The Basilica of Saint Clement in Lateran in Rome, dedicated to Pope Clement I , constitutes a faithful reflection of the religious, political and architectural history of Rome from the beginning of the Christian era to the Middle Ages.
The current basilica was built in the 12th century on the remains of an earlier one destroyed in 1084 during the sack of Rome by the Norman troops of Robert Guiscardot when he came to the aid of Gregory VII, a prisoner of Emperor Henry IV. In the mid-nineteenth century it was discovered that the first basilica, the one destroyed by the Normans, rested on another structure from Roman times. The final result of the excavations was surprising:the Roman structure was a private house from the 1st century, owned by the Roman consul and martyr Tito Flavio Clemente , where Christians met clandestinely; in the 5th century, when it was already the official religion of the Empire, the first basilica was built.
In addition to being an archaeological record of several centuries, the frescoes that adorn the lower basilica, dating from the 11th century, are the first document in the vernacular language that was already beginning to be used to replace Latin and that would give rise to Italian.
In one of the columns, and as vignettes, the story of the patrician Sisinio is represented and Clement I . In the first century, Christians were persecuted and, logically, the rites and celebrations were held in secret and in private homes. Theodora , Sisinio's wife, had converted to Christianity without her husband knowing. He, pissed off, decided to follow her. Sisinio and his men break into the house and find Teodora attending a celebration with Clement I and other Christians. She tries to stop them but, by divine intervention, Sisinio becomes deaf and blind.
Accompanied by one of his men, Sisinio leaves after becoming blind and deaf.
Clemente takes pity on Sisinio and goes to his palace to cure him. Although he regains sight and hearing, Sisinio orders his servants to capture him. He intervenes the hand of God again and the servants, still wanting to catch Clemente, are confused and "capture" a stone column. In the fresco, not only is the scene represented but also, and by way of speech bubbles in the comics, the dialogue appears in the vernacular between those present:Carvoncelle, Gosmari, Albertel and Sisinio, on the right, giving the orders. «Falite right colo palo Carvoncelle » (He pushes straight with the Carvoncelle stick), and in the last frame…
Fili dele pute traite! (Sons of bitches, shoot!)
