun was sinking behind the ridge of hills overlooking the island.

I think it would be a good idea to put a flashing light on the Saucer, Jerry. It will probably get dark when we have to lift the device,” Fred said.

Jerry rushed into the van, where various electronic devices, found a tube with a light bulb at one end. It was a xenon flasher, flooded epoxy resin. It was turned on from inside the Saucer. Bright flashes of the flashing lights made it possible to detect a device popping up in the dark.

Electrical work aboard the Saucer was usually performed by Jerry.

The flasher was installed and Commander Crowder disappeared into the craft, followed by Canoe. The "saucer" was launched. Crowder intended to repeat the operation that had failed the day before. He knew the area adjacent to San Clemente Island well, as he was one of the commanders of the Seas underwater vehicle developed by naval specialists. The Seas, built by the test station, was a torpedo-shaped mini-boat designed for two people. It had high speed, had no windows and was equipped with sophisticated equipment. It was supposed to be used for various experiments.

In addition to Larry and me, Joe Berkich from the test station was on board the motorboat, who wanted to see how we monitor the movements of the device. While the Saucer was descending, we heard signals sent at regular intervals by an emitter tuned to a frequency of 37 kilohertz. The area where it sank had a depth of 220 meters. Soon the sun set; we were about half a mile from the shore, in the shadow cast by the steep slopes. We were spinning on our boat, staying just above the Saucer. According to my calculations, in 12-15 minutes the hydronauts should have sunk to the bottom. I believed that they would immediately begin to move towards the shore, where the hydrophones were installed.

Duty boat, Birch-Tide speaking,” croaked the speaker of our radio.

- Birch-Tide, we hear you, continue.

The coast station reports that they have turned on an oscillator operating at 9 kilohertz with signal modulation. They want to know when Commander Crowder will hear him.

OK. “We’ll find out later,” I responded. Assuming that the observer on the Saucer had just started work, I did not want to bother him with a telephone call.

A cold wind blew from the sea, as if filled with ice needles. A radar station located in the southern part of the island monitored the route of the boat and the Saucer. Knowing our location, we could guide the Saucer to a target if the hydronauts found it difficult to determine where the hydrophone was located at a depth of 100 meters.

After waiting a few minutes, I tried to contact the Saucer crew:

Soucoupe, Soucoupe, says the duty boat... says the boat. Can you hear us? Go back.

I listened. There was hissing, rustling, and some sounds. Larry thought it was the noise of the engine running on the Saucer. I spoke again. But the hydronauts may have picked up the oscillator's signals and turned the phone's antenna down. Andre resorted to this technique whenever he performed any complex maneuver. I understood him to a certain extent, also believing that the phone should always be on in case of an emergency. The duty vessel was located close to the device and was only waiting for signals, and did not request it.

Based on the signals, we noticed that the “Saucer” was slowly moving towards the coast, but not to the west, but in the south-west direction. Our coordinates were transmitted from the coastal radar station: the distance between us and the device was decreasing, but the boat was still somewhat away from its course. We tried to report this on Saucer, but received no confirmation. It looked like Joe Berkich wasn't happy with the communication system, even though everything was fine this morning. About 45 minutes passed, but we still did not establish contact with him. The Saucer's course changed, we were sure that the hydronauts were moving in the opposite direction, into the open sea! Now Larry tried to contact the Saucer. Turning off the engine, we made several calls and began to listen. All that was heard was hissing. It was starting to get dark and, as always when visibility decreases, the waves seemed to get bigger and steeper. We turned on the stern light on the flagstaff and radioed Fred, half a mile away on the Birch Tide, if he could see it. Fred replied that he did.

Give me that stupid phone,” Joe said. - I'll try to contact old Crowder.

Soucoupe, hello, Soucoupe! Captain Marvel speaking. Can you hear me?

Larry intervened. He said the word: “Shezam!” - the secret password of Captain Marvel, a popular comic book hero. To everyone's amazement, a clear and distinct answer was immediately heard:

Captain Marvel, says Soucoupe. We have just discovered a hydrophone cable and are moving along it. The dive goes well.

I relayed the message to Birch Tide, relieved that the hydronauts had finally been found. I was amused by the Shezam episode. We have long been planning to come up with some kind of code designation for the boat. Instead of one general name, to which the station number is added, as was customary at San Clemente, we wanted to assign each station its own name. We were already tired of the call signs “Nice Skater”, which designated all the stations, ships and vehicles located on the island.

Well, here it goes! - Larry agreed. - Let our boat be called “Shesam”. When we land on shore, I will buy overhead letters and attach them to the stern.

We watched the Saucer's movement for another half hour. It became completely dark. The wind was picking up a little. The boat was tossed about by the waves. We walked back and forth, puzzling over how to lift the apparatus aboard the ship in the dark. After some time, the hydronauts reported by phone that they had dropped ballast. Having transmitted this message to the Birch-Tide, we headed towards it to take on board the duty diver. Then they went back and began to listen. This time, signals from a lighthouse and an upward echo sounder were heard. We peered into the water column, each trying to be the first to discover the “Saucer”.

“I think the Saucer is over there,” Jerry exclaimed, holding out his hand.

Isn't that a reflection of the lights of Birch Tide?

Before we had time to exchange these remarks, the light spot turned into a pale yellow object, the water around which began to glow. With a slight splash, this object surfaced two or three meters from us. The beacon flashed and the small headlights were on. At night, the “Diving Saucer” was a strange, unforgettable sight. Before Canoe could grab the microphone, Jerry had attached the towing hook and was ready to attach the sling used to lift the apparatus.

They lifted the device without difficulty, and soon everyone was listening to Commander Crowder's report.

We were at a depth of about 220 meters. I thought that the device was seaward of the hydroacoustic beacon, so we kept a course of 270°, then began to turn south. Turning north, we set a course of 50°, found the cable and began to move along it.

What is the condition of the cable? - asked Howard Talkington.

It lies on the bottom, but there is a lot of slack, so it is all twisted and bent, there are a lot of pegs. Finally we found the lighthouse. I took a few shots and photographed all the devices. The device is clean and without signs of damage.

“Some kind of cable goes up from it,” added Canoe.

“Exactly right,” responded Crowder. “We noticed a cable caught on a cable, it disappeared somewhere in the heights.”

Did you hear the beacon first or did you notice the cable? - Andre asked.

I think they heard the signals first. We described circles, trying to determine in which direction the sound intensity was maximum. During the last ten minutes the sound came from the northeast, and we turned in that direction, and after 2-3 minutes we saw the lighthouse.

What is the nature of the bottom and slope? - I asked.

Mainly sand.

Can't see any hard rock?

No, just sand. True, at a depth of about 160 meters we discovered a fault - a very steep wall. The sand suddenly ended, followed by hard rocks.

What character? Rocky?

Perhaps yes. I didn't notice any individual stones anywhere. The boundary between rock and sand is very clear. The slope is approximately 30° steep.

Is the fauna abundant?

We found fish, starfish, and a few crabs. But there were no sponges. The dive turned out to be successful because we were the first to see the hydroacoustic beacon. In my opinion, we need to figure out something about this twisted cable before disaster happens.

At this point the conversation ended, and we went to the wardroom to have a snack. In the evening, the crew servicing Deepstar was invited to watch Seas in a hangar located on the island. Usually in the evenings we had fun on San Clemente or went to the mountains, sometimes staying in the wardroom, where we were treated to three-week-old magazines and sweets. If there was a good picture, we watched it. Sometimes the films were new, but most often they showed terrible junk, although for 15 cents you shouldn't complain. Today we will have to miss another picture, but the opportunity to look at “Moray eel” will more than make up for this loss.

The Seas mini-boat was designed over several years. As we noticed, some of its design components had much in common with aircraft components. The operators sat side by side in one area, chock full of various instruments, counters, buttons and levers, most of the instruments were duplicated. The second aluminum sphere was in front, housing electronic equipment. There were no portholes. Operators set the Seas in motion using a special design of propellers located at the rear of the vehicle, according to readings from a sonar installed in the front of the vehicle. Judging by what we were told, the device developed a fairly high speed. The batteries were in a separate container behind a rugged case designed for two people. The device was radically different from our “Saucer”. It sank not due to cargo or intake of water, but through mechanisms, and for safety reasons it had positive buoyancy.

Larry and Joe climbed into the apparatus, and one of the operators began to explain the purpose of the instruments and levers. Looking inside, I saw that there was almost no free space left. The Seas gave the impression of a well-designed, extremely complex apparatus. I thought about how simple and reliable the design of the Diving Saucer was in comparison. After all, over 250 dives have already been made on the Saucer! True, no underwater vehicle is like another; there are many views on the design, construction and method of controlling them under water. We left the Moray's hangar admiring the boat's creators, who had so successfully used the design features of the aircraft, and at the same time even more convinced that simplicity of design is no less important.

The next day was stormy, a fresh northwest wind drove waves about a meter high across the sea. According to the program, the “Saucer” was supposed to work together with an underwater controlled underwater recovery vehicle (CURV - Cable Controlled Underwater Recovery Vehicle). We moved to the northern part of the island, to a bay protected from the wind, where the apparatus could be safely launched and hoisted on board.

CURV - a strange-looking structure - was automatic device, designed for its needs by Ware Industries and only subsequently adapted by specialists from the testing station to detect and recover sunken torpedoes. The CURV was a self-propelled vehicle equipped with tanks to give it buoyancy and controlled from the surface via a cable. It had a television camera, a 35mm still camera, a 360-degree sonar, and headlights for illumination. Members of our team, not engaged in the descent of the Saucer and observations, watched it on television while on board the support vessel.

For most of the dive, which lasted an hour and a half, the Saucer crew monitored the cable cable. The observer was Will Foreman, commander of the Deep Jeep, a submersible constructed by the test station, which we subsequently became familiar with. In addition, the Saucer performed maneuvers to determine the degree of sensitivity of the sonar installed on the CURV device.

We watched as the Saucer approached the CURV, which had a television camera installed on it. Until the jets of water jets stirred up the water, everything was visible quite clearly. As our vehicle approached the CURV, Andre's face could be recognized as he peered out the window. He was warned by telephone not to turn on bright lights as they could damage the Vidicon tube mounted on the television camera. On the TV screen Andre winked at us. What a wonderful thing television is! But the most amazing performance took place later.

Our “Diving Saucer” began to approach the automatic CURV apparatus, which looked like an outlandish spaceship, and extended a mechanical arm to it. The CURV operator responded to the greeting by opening a huge claw designed to capture torpedoes, and both vehicles shook hands. It was like a scene from a science fiction movie. Finally the welcome ceremony ended. So, it happened, two monsters met at a depth of 90 meters!

There were no dives planned for the second half of the day, and the weather had completely deteriorated. The rest of the day was declared non-working. Several people, including the crew of the Saucer, as well as Canoe, Andre and Gaston, had long been eager to explore San Clemente. John Theisen, an employee of the Photosonics company, which performed various work on the island for the Navy Department, offered his services as a guide. He carried out underwater filming here for almost four years. Like all the other employees - military personnel and civilians (about 150 people), he went to Long Beach by plane every week. They were brought back the same way. John got two small two-axle trucks and we loaded them with all our gear - cameras, backpacks and hiking boots. Trucks climbed steep slope. The tops of the hills, several hundred meters above us, were half hidden in a foggy haze. Low-hanging ragged clouds rushed by. Winding through a valley strewn with boulders, the road rose upward and ran along a ridge of bare, rounded hills. Below in the east lay the sea, dotted with whitecaps. The hills appeared greenish from a distance, but up close they were almost devoid of vegetation. However, on the right side of the road there was a sign: “You are entering the San Clemente National Forest.” This “forest” consisted of half a dozen eucalyptus trees carefully planted along the highway. I did not find any other trees on the entire island. John Theisen, who happily served as a guide, said that this was one of the island’s attractions. Fifty meters from the first sign there was a second one, saying that we had left the San Clemente National Forest. According to John, most of the guests were at a loss, not knowing whether it was a joke or evidence of a serious attempt to create forest plantations. Soon after the “forest” ended, the road became extremely rough. John contacted Nice Skater 1, the main control radio, and reported that we were heading to the southern part of the island.

We drove west, descending from the hills. To the northwestern tip of the island there was a coastline that stretched for several miles, strewn with shells, stones, and fragments of logs.

“Obviously, the waves wash here with everything that is washed away from ships going to Hawaii and other areas of the Pacific Ocean,” John noted. - Last year we found an almost new scuba tank over there, near the cape. If we have time, we'll stop on the way back.

On some parts of the coast the surf was quite strong and would certainly attract surf surfers. A fresh, invigorating breeze blew, sometimes the sun appeared in the breaks in the clouds, adding special beauty to this picturesque landscape.

Finally the first truck reached the rock we were heading towards. Having jumped to the ground, we warmed up and shook off the dust.

From the edge of the rock below the cliff, about 100 meters away, I saw near the very edge of the water in a wide area many seals - fawn, brown, even a few completely white. They basked in the sun, which by this time had completely come out from behind the clouds. The barking cries of the seals drowned out the roar of the surf. In the distance, to the very horizon, stretched Pacific Ocean. They lay everywhere dark spots ripples and shadows of clouds. It was truly an open ocean. Long waves 2.5-3 meters high crashed onto the rocks. Sometimes a seal would fall into the water while playing. In total, at least a thousand animals gathered at the rookery. I noticed that some seals were diving into the surf that was rushing onto the shore. Animals rode the waves. It seemed that this entertainment gave them indescribable pleasure. Suddenly Canoe pushed Gaston and showed him: not far from the coast, large fins were cutting through the water.

“These are killer whales, killer whales,” said Andre. “They will eat the seals.”

I believed that killer whales were the fiercest and bravest predators in the sea. They can deal with an animal the size of a seal in no time. Killer whales are said to swallow sea lions. And a sea lion is no smaller than a seal.

We clearly saw the fins of three killer whales slowly circling so close to the place where the seals were frolicking that it seemed that just a little more and the killer whales would rush at the animals. But nothing happened.

Why don't seals come out of the water? - Jerry asked.

By this time John had also approached us.

After all, the seals are probably trapped, right? - we asked him.

You don’t have to worry about the seals,” he assured us. “They are in shallow water.” The depth here is too shallow for the killer whale, and the predator understands that it will be stranded if it tries to rush after the seals. But, of course, if the seal moves away from the shore, its song is over.

We breathed a sigh of relief. We would be sorry if such peaceful and cheerful animals turned out to be victims of killer whales.

Having left Tyuleny Bay, we, bouncing on potholes, drove towards the beach to see if the waves had washed up anything worthwhile. The foot of the volcanic rock was replete with grottoes, carved out by the waves. Andre and Gaston took us to small lakes left after the tide and took shellfish out of the water, pronouncing their French names. These were mainly mussels and other bivalves. Gaston happily treated Canoe and Andre with them. He didn't bypass me either. I took the treat, thinking that I would taste something delicious. To my surprise, the delicacy was bitter, although generally edible, and had a strong taste of seaweed. I refused the second clam, believing that one would be enough for me.

We entered a small cave, which, narrowing, went somewhere far into the depths. Unfortunately, we didn't think to bring flashlights. And the cave was interesting. We have already discovered many traces of Indians on the island: whole piles of empty shells and other remains typical of Indian cuisine. Perhaps inside the cave we would have found some utensils or fragments of tools. But dusk was approaching and it was too late to explore the cave. Everyone wandered back to their trucks and then they heard some strange roar that was getting stronger every minute. It looked like a heavy truck was going up the hill, but it was a helicopter. Flying over us, the pilot turned on the spotlight and directed a bright sheaf of light at us. John explained that it was a patrol helicopter checking to make sure everything was okay on the island. After contacting Nice Skater 1, John reported that we were returning.

The outing took us away from monotonous work for two weeks and gave us a good shake. We have already managed to make 15 dives with scientists from the weapons testing station, that is, twice as many as normal, but mostly short-term, because we wanted larger number observers were under water. Since the batteries were designed to last for four hours, the maximum time for each of the two dives was no more than one and a half hours. Next week, guests who arrived on the island - senior officials from the Navy Special Projects Department - are scheduled to dive. We repeated the exercise of recovering sunken torpedoes and rescuing the submarine crew - this time everything went much more successfully.

Perhaps the most successful operations were on Wednesday. It was assumed that the Saucer would deliver to the bottom a special device for lifting torpedoes. Previous attempts to do this had failed, so everyone tried their best to succeed. Test station scientists designed a small, lightweight device with two “claws” that could grip a torpedo. This device was equipped with a hydrobenzene gas generator, activated remotely, and an inflatable pontoon. The switched on generator produced gas, which gave the pontoon a lifting force of 45 kilograms. Before diving, the Diving Saucer would grip the device with its mechanical arm, and a wire plug would be inserted into a socket mounted on the Saucer's body to control the device from inside the device.

For this operation, Val developed a special method for connecting the device to the Saucer in the water. As soon as the “Saucer” reached the bottom, the operator began searching for a training torpedo equipped with a sonar beacon. During this dive, a large crowd of people gathered on board the support vessel in front of the televisions, perhaps twice as many as a week ago. Soon the Saucer appeared on the screen, heading towards the torpedo. It was reported that the sonar was working satisfactorily. The canoe slowly approached the torpedo, considering every move. It was necessary to position the gripping claws parallel to the axis of the torpedo.

Having completed the first stage of the operation, the “Saucer” began to slowly back away and rise upward, as its buoyancy increased when it was freed from its cargo. Canoe paused, then turned the Saucer slightly. By moving the mercury, he tilted the device forward and closed both claws on the torpedo body, simultaneously turning on gas generator and unhooked the gripping device that "Saucer" was holding in its mechanical arm. Andre had done the same thing before, but then the pontoon did not have sufficient lifting force. Now we were looking forward to the completion of the operation. The “saucer” moved back slightly, only its front part was visible on the screen. It took about a minute until the pontoon was filled. The torpedo began to move and finally came off the bottom, then began to float. Everyone shouted “hurray,” as if at the launch of some extraordinary rocket. It was announced over the ship's broadcast network that the torpedo could be seen on the left side about 15 meters away. The crew boat stood ready. All naval commanders gathered near the railing, observing the site of the supposed ascent of the torpedo. Several minutes passed. It would be high time to see the torpedo. Suddenly a cry was heard from the mine: “She’s here, right in the mine!”

The inflatable pontoon, painted white and red, floated up without any splash directly into the shaft of the YFU support vessel, which was located just above the torpedo. Well done, Canoe. The operation was carried out brilliantly.

Now the second part of the program had to be completed. The canoe brought the “Saucer” closer to the frame and quickly lowered the device into the nest, which this time served as car tire. Thanks to the front camera we could see how mechanical arm stretched out as a claw opened over the barbell and closed, holding it tightly. The hardest part remained. The “saucer” had to move several meters and insert the bar into the eye - a ring with a diameter of several centimeters. On his first attempt, Canoe missed. Moving the Saucer and then stopping it proved a difficult maneuver. The second time, Canoe began to advance carefully, as if taking aim. The attempt was a success: he hit the target. The spectators on board the ship cheered again. And not without reason. This was the first operation of its kind using an underwater guided vehicle. No other deep-sea vehicle, as far as I know, has been able to perform such an operation with such precision and speed. On the same day, a little later, Andre performed a similar trick, but in more difficult conditions. Despite a current of 0.3 knots, he discovered and picked up another torpedo.

At the end of the week we left San Clemente. It felt like we had completed the most significant part of the Diving Saucer program. Canoe and Andre's skill as operators greatly impressed everyone and allowed them to successfully carry out a series of dives. At the same time, our entire team gained valuable experience and managed to work well together. True, not everything depended only on us. Joint efforts and coordination of surface assets with underwater devices were the key to success.

We had a number of dives to do nearby and then prepare for our next expedition to the Gulf of California. The most interesting things were ahead.

Basilica of St. Clement (Italian: San Clemente) is one of the titular basilicas of Rome, located near the Colosseum and consecrated in memory of the second pope, St. Clement.
The Basilica of St. Clement is a layer cake of times and styles. The first layer is the public houses destroyed during Nero's fire in 64 AD. The ruins were covered with earth and erected in their place a private house with a courtyard. In the second half of the 3rd century, this courtyard was rebuilt. The doors leading to the courtyard were walled up and a vault was built on, turning the courtyard into a cult building where Mithra was worshiped. Remains of a mosaic floor found during excavations indicate that the building was richly decorated.
The second building, much larger than the first, made of tuff blocks, had a large courtyard and was located approximately on the site of the modern right aisle of the Basilica of St. Clement. This building is not very well studied; there are only assumptions that there was either a mint or a grain market here.
There are suggestions that at the end of the first century the building belonged to Titus Flavius ​​Clement, a relative of the Flavian dynasty. According to legend, the consul was executed during the time of Dominican for his faith. Secret religious services could be held in the private house of the consul. It is definitely known that by the year 200, “titulus Clementis” - places of Christian worship that were associated with the name of Clement, the Roman bishop, the third successor of the Apostle Peter.
In the 4th century, when the persecution of Christians ceased, the private building became a church. The main nave took the place of the courtyard, and the suites of rooms turned into side aisles of the basilica. At the same time, the church was consecrated in honor of Pope Clement, replacing the name of the consul Titus Flavius.
In 395, when the cult of Mithras was finally banned, the apse of the Basilica of St. Clement was built on the site of the mithraeum. And in this form it represents the third layer.
In the 9th century, the Basilica of St. Clement was decorated with frescoes, which are the most valuable monument of Christian art of those times.
In 1084, during a fire started by the Normans during the capture of Rome, the church was irreparably damaged. Then it was decided not to restore, but to build a new one. The lower basilica was filled with construction debris, and a new church was built on the resulting foundation.
In the 18th century, on behalf of Pope Clement IX, the architect Carlo Stefani Fontana created a modern coffered ceiling, and the space between the windows of the main nave was decorated with 10 frescoes. Chapels were added to the basilica over the next hundred years.
The early Christian basilica saw the world only in 1857, when Prior Joseph Mullooly and archaeologist de Rossi began excavations. It was then that the 4th century basilica was discovered.
The site remained inaccessible until water drainage was established in 1912. It was then that the first buildings dating back to the Nero era were discovered.

It is a unique archaeological complex, which includes an upper level (a modern basilica built in the 12th century), average level(an early Christian basilica built in the 4th century) and the lower level (two buildings dating from the 1st century new era). The modern basilica contains mosaics from the 12th century filled with early Christian symbols, and frescoes from the 15th and 18th centuries. The early Christian basilica preserves unique frescoes from the 9th century, containing, among other things, the first known inscriptions in the common Italian language. In the basilica rest the relics of St. Clement, the fourth Roman bishop and one of the apostolic men, Ignatius the God-Bearer and the few surviving particles of the relics of Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril, the Slavic enlightener.

Lower level

Antique buildings

The first excavations under the church were carried out by the prior of the basilica Joseph Mullooly and the archaeologist de Rossi in 1857 and first discovered a basilica from the 4th century. Below the level, rooms of the 1st century were discovered, but this area for a long time remained inaccessible to researchers due to penetration groundwater through the walls. Only in 1912 was water flow established - a 700-meter canal was built, connecting San Clemente with the Great Cloaca. At the same time, the 4th layer was discovered - the ruins of houses destroyed during Nero's fire of Rome in 64. The ruins were covered with earth and served as the foundation for the buildings that make up the lower level of a complex of two buildings separated by a narrow passage. on the lower level of the basilica. In the center is the altar of Mithras.]] Above the brick building located closer to (possibly a public building from the end of the 1st century), a private building was built in the second half of the 2nd century multi-storey building with a patio. In the second half of the 3rd century, this courtyard was rebuilt into a religious building for the worship of Mithras: the doors leading to the courtyard were walled up and a vault was built on.

In part of the building itself, the so-called Mithraic school was built, that is, a room in which neophytes prepared for initiation into the secrets of the cult. The room was probably richly decorated, as evidenced by the remains of a mosaic floor and a ceiling decorated with stucco. Religious ceremonies took place in the triclinium - a long grotto with a ceiling decorated with stars. On the sides there were long benches for adepts, on both sides there were niches for statues, and in the center there was an altar with the image of Mithras slaying a bull, and the companions of Mithras Kauth (Latina. Cautes) and Cautopath (Latina. Cautopates).

The second building was much larger than the first, made of large blocks of tuff and included a large courtyard, roughly corresponding to the main nave and right aisle of the modern basilica. This structure has not yet been fully explored, but the parts that have been studied suggest that it was a public building, most likely a mint or grain market.

Titus Flavius ​​Clement

Already at the end of the 1st century, the building supposedly belonged to the consul Titus Flavius ​​Clement, a relative of the Flavian dynasty. Tradition claims that he was a secret Christian and was executed for his belief in the reign of Domitian. Christian services could be held in the private home of the consul, presided over by St. Clement, the Roman bishop, the third successor of the Apostle Peter. At least by 200 it was definitely known about “ titulus Clementis" - a place of Christian worship associated with the name of Clement (or consul-martyr, or bishop).

Early Christian basilica

Story

After the end of the persecutions in the 4th century, the private building was converted into a church in the form of a basilica: the vast courtyard turned into the main nave, and the enfilade of rooms bordering it became the basis of two side chapels. During the pontificate of Siricia (384-399), the church was consecrated in honor of Pope Clement, whose name finally replaced the name of his namesake consul from memory.

Throughout the 4th century, the Church of San Clemente coexisted with the nearby mithraeum. The cult of Mithras was officially banned by Theodosius the Great in 395, after which the apse of the basilica was built on the site of the mithraeum.

Thus, by the end of the 4th - beginning of the 5th century, an early Christian basilica had developed in the form in which it can be seen at the middle level of the San Clemente complex. It was a rectangular three-nave basilica with a large apse and narthex. Already by this time, the right hand of Ignatius the God-Bearer, an apostolic man, bishop of Antioch in Syria, who suffered martyrdom in the arena of the Colosseum, was here.

The mosaic in the apse and the choirs of the modern “upper” church belonged to the “lower” basilica, as indicated by numerous early Christian symbols, incomprehensible to Christians of the 12th century, but dear to believers of earlier centuries. On the altar partition and the walls of the choir of the modern basilica, the monograms of Pope John II (533-535), who was the cardinal priest of San Clemente before his election to the papal throne, have been preserved. Thus, these elements were either directly transferred from the “lower” basilica to the “upper”, or carefully reconstructed there in the 12th century. In the 9th century, the “lower” basilica was decorated with frescoes that still survive, which are the most valuable monument of Christian fine art of that time.

In the 9th century, the relics of Pope Clement, found by Saints Cyril and Methodius in the city and brought by the Equal-to-the-Apostles brothers to Rome, were transferred to San Clemente. In 867, Pope Adrian II, together with Cyril and Methodius, transferred the relics of Clement to the basilica dedicated to his memory. On February 14, 869, Cyril died in Rome and, at the request of Adrian II and the Roman people, was buried in San Clemente.

In 1084, San Clemente was irreparably damaged in a fire that followed the capture of Rome by the Normans under Robert Guiscard. Obviously, the extent of the damage was such that it was decided not to restore the basilica, but to build a new one on the site of the old one. The relics of Clement, Ignatius and Cyril, as well as the most valuable furnishings, were transferred to the new “upper” basilica. As a result, the existence of the former “lower” basilica under the foundation of the new “upper” was soon completely forgotten. It was only in 1857 that the prior of San Clemente, Joseph Mullooly, as a result of excavations, rediscovered the early Christian basilica to the world.

Supposed tomb of Cyril

According to two sources Legenda Italica And Vita Constantini, Equal to the Apostles Cyril was originally buried in a large tomb to the right of the altar. Dominican archaeologists, who by virtue of their rank were accustomed to being in the presbytery during Mass facing the people, took the indication “to the right of the altar” from their point of view, that is, at the end of the southern aisle. The empty tomb discovered in the southern aisle was without hesitation identified as the first burial place of the apostle of the Slavs. Over time, this place has turned into a Slavic corner. Each Slavic people installed a memorial plaque here with words of gratitude to their enlightener. Here you can see boards from the Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian, Greek, Croatian peoples; Two memorial plaques were installed at once - on behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church and on behalf of the youth of Russia.

Over time, the initial conclusion of archaeologists has been seriously questioned. Sources indicating the burial place of Cyril mention a large image executed over his tomb. In the southern aisle it was not possible to find a single image that could be identified as the image of Cyril.

Meanwhile, at the symmetrically located end (to the right of the altar, from the point of view of the laity), a well-preserved 9th-century fresco “The Descent of Christ into Hell” was found, in the corner of which there is a half-length image of a bishop holding the Gospel in his left hand, and blessing the people with his right hand. So it is quite possible that Cyril was buried under this fresco. The fresco itself is the first image on this topic in Italian art. Christ in a fluttering robe literally bursts into hell, trampling Satan underfoot, and leads him out of there.

Frescoes

Northern aisle

The outer wall of the right (northern) aisle was once completely covered with frescoes, only partially preserved to this day. To date, it has been possible to identify the scenes of the martyrdom of St. Catherine and the Last Judgment.

Only one fresco in a niche depicting the Virgin and Child has been well preserved, and on the side surfaces of the niche are Saints Euphemia and Catherine. In 1959, Father Dominic Darcy, comparing this fresco with the famous mosaics in the church, discovered a striking resemblance of the Virgin of San Clemente to the Empress Theodora of Ravenna. Accordingly, a version has been put forward that the fresco originally represented a portrait of Theodora, whose husband Justinian made large contributions to Roman basilicas, with two court ladies. In the 9th century, the fresco was rethought and completed: Theodora was seated on the throne, the baby was handed over, and the resulting fresco acquired its current appearance. Today, the question of the original meaning of the fresco remains debatable.

Main nave

In the main nave to the left of the main entrance (from the narthex) there is a partially preserved fresco " Ascension" The composition of the fresco is an adaptation of a typical example. In the upper part, Christ, surrounded by angels, ascends on a cloud. Directly below it is depicted the Mother of God in the “oranta” pose, that is, with raised arms, on both sides of her the apostles froze in awe. On the right side of the fresco, the image of St. Vitus is well preserved; Pope Leo IV (847-855) is depicted symmetrically on the left with a square halo around his head, which indicates that the fresco was created during the life of the pope, who acts here not as a saint, but only as a donor . Under the image of the Virgin Mary there is an unfilled niche. It is possible that a relic was placed here - a stone from the Mount of Olives, on which the described event took place.

There is another interpretation of this fresco. In accordance with it, what is presented here is not the Ascension of Christ, but the Virgin Mary. In this case, it is believed that Christ, appearing on a cloud, meets His Mother, who is therefore depicted separately from the apostolic group. Indirect confirmation of this version is the well-known fact of Leo IV’s deep reverence for the feast of the Assumption, who received an eight-day post-feast for the pope. If we accept this version, then in San Clemente there is one of the earliest depictions of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary in Western iconography. To the right of the Ascension are partially preserved 9th-century frescoes representing the following scenes: the Crucifixion, the Myrrh-bearers in the tomb, the Marriage in Cana of Galilee and the Descent into Hell.

The most famous frescoes of the “lower” basilica are on the left wall of the main nave, their traditional names are “The Life of St. Alexis” and “The Mass of St. Clement.”

Fresco " Life of Alexy, man of God", presumably written between 1050 and 1100 and covers the last, Roman part of the saint’s life (full life - see article Alexy, man of God). On the left side, Alexy, dressed in rags, returns to Rome and on the road meets his father, who does not recognize his son after a seventeen-year separation. Mother Alexia, looking out of the window, also does not see her son in the wanderer. In the middle part of the fresco, the action moves forward seventeen years - Pope Innocent I comes to the bed of the deceased Alexy, clutching a certain charter in his hand. On the right side of the fresco, the story ends: at the request of the pope, the deceased unclenches his hand, and the pope informs those present of the contents of the charter, in which Alexy described his life from the moment of leaving home. The grief of Alexy's parents and bride is vividly depicted by the artist: the sobbing bride hugs the body of her groom, and the parents are literally tearing out their hair.

The fresco is an exceptional work in which the conventions of Byzantine iconography are closely intertwined with the drama of the narrative. Unlike a traditional icon with terminals representing various episodes of life, in this fresco events unfold continuously, making the viewer a witness to the events. The fresco also testifies that in the 11th century the life of Alexius was known in Rome in its later, final version, and the veneration of this saint went beyond limits on the Aventine Hill.

Above the fresco dedicated to Alexy, there is another one, which depicts Christ sitting on a throne, with the upcoming Clement and Archangel Michael (on the right hand), and St. Nicholas and Archangel Gabriel (on left hand). All characters signed, although their faces cannot be seen: they are “cut off” by the floor of the “upper” basilica.

Fresco "Mass of Saint Clement" It is distinguished by the liveliness and drama of the image, and a complex dramatic narrative, not characteristic of traditional Byzantine iconography. The content of the fresco can be conveyed as follows:

• upper register - Saint Clement sits on the throne, preceded by his predecessors in the Roman see: the Apostle Peter, Saints Linus and Cletus. All the characters are signed, but their heads are “cut off” by the floor of the “upper” basilica.

• middle register - Saint Clement celebrates Mass, among the Christians surrounding him is (on his left) a young woman Theodora. Theodora's husband, a noble pagan Sissinius, sneaked after his wife to mass, but became blind and deaf through the prayer of the pope. Church servants take Sissinius out of the church.

• lower case - Saint Clement visited Theodora's house and healed her husband. Sissinius, instead of gratitude, is filled with rage and orders the servants to grab the pope and throw him out. Sissinius's speech is rendered in common Italian (italiano. vernacular), not in traditional Latin, and is strewn with curse words:

Get out, you sons of bitches. Gozmari and Albertel (names of the servants), get out. Carvoncelle, help me from behind with a lever.

But at the prayer of Clement, the blinded servants drag the fragments of the column, mistaking them for the bishop. Clement himself, standing aside, says (in Latin): “ By your hardness of heart you are supposed to bear this instead of me" At this point the fresco ends the story, but their 4th century document “Acta” claims that in the end Sissinius nevertheless became a Christian and even a martyr. Sissinius's abusive words, in contrast to the pious subject, give a unique flavor to the entire fresco. This expletive makes the fresco an invaluable linguistic monument, since, apart from some signatures on documents, these words are the earliest known written in Italian.

Narthex

Initially, the narthex was separated from the main nave by only four columns. After the earthquake of 847, Pope Leo IV ordered a passage between the columns to be laid, and the resulting wall to be decorated with frescoes. The original frescoes of the 9th century have not survived, since in the 11th century they were commissioned by a local family Rapiza(italiano. Rapiza) they were replaced by two new ones: “The Miracle of St. Clement in the Sea of ​​Azov” and “The Transfer of the Relics of St. Clement in San Clemente.”

The first fresco depicts a miracle, which is narrated by “ Acta" - source of the 4th century: Pope Clement was thrown by his tormentors into the Sea of ​​Azov tied to an anchor. Then, the angels buried the body of the martyr in an underwater cave. Once a year the sea receded back, and local Christians had the opportunity to venerate the relics of Clement, after which the sea returned. Further, the fresco, following the source, shows how one day a child was forgotten in the tomb, and a year later his mother, coming to the relics of Clement, found her child alive. The underwater world surrounding the tomb is inhabited by fish, jellyfish and stingrays. The lower register of the fresco depicts Saint Clement and the donors - the Rapiza family.

Further, the legendary story of Clement tells that over time the sea ceased to recede and expose the tomb of the saint. Only the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius, who went on a mission from Byzantium to the Khazar Kaganate, managed to acquire the relics. Subsequently, being invited by Pope Nicholas I, the brothers brought the relics of St. Clement to Rome. Adrian II, the successor of Nicholas I, met them with honor and received Cyril and Methodius with honor. Next, the fresco connects to the narrative and shows the climactic moment - Pope Nicholas (the artist’s mistake, in fact Adrian II), accompanied by two brothers, carries the relics of the cross from the Cathedral in San Clemente in a procession.

Opposite the last fresco, that is, on the outer wall of the narthex, a fresco from the 9th century, conventionally called “The Posthumous Judgment,” has been preserved. In the center is the blessing Christ, on his right hand are the Archangel Michael and the Apostle Andrew, on the left are the Archangel Gabriel and Saint Clement. Two figures knelt before Christ, summoned to a posthumous “private” (as opposed to the final “general”) trial. Today it is generally accepted that these figures are Cyril and Methodius. In this case, the persons surrounding Christ have the following meaning: Clement testifies that the brothers found his relics in y; Andrew, who once preached the gospel to the ancestors of the Slavs, is the forerunner of the mission of the holy brothers, Gabriel appears as a messenger in both the Old (Book of the Prophet Daniel) and the New (Gospel of Luke) Testaments, and Michael recalls that the mission of the brothers was inspired by Michael III.

Modern basilica

Story

The restoration of the basilica is connected with the activities of the cardinal Anastasia, Cardinal Priest of San Clemente for a quarter of a century (l099-1125), under the patronage of Pope Paschal II, was Cardinal of San Clemente until his election to the see in 1099. The “lower” basilica was filled with construction debris, and the modern “upper” basilica was erected on the resulting foundation. The current basilica is inferior in size to its predecessor: the left (southern) aisles of both churches are the same in size, however, the main nave and the right aisle of the “upper” temple stand on the foundation of the “lower” main nave. The modern basilica is thus already early Christian by the width of the right “lower” nave. In the “upper” basilica, the mosaic of the apse and choir were recreated, and venerated relics were also transferred here. During the pontificate of Clement XI (1700-1721) and on his behalf, the architect Carlo Stefano Fontana created the modern coffered ceiling. At the same time, the space between the windows in the upper part of the main nave was filled with ten frescoes depicting the saints revered in the temple - Clement, Ignatius the God-Bearer, Cyril and Methodius. In subsequent centuries, chapels were added to the basilica.

As a result of these reconstructions and additions, the basilica lost its original simplicity and severity, but acquired numerous Baroque features. The most valuable acquisition of the basilica were the 15th-century frescoes in the Chapel of St. Catherine, attributed by scholars to Masaccio or Masolino.

The modern basilica has changed owners several times. In 1403, Pope Boniface IX gave the basilica to the Ambrosian monks (the Congregation of St. Ambrose of Milan, founded in 1379). In 1645, under the patronage Camillo Pamphili, Cardinal Nepos Innocent X, the basilica was transferred to the Dominicans from the monastery at the church of San Sisto Vecchio. In 1677, due to intensified anti-Catholic persecution, Irish Dominicans came to San Clemente, managing the basilica and the adjacent monastery to this day.

Main portal

The main portal and facade of the basilica are painted yellowish and tiled with stucco in the late Baroque style. The facade is decorated with four antique columns of the Ionic order; in the courtyard of the basilica there is an atrium with an 18th-century fountain.

Interior decoration

The modern church, erected around 1100 and rebuilt several times, is a three-nave basilica with a spacious apse, as well as five side chapels. The floor of the basilica is made in the Cosmatesque style characteristic of Rome. The coffered ceiling was made at the beginning of the 18th century by Carlo Stefano Fontana, the main ceiling is considered best job Roman artist Giuseppe Chiari (1654-1729).

Main nave

Ten frescoes in the main nave were also made at the beginning of the 18th century. On the left side, sequentially (from the entrance to the altar, that is, from east to west):

• Saint Methodius (by Pietro Razina);
• Saint Clement gives the cloth to Flavia Domitilla, wife of the consul Titus Flavius ​​Clement (by Pietro de Pietri);
• Saint Clement Preaching in the U (by Sebastiano Conca);
• the martyrdom of St. Clement (he is thrown into the sea, tied to an anchor - the work of Giovanni Odazzi);
• transfer of the relics of Clement to San Clemente in 867 (by Giovanni Odazzi).

On the right side there are frescoes (in the same order):

• Saint Cyril (by Pietro Razina);
• death of Saint Servul (Latina. Servulus) - a beggar begging in San Clemente, according to the story of Pope Gregory the Great (by Tommaso Chiari);
• Trajan sentences Ignatius the God-Bearer to be torn to pieces by beasts (author - Piastrilli);
• farewell of Ignatius to Saint Polycarp of Smyrna (by Giacomo Trigia),
• Martyrdom of Ignatius in the Arena (by Pierleone Ghezzi)

Main altar and choirs

The main altar, although it has existed in its present form since 1726, is made in the style characteristic of most Roman basilicas. Under the altar is confession(confessio) - a small chapel containing the reliquary with the relics of Saints Clement and Ignatius. The altar is covered on top with a ciborium, decorated with an image of an anchor - both an attribute of Clement's martyrdom and an ancient Christian symbol of salvation. The ciborium itself was moved from the “lower” basilica, but the columns supporting it date back to the 15th-16th centuries. However, two of the four original columns of the 6th century have been preserved - they became part of the tombstone of Cardinal Venerio in the southern aisle of the church.

The marble choirs located in front of the altar (Latina. Scuola Cantorum) were built by Pope John II (533-535) and in the 12th century were moved from the “lower” to the “upper” basilica. The marble panels of the choirs are carved with a fish, a dove and a chalice - early Christian symbols pointing to Christ himself, to the peace brought by Christ to those who believe in him, and to the Eucharist. The monograms of the donor, Pope John II, are also preserved here. The only additions made to the choir in the 12th century were a second (left) pulpit and an Easter candelabra.

Apse

The upper part of the surface of the apse is occupied by a mosaic of the 12th century, grandiose in size and design. Judging by the numerous early Christian symbols, researchers conclude that this mosaic was either transferred from the “lower” basilica, or was made based on a similar mosaic of the 4th-5th centuries.

The center of the mosaic is a cross with the crucified Savior, filled with various meanings:

• a bridge connecting earth and sky, and along this bridge souls (symbolically depicted in the form of doves) ascend to the Kingdom of Heaven.

• the fountain of living water of which Revelation speaks (“And he showed me clean river water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and the Lamb" ()). From the source, deer or fallow deer quench their thirst (a reminiscence of Psalm 41: “As the deer longs for streams of water, so does my soul long for You, O God!” ()). There are two deer depicted, which indicates that both former pagans and Jews turned to Christ.

• the tree of life (), lost by the first parents (Gen. 3:22) due to the Fall, but again becoming accessible thanks to Christ (Rev. 22:2).

• grapevine, feeding with its juices the branches - members of the church (). The phoenix present in the mosaic is also a symbol of Christ's victory over death.

The motif of the heavenly bliss of Christians saved by Christ is repeated in the lower case of the mosaic. It depicts a line of sheep surrounding the Lamb, that is, Christ, carrying the cross.

Above the cross is stretched the hand of God the Father in a sphere - a symbol of heavenly glory. Finally, at the very top of the mosaic is the monogram of Christ in an elliptical disk - another symbol of Christ's victory.

The branches of the vine growing from the cross picturesquely extend across the entire surface of the mosaic. You can see birds, flowers and people in the branches. Four human figures, dressed in white and black robes, are signed: these are the Latin Church Fathers, Blessed Augustine and Jerome, Saints Gregory the Great and Ambrose of Milan.

The triumphal arch preceding the apse was also made in the 12th century, but may have its original source as a mosaic from the “lower” apse. In the center is an image of Christ Pantocrator, holding the Gospel with one hand and blessing the faithful with the other. He is surrounded by four symbolic creatures from Revelation (-8), traditionally representing the four Evangelists: a calf (Matthew), a lion (Mark), an angel (Luke) and an eagle (John the Theologian). On one side of Christ and the creatures are presented Isaiah, calling to bless “the Lord who sits on the throne, high and exalted” (), the Apostle Paul and the Great Martyr Lawrence, who “learned from Paul to accept the Cross” (inscriptions on the scrolls held in the hands of the saints are quoted ). On the other hand, Jeremiah is depicted, stating: “This is our God, and no one else can compare with Him” (), Clement and the Apostle Peter, calling on Clement to “look at Christ, whom I (that is, Peter) preached to you"

To the right of the altar, on the wall ending in a triumphal arch, is a late 13th-century tabernacle, a gift from Cardinal Giacomo Gaetani, nephew of Boniface VIII. The tabernacle, supposedly by Arnolfo di Cambio, shows the pope (his image exactly corresponds to the figure carved on the tomb in the grottoes under St. Peter's) presenting his donor nephew to St. Clement.

Chapels

Chapel of St. Catherine

The Chapel of St. Catherine is adjacent to the south nave, to the left of the main entrance, that is, in the southeast corner of the basilica. The chapel was erected between 1411 and 1431, that is, during the period when its founder, Cardinal Branda di Catiglione, was Cardinal Priest of San Clemente. The chapel is notable for its frescoes depicting the Crucifixion and episodes from the lives of St. Catherine of Alexandria, Ambrose of Milan and St. Christopher. Most researchers claim that the frescoes are by Masolino and were executed between 1428 and 1431, with the exception of the Crucifixion, painted somewhat earlier by Masaccio. There is an opposite point of view, according to which the frescoes were painted, on the contrary, by Masaccio in 1425 - 1428, and Masolino only completed the work after the death of his predecessor.

On the left wall, a series of frescoes illustrate the life of Saint Catherine of Alexandria:

• upper case, first panel - Catherine protests against the persecution of Christians before Emperor Maxentius;
• lower case, first panel - Catherine wins a debate among the 50 best Alexandrian philosophers;
• upper case, second panel - the prisoner Catherine converts the wife of Emperor Maxentius to Christ, Maxentius orders his wife to be beheaded;
• lower case, second panel - Catherine, sentenced to be cast on the wheel, is miraculously saved by an angel;
• lower case, third panel - Catherine is beheaded;
• upper register, third panel - angels carry Catherine's body to the mountain.

On the right wall of the chapel are depicted episodes from the life of St. Ambrose, on the wall opposite the entrance - the Crucifixion, on the entrance arch - the Annunciation. On the wall supporting the entrance arch is a fresco depicting St. Christopher. The latter is notable for the numerous graffiti left by pilgrims. The earliest inscriptions date from 1459, 1461 and 1481.

Other chapels

In the “upper” basilica there are four more chapels, less famous than the chapel of St. Catherine.

Name of the chapel	date	Description
John the Baptist	15th century	It was built in the northwestern corner of the church (to the right of the main altar) to venerate the marble statue of the saint.
St. Cyril	1882-1886	It was built in the northern nave at the expense of Pope Leo XIII; the altarpiece, painted by Salvi di Sassoferrato, belongs to the 17th century. A particle of the relics of Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril was placed here in November 1963 - the only one from the ark stolen in 1798 that was accidentally discovered in June 1963.
Chapel of St. Dominic		In the northeast corner of the church (symmetrical to St. Catherine's Chapel). It was painted by Sebastiano Conca in 1715. It was in this chapel that until 1798 the relics of St. Cyril were located. In 1798, during the first Roman Republic, the ark was opened in the presence of witnesses who confirmed the presence of “bones and dust” in it. The ark was then moved to Santa Maria Nuova, and the following year it disappeared forever.

Basilica of St. Clement (Basilica di San Clemente) is a church that is worth visiting for everyone who wants to feel that the “Eternal City” is not a figure of speech, but a reflection of reality.

In this small church, located east of (Colloseo), under the completely ordinary appearance of the Italian secento, lies a real treasure trove of Christian shrines, works of art and a layer of historical layers from Emperor Nero to the 18th century.

Don't be surprised, but the Basilica of San Clemente in Rome is the place where you can even venerate Orthodox saints. Under its arches are found the relics of St. Clement, the fourth Roman bishop, who suffered martyrdom in the Inkerman quarries, and Cyril, one of the Slavic enlighteners who gave us the ABC.

Clement's tomb is in the lower church, since the basilica represents a staircase to the past, and this is not a figure of speech. Descending deep into the temple, you can be transported from today in the era.

History and description

Over half a millennium of decoration, the Basilica of St. Clement has turned into a real jewelry box. In Rome, only St. Peter's Cathedral (Basilica di San Pietro) is richer than it. But that’s not all that’s amazing about this church in Rome. Thanks to the curiosity of the prior of the church, Joseph Maury, archaeological excavations began in the mid-19th century, which revealed elements of an early Christian basilica under medieval buildings.

The Church of St. Clement is a unique sacred place. According to modern archaeologists, it has become known that the structure of the building is a kind of pyramid containing three tiers of buildings:

• lower (1st - 3rd centuries AD);
• middle (IV century AD);
• upper (XII - our days).

Lower level

During the excavations of the early Christian basilica, archaeologists were waiting for more amazing finds dating back to the 1st-3rd centuries AD.

The temple of Mithras, dating back to the 3rd century, was excavated. What remains of it is the triclinium - a long grotto with a vaulted ceiling, stone benches for adherents and an altar where Mithra is depicted - an ancient deity personifying sunlight, harmony and friendship.

After draining the water from the foundation, it was possible to get to the ruins of civil buildings burned by Nero in 64. It was possible to find out that one of the buildings belonged to the Roman consul Titus Flavius ​​Clement. He was a secret Christian and was executed during the reign of Emperor Domitian. It is possible that it was his name that was considered by the builders of the early Christian basilica as a kind of sacred sign to perpetuate the memory of St. Clement, the fourth Pope.

An anchor is painted on the tomb of St. Clement, located in the lower church of this extraordinary religious building. This is a symbol of the instrument of his execution - he was drowned by order of Emperor Troyan for preaching Christianity in hard labor, where he was sent from Rome for refusing to fulfill pagan demands.

Average level

The middle tier of the basilica contains a heavily damaged early Christian church, built around the 4th century AD, which was damaged during the Norman invasion.

It is noteworthy that the street adjacent to the Basilica of St. Clement is called Via dei Normanni. The destroyed temple was filled up, and everything that was saved was transferred to the new building. During excavations, perfectly preserved frescoes were discovered. One of them tells about the misadventures of the Roman prefect Sisinius, whose wife took a vow of chastity at the prompting of St. Clement.

We can say that this fresco is a medieval comic strip. The phrases belonging to the characters depicted are practically obscene. One of them, the most loyal, says: “Trahite, fili de puta!” (“Drag away, you sons of bitches”) - this is how Sisinius orders the servants to expel Clement from his house. These inscriptions became material confirmation of the existence of the early and are a linguistic monument.

In the 9th century, the Basilica of San Clemente finally became the repository of the relics of the saint who gave it its name. Orthodox saints Cyril and Mythodius managed to find the remains in the Crimea and brought them to the Italian capital. Pontiff Adrian II accepted the sacred gift and placed it in a sarcophagus kept in the middle tier of the basilica. In the winter of 869, Cyril died in Rome and, at the insistence of the Pope, was buried in San Clemente.

The tomb of Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril is located to the left of the altar (to the south). This place was turned into a “Slavic corner”, where Serbs, Croats, Bulgarians, Russians, and Ukrainians erected memorial plaques in gratitude to their enlightener.

Top level

Entering through the door of the basilica, visitors find themselves in a realm of early (secento) splendor. Built by standard project- a long narrow nave with a vault on pillars, this church is decorated with all possible pomp. Magnificent bas-reliefs, paintings, frescoes, marble mosaic floors. In the apse of the basilica, a mosaic panel from the 12th century attracts attention, depicting the tree of life: birds of paradise, deer at a watering hole, heavenly Jerusalem.

The floors of the temple are decorated with magnificent mosaics in the Cosmatesque style, and the ceilings are decorated with coffered tiles with patterns (18th century). The walls of San Clemente are decorated with a cycle of 10 frescoes dedicated to the acts of the Equal-to-the-Apostles brothers Cyril and Methodius, as well as Ignatius the Theologian and St. Clement. The main decoration of the apse of the basilica is the fresco “The Cross - the Tree of Life”. It depicts Jesus Christ on the crucifixion, surrounded by birds, flowers, grapevine(XII century). The beauty of execution and the multifaceted symbolism of the paintings fascinate and make the deepest impression.

How to get there, opening hours

Address: Via Labicana, 95, Roma

You can get there by car, go to Colosseo station, and then walk southeast along Via di San Giovanni in Laterano. The cobblestone street is almost inconspicuous, use Via dei Normanni as a guide. After walking another block, turn left onto Piazza di San Clemente. Just around the corner you will see a gate under gable roof and a marble tablet above them.

• Temple opening hours: services are held from Monday to Saturday at 8:00 and 18:30 in Italian; on Saturdays at 9:30 - services in Latin (October-June);
• Mithrium opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 12:30 and from 15:00 to 18:00;
• Ticket price to Mithrium: full - 5 euros, students under 26 years old - 3.5 euros. From July 1, 2015, ticket prices will change!
• Official site: www.basilicasanclemente.com

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