In 64 A.D. a great fire destroyed most of the city of Rome. In this occasion emperor Nero decided to build the Domus Aurea on the Oppian hill. It was a huge villa that the emperor adorned with mosaic floors, gold decorations, frescoes and paintings on the walls that according to Pliny the Elder were done by famous painter Fabullus. Surrounded by 80 hectares of gardens and with its own artificial lake it was the biggest villa ever built inside the Roman walls. In 104 A.D., under emperor Trajan, another fire destroyed a large part of the Domus Aurea and what was left was used as foundation for a new building on the Oppian hill: the Baths of Trajan. Only at the end of the XVth century will the Domus Aurea become a matter of importance again. The Basilica of San Clemente is built on three levels, covering over 2000 years of history. The first level includes the Temple of Mithras, the mint from the period of Domitianus and the ruins of several private buildings. A first christian basilica was built on top, decorated with paintings from the VIth to the XIth century. In the church on the third level today are an apsidal mosaic, a Cosmatesque floor, a baroque ceiling and the chapel of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria, a work of Masaccio and his master Masolino.

The visit include : Domus Aurea, Basilica of San Clemente and its lower levels. Entrance to the church 5,00 euro.  ATTENTION: the Domus Aurea is now closed due to restoration. We offer an alternative visit to the Roman Domus on the Caelian Hill

Other itineraries related to ancient Rome:
From the Velabro to Circus Maximus
Ancient Rome, Colosseum, Forum
Baths of Caracalla and Via Appia Antica