The Basilica of Saint Clement is a multi-tiered ancient temple in Rome. Order excursions Online San Clemente

It is a unique archaeological complex that includes the upper level (a modern basilica built in the 12th century), the middle level (an early Christian basilica built in the 4th century) and the lower level (two buildings that arose in the 1st century AD). The modern basilica contains mosaics of the 12th century filled with early Christian symbols, frescoes of the 15th and 18th centuries. In the early Christian basilica, unique frescoes of the 9th century have been preserved, containing, among other things, the first known inscriptions in common Italian. The relics of St. Clement, the fourth bishop of Rome and one of the apostolic men, Ignatius the God-bearer, and a few surviving particles of the relics of Cyril Equal-to-the-Apostles, the Slavic enlightener, rest in the basilica.

Lower level

ancient buildings

The first excavations under the church were carried out by the prior of the basilica, Joseph Mulluli, and the archaeologist de Rossi in 1857, and first discovered the basilica from the 4th century. Below the level, premises of the 1st century were discovered, but this site remained inaccessible to researchers for a long time due to the penetration of groundwater through the walls. Only in 1912 was the 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 the Nero 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 the complex of two buildings separated by a narrow passage. on the lower level of the basilica. Altar of Mithras in the center.]] Above the brick building located closer to (possibly a public building of the end of the 1st century) in the second half of the 2nd century a private multi-storey house with an inner courtyard was built. This courtyard was rebuilt in the second half of the 3rd century 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, a so-called Mithraic school was arranged, that is, a room in which neophytes were preparing 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 stucco-decorated ceiling. Religious ceremonies were held in the triclinium - a long grotto with a ceiling decorated with stars. On the sides were long benches for adepts, on both sides were niches for statues, and in the center is an altar with the image of Mithras killing a bull, and the companions of Mithra Caut (Latina. Cautes) and Cautopat (Latina. Cautopates).

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

Titus Flavius ​​Clement

Already at the end of the 1st century, the building belonged, presumably, 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. In the private house of the consul, Christian services could be held, which were presided over by St. Clement, Bishop of Rome, the third successor of the Apostle Peter. At least by the year 200, it is definitely known about " titulus clementis"- a place of Christian worship associated with the name of Clement (or the consul-martyr, or the bishop).

Early Christian basilica

Story

After the cessation of persecution in the 4th century, the private building was turned into a church in the form of a basilica: the vast courtyard turned into the main nave, and the enfilades of rooms that bordered it became the basis of two side aisles. In the pontificate of Siricius (384-399), the church was consecrated in honor of Pope Clement, whose name completely ousted the name of his namesake-consul from memory.

Throughout the 4th century, the church of San Clemente coexisted with the adjacent mitreum. 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 was formed in the form in which it can be seen on the middle level of the San Clemente complex. It was a rectangular three-aisled basilica with an extensive apse and narthex. Already by this moment there was the right hand of Ignatius the God-bearer, the husband of the apostles, the bishop of Antioch of Syria, who was martyred in the arena of the Colosseum.

The mosaic in the apse and the choirs of the modern "upper" church belonged to the basilica of the "lower" one, as indicated by numerous early Christian symbols that were not understood by Christians of the 12th century, but dear to believers of earlier centuries. On the altar partition and the walls of the choirs of the modern basilica, the monograms of Pope John II (533-535) have been preserved, before being elected to the papal throne, the former cardinal-priest of San Clemente. Thus, these elements were either directly transferred from the "lower" basilica to the "upper" one, or carefully reconstructed there in the 12th century. In the 9th century, the “lower” basilica was decorated with frescoes that have survived to this day, which are the most valuable monument of Christian fine art of that time.

In the 9th century, the relics of Pope Clement, acquired by Saints Cyril and Methodius in y and brought by the Equal-to-the-Apostles brothers to Rome, were transferred to San Clement. 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 following the capture of Rome by the Normans under Robert Guiscard. Obviously, the degree of damage was such that it was decided not to restore the basilica, but to build a new one in place of the old one. The relics of Clement, Ignatius and Cyril, as well as the most valuable items of decoration, were transferred to the new "upper" basilica. As a result, the existence of the former "lower" basilica under the foundation of the new "upper" one was soon completely forgotten. It was not until 1857 that the prior of San Clemente, Joseph Mulluli, reopened the early Christian basilica to the world as a result of excavations.

Proposed 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, by virtue of their rank, accustomed to being in the presbytery facing the people during Mass, took the indication “to the right of the altar” from their point of view, that is, at the end of the south aisle. The empty tomb discovered in the southern aisle was identified without hesitation as the first burial place of the apostle of the Slavs. This place over time has turned into a Slavic corner. Each Slavic people erected a memorial plaque here with words of gratitude to their educator. Here you can see boards from the Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian, Greek, Croatian peoples; from two commemorative plaques were installed at once - on behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church and on behalf of the youth of Russia.

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

Meanwhile, in the symmetrically located end (to the right of the altar, from the point of view of the laity), a well-preserved fresco of the 9th century “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 in Italian art on this topic. Christ in a fluttering chlamys literally breaks into hell, trampling Satan under his feet, and brings out a.

frescoes

Northern aisle

The outer wall of the right (northern) chapel was once completely covered with frescoes, only partially preserved to this day. To date, it has been possible to identify the plots 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 - 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 original fresco was a portrait of Theodora, whose husband Justinian made large contributions to the Roman basilicas, with two court ladies. In the 9th century, the fresco was rethought and added: Theodora was put on the throne, handed over the baby, and the resulting fresco acquired its current form. 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 one. In the upper part, Christ, surrounded by angels, ascends on a cloud. Directly below him, the Virgin is depicted in the “oranta” pose, that is, with arms raised, 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 to him 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 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, the Ascension is not represented by Christ, but by the Mother of God. In this case, it is believed that Christ, who appeared on a cloud, meets His Mother, who is therefore depicted separately from the apostolic group. An indirect confirmation of this version is the well-known fact of Leo IV's deep reverence for the feast of the Assumption, which received an eight-day afterfeast for the pope. If we accept this version, then in San Clemente there is one of the earliest images of the Ascension of the Virgin in Western iconography. To the right of the "Ascension" are partially preserved frescoes of the 9th century, representing the following scenes: the Crucifixion, the Myrrhbearers in the tomb, 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, the man of God”, written presumably in the interval 1050 - 1100 and covers the last, Roman part of the life of the saint (full life - see article Alexy, man of God). On the left side, dressed in rags, Alexy returns to Rome and meets his father on the road, who does not recognize his son after a seventeen-year separation. Alexy's mother, looking out of the window, also does not see her son in the wanderer. In the middle part of the fresco, the action is transferred seventeen years ahead - 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 opens his hand, and the pope informs those present of the contents of the charter in which Alexy described his life from the moment he left his home. The grief of the parents and the bride of Alexy is vividly depicted by the artist: the sobbing bride hugs the body of her fiancé, and the parents literally tear their hair out.

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 clips representing various episodes of life, events unfold continuously on this fresco, making the viewer a witness to the events. The fresco also testifies that in the 11th century the life of Alexis was known in Rome in its late, final edition, and the veneration of this saint crossed the limits on the Aventine Hill.

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

fresco "Mass of Saint Clement" distinguishes the liveliness and drama of the image, and a complex dramatic narrative, which are not characteristic of traditional Byzantine iconography. The content of the fresco can be conveyed as follows:

• upper case - St. Clement sits on the throne, his predecessors in the Roman chair are coming to him: the Apostle Peter, Saints Lin and Clet. All characters are signed, but their heads are "cut off" by the floor of the "upper" basilica.

• middle register - St. Clement celebrates Mass, among the Christians around him is (on the left hand) a young woman Theodora. Husband of Theodora, noble pagan sissinius, sneaked after his wife to Mass, but became blind and deaf at the prayer of the pope. Church ministers lead Sissinius out of the church.

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

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

But at the prayer of Clement, the blinded servants drag the fragments of the column, mistaking them for a bishop. Clement himself, standing aside, says (already in Latin): “ By your hardness of heart, you are supposed to carry this instead of me.". This is where the fresco ends the story, but their 4th-century document Acta states that Sissinius eventually became a Christian and even a martyr. The swear words of Sissinius, in contrast to the pious plot, give a unique flavor to the entire fresco. This abuse 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 been preserved, since in the 11th century, 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 tells of " Acta”- a source of the 4th century: Pope Clement was thrown by tormentors into the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov tied to an anchor. Then, the angels buried the body of the martyr in an underwater cave. Once a year, the sea receded, and local Christians had the opportunity to bow to the relics of Clement, after which the sea returned back. Further, the fresco, following the source, shows how once a child was forgotten in the tomb, and a year later his mother, having come to the relics of Clement, found her child alive. The underwater world surrounding the tomb is inhabited by fish, jellyfish and rays. The lower register of the fresco depicts St. Clement and donors - the Rapiza family.

Further, the legendary story of Clement tells that over time the sea stopped receding and exposing the tomb of the saint. Only the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius, who went on a mission from Byzantium to the Khazar Khaganate, managed to gain relics. Subsequently, being invited by Pope Nicholas I, the brothers brought the relics of St. Clement to Rome. The successor of Nicholas I, Adrian II, who met them with honor, received Cyril and Methodius. Further, the fresco connects to the story and shows the climax - Pope Nicholas (an artist's mistake, actually Adrian II), accompanied by two brothers, transfers the relics from the cathedral in San Clemente in a procession of the cross.

Opposite the last fresco, that is, on the outer wall of the narthex, a fresco of the 9th century, conventionally called the "Posthumous Court", has been preserved. In the center is a blessing Christ, on his right hand - the archangel Michael and the apostle Andrew, on the left - the archangel Gabriel and St. Clement. Two figures bowed their knees before Christ, called to a posthumous “private” (as opposed to the last “general”) judgment. Today it is generally accepted that these figures are Cyril and Methodius. In this case, the faces surrounding Christ have the following meaning: Clement testifies that the brothers found his relics in y; Andrei, who once preached the gospel to the ancestors of the Slavs, is the forerunner of the mission of the holy brothers, Gabriel acts as a messenger in both the Old (the 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 renewal 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 auspices of Pope Paschal II, until his election to the see in 1099, the former Cardinal of San Clemente. 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" church stand on the basis 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 apse mosaic and choir were recreated, and revered relics were transferred here. During the pontificate of Clement XI (1700-1721) and on his behalf, the architect Carlo Stefano Fontana made a 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 saints revered in the temple - Clement, Ignatius the God-bearer, Cyril and Methodius. In the following centuries, chapels were added to the basilica.

As a result of these reconstructions and additions, the basilica lost its original simplicity and austerity, but acquired numerous baroque features. The most valuable acquisition of the basilica was the frescoes of the 15th century in the chapel of St. Catherine, attributed by scientists 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 Saint 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 increased anti-Catholic persecution, Irish Dominicans came to San Clemente, who manage the basilica and the adjacent monastery to this day.

main portal

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

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 cosmatesco 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 the best work of the 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 in sequence (from the entrance to the altar, that is, from east to west):

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

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

• Saint Cyril (author Pietro Razina);
• the death of Saint Servulus (Latina. Servulus) - a beggar begging in San Clemente, according to the story of Pope Gregory the Great (author Tommaso Chiari);
• Trajan sentences Ignatius the God-bearer to be torn to pieces by beasts (author - Piastrilli);
• farewell of Ignatius with St. Polycarp of Smyrna (by Giacomo Tridge),
• martyrdom of Ignatius in the arena (by Pierleone Gezzi)

Main altar and choir

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 denomination(confessio) - a small chapel containing an ark with the relics of Saints Clement and Ignatius. The altar is covered from above 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 transferred 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 have become part of the tombstone of Cardinal Venerio in the southern aisle of the church.

Marble choirs located in front of the altar (Latina. Scuola Cantorum) were built by Pope John II (533-535) and transferred from the "lower" to the "upper" basilica in the 12th century. On the marble panels of the choirs, a fish, a dove and a cup are carved - early Christian symbols pointing to Christ himself, to the world brought by Christ to those who believe in him, and to the Eucharist. The monograms of the donor, Pope John II, have also been preserved here. The only additions made to the choirs in the 12th century were the second (left) pulpit and the 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, the 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 the cross with the crucified Savior, filled with various meanings:

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

• the source of living water, which Revelation speaks of (“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and the Lamb” ()). From the source, deer or fallow deer quench their thirst (a reminiscence of Psalm 41: "As a doe desires to streams of water, so my soul desires 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 made available thanks to Christ (Rev. 22:2).

• grape, feeding with its juices the branches - members of the church (). The phoenix present on 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 register of the mosaic. Here is a succession of sheep surrounding the Lamb bearing the cross, that is, Christ.

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

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

The triumphal arch that precedes the apse was also made in the 12th century, but may have originated from a mosaic from the "lower" apse. In the center is an image of Christ Pantokrator, holding the Gospel with one hand and blessing the faithful with the other. He is surrounded by four symbolic creatures from Revelation (-8), traditionally depicting the four Evangelists: a calf (Matthew), a lion (Mark), an angel (Luke) and an eagle (John the Theologian). On one side of Christ and beings, Isaiah is represented, calling to bless “the Lord who sits on a high and exalted throne” (), the Apostle Paul and the Great Martyr Lawrence, who “learned from Paul to accept the Cross” (the inscriptions on the scrolls held by 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 Clement “to look at Christ, whom I (that is, Peter) preached to you”

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

Chapels

Chapel of Saint Catherine

The chapel of St. Catherine adjoins 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 life of St. Catherine of Alexandria, Ambrose of Milan and St. Christopher. Most researchers claim that the frescoes are by Masolino and were made between 1428 and 1431, with the exception of the Crucifix, written somewhat earlier by Masaccio. There is an opposite point of view, according to which the frescoes were written, on the contrary, by Masaccio in 1425 - 1428, and Masolino only completed work after the death of his predecessor.

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

• upper case, first panel - Catherine protests against the persecution of Christians in front of Emperor Maxentius;
• lower case, first panel - Catherine wins in a dispute 50 best Alexandrian philosophers;
• upper case, second panel - the prisoner Catherine turns the wife of the emperor Maxentius to Christ, Maxentius orders his wife to be beheaded;
• lower case, second panel - Catherine, sentenced to be wheeled, is miraculously saved by an angel;
• lower case, third panel - Catherine is beheaded;
• upper case, third panel - angels carry the body of Catherine 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, there is a fresco depicting St. Christopher. The latter is notable for 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 known than the chapel of St. Catherine.

SAN CLEMENTE

Waking up from a dream, 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, which was at the pier, was receiving fuel. My bunk was next to a wide window overlooking the deck of the Birch Tide. From the window I saw that San Clemente Island was approaching. For the first time, I could look out on deck from my cabin: before, on oceanographic ships, I had always lived in the lower rooms.

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

We spent the rest of the week working like horses, hauling equipment from the Hugh Tide to the Birch Tide. A huge floating crane lifted our crane and placed it on the deck of the Birch-Tyde. Like last time, the maritime inspector and the insurance company representative inspected the lifting device and its base. We moved provisions, oil, carbon dioxide absorber, tools, electronic equipment, while a special team of welders welded additional wagons to the deck of the Birch-Tyde. Both Saturday and Sunday they were open until midnight. Finally, all the property was transferred to a new ship. The Hugh Tide was now deserted, the deck showing the marks of welding 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 that the loaders, welders, and sailors made over the course of two days, Gaston managed to repair the engine. He found that the water that short-circuited the motor had entered through the manhole cover, which was unscrewed during inspection. The underwater phone, which was not very reliable, was repaired by a representative of the manufacturer. He found that the shortcomings in the operation of the hydrophone were apparently due to the proximity of electric motors, interference from unprotected conductors and various systems installed on board the Saucer.

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

From the bridge, far to the south, the rugged and bare island of San Clemente could be seen rising straight out of the ocean. There is no tree on it, only stones and steep slopes. The island is quite large, 20 miles long and about 6 miles at its widest. The height of the rocks reaches 600 meters.

San Clemente Island is an ideal place for scientific work, since it is a government property, where access is not allowed. Great depths here begin in the immediate vicinity of the coast. At about a mile, the depth reaches its maximum depth, 1200 meters. It was here, about 5 miles from Wilson Bay, that the first launches of Polaris rockets were carried out from a submerged position. This area is called the "pop-up" (surfacing) area. On a special platform, installed at a depth of 75 meters, a trolley was moving along the 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 tests of the Polaris missiles had long ended. Little Joe busied himself in the galley preparing a hearty breakfast. When the Birch Tide served the offshore oilfields, food was prepared for 8-12 people. The galley could accommodate 4-6 diners at the same time. Since sometimes up to 26 eaters gathered on board, the left cockpit was turned into a dining room, or wardroom. At one time, 10 people could be accommodated here. The crew of the ship was still dining in the galley. In the wardroom, we installed an additional refrigerator and TV, which helped while away the evenings. Curtains and wall lamps, as well as photographs of movie stars hung by the inhabitants of the ship, made this room cozy.

Several people gathered around the table discussed new dives.

I wonder what kind of work the navy are going to do here? Joe Thompson said.

They sent us a general work plan, ”I replied. - It includes the detection of objects under water by direction finding, the rise of torpedoes from the bottom of the sea and the testing of some tricky devices. They've built some sort of automatic submersible, and it seems to work pretty well.

Served eggs. About this time Gaston came in, smartly dressed as usual. Cheerfully said "bonjour" and shook hands with everyone.

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

A sparkle appeared in Gaston's eyes, and he said - jokingly, but with a slight hint of mockery:

French croutons made from American bread? Thank you very much!

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

There was a sudden 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. Coming out on deck, I saw that a group of military sailors were climbing on board and about them together - well, of course! - our old friend André Laban, who had left us shortly before. We've heard that he's due back to help us learn how to operate the Saucer. We expected to make many dives, so two operators were required.

Andre Laban, shaven-headed, in a jacket with a 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 an office for us, with a round table and an empty seat at one end. Howard Talkington, a spokesman for the test station, outlined a two-week work plan. He hoped to make two dives a day, so that each of the members of his small group could get comfortable with the "Saucer". In addition to short-term dives, it was supposed to perform a number of rather complex operations. One of them was participation in an exercise to rescue the crew of a submarine. This operation was developed according to the program of deep-sea diving recommended by the management. Another task was to use the "Saucer", equipped with special equipment, for hydro direction finding and recovery of sunken torpedoes with special sound emitters. Howard was hoping to test some of the devices within the first week, as several people from Washington were due to arrive to participate in the dives and generally see how things were going on San Clemente. The specialists of the test station expected that this coastal area could become a testing ground for all kinds of underwater vehicles and devices.

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

The first dive went off without a hitch. It was supposed to examine an underwater hydrophone at a depth of about 90 meters, but, as happened before, there were interruptions in listening to the signals of 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 a couple of dives before things went smoothly. I myself am convinced that a beginner who intends to carry out scientific work becomes familiar with the internal structure of the apparatus and methods only after two or even three dives. Not everyone manages to make valuable observations already during the first dive. At best, he notices only a large section of the steeply sloping sandy bottom, characteristic of the area near San Clemente, and gets an idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe working conditions in 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 military ship painted in ball color. I say "large" because any vessel longer than our 136-foot Birch Tide seemed to me large. This military vessel had the symbol YFU (type of auxiliary vessel) and was equipped with a deep well that communicated with the sea. Today we had to work near him, in addition, "Saucer" had to carry out a number of operations in conjunction with YFU.

The observer was Ed Carpenter. As always, I showed the newcomer all the Saucer devices. During this briefing, I tried to get a good idea of ​​what exactly the observer intended to accomplish. If the operation turned out to be more complicated than usual, I found out its features. Ed Carpenter was the first of the weapons testing station to see how suitable the Saucer was for the rescue of a sunken submarine. Before starting the dive, he briefed André on the course of events. The support vessel YFU moored at three barrels in a 252m deep section. 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 strengthened along it, which the “Saucer” should capture by descending into the nest. The maneuver seemed complicated: it was necessary to hit the end of the rod in the bracket on the hatch of an imaginary submarine. This operation imitated the method now common in the Navy of attaching a McCann rescue chamber to the hatch of a wrecked submarine. Until now, this operation has been carried out only at depths of no more than 240 meters.

We launched Ed and Andre into the water about 150 meters from the support vessel. Val was the diver on duty, and Jerry and I got into the boat. About 20 minutes later, after making sure the Saucer was heading straight for the support vessel, Jerry and I asked permission to board the YFU to watch the operation on TV.

Don't worry, Fred radioed from the 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 that I was present at the launch of the rocket. Everywhere there were technicians in white overalls, there were TVs along one of the walls. Voices croaked in the speakers, two operators pressed buttons and gave some orders, lights flashed.

A dull spot appeared on the screens - it was "Saucer". The underwater phone aboard the YFU, also tuned to 42 kHz, worked great. The hydronauts ruled on the illuminated structure, which was noticed at least 100 meters away. André slowly raised the apparatus above the structure to observe its movement. The excitement on the surface of the sea was quite noticeable, so the structure either went up or down, touching the bottom at one angle, the range of vertical movement was about 30 centimeters. The "saucer" turned away, then moved back to the tray. Each of the 25-30 people gathered was sure that this time Andre would lower the apparatus directly onto the tray. But even such a seemingly simple operation is not so simple: it requires skillful manipulation of the low speed lever and the ballast movement handle. The presence of a current would further complicate it. On the phone, you could hear the engine turning on and off. Then Andre had to take in enough water as ballast at the right time so that the apparatus sat down on the tray. "Saucer" hung in the water, lowering the bow. I watched what was happening with bated breath. We couldn't understand what was the matter. The apparatus remained in this position for quite a long time, at least for several minutes. Carpenter then reported, "We've just dropped the load and are heading up."

Jerry and I squeezed through the crowd and rushed to the motorboat. "What's the matter?" - we broke our heads. A little later, already in the boat, we heard on the phone:

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

To rise to the surface from a depth of 252 meters, "Saucer" took over half an hour. Since the apparatus was devoid of propellers, Andre took water into the ballast tank, thereby reducing buoyancy and slowing down the ascent rate of the Saucer so as not to hit the bottom of the vessel. The hydronauts surfaced at a sufficient distance from the YFU, where the Birch-Tide could maneuver and get them aboard.

Poor Gaston! said Jerry. "He'll probably have to mess around with the Saucer."

We saw Gaston standing in the stern of the Birch Tide, watching Joe lift the Diving Saucer aboard the ship. He looked at him as if he only knew what to break the device when diving.

After a while, I heard Larry say to someone, “It's all about the tubes that are connected to the U-piece. They must have loosened when they repaired the motor last week. Pushover".

We have all adopted the favorite words of Canoe and Gaston. The most common was the phrase: "A trifling matter." For weeks and months it has been our motto, our slogan.

If the first dive that day (serial number 252) was short-lived, then we were very late with the second one. It turned out that every time the preparation for the dive lasted an hour more than we expected. And the diver on duty, dressed in his diving suit, overheated while waiting on deck. But no matter how we hurry, Gaston could not be spurred on: he could not calm down until he checked all the details of the "Saucer".

There was another person on the rescue boat besides Larry and me, Joe Thompson. His duties included checking the cameras and motion pictures: he had to make sure that the cameras were properly loaded with tapes, secured, and the batteries were charged; take care of the devices used for documentary filming. Joe helped observers in difficult times. More than once it turned out that the film in the Edgerton camera jammed and all the beautiful pictures taken by scientists turned out to be spoiled. One of the most important results of underwater work was photographs and films, since they recorded everything that the hydronauts saw and what might subsequently be required for study and report.

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 works intermittently. Sometimes everything turns out well, but the flash does not work. Once, after diving, I discovered that the plug connector was flooded with water, another time it turned out that the contacts in the chamber were very dirty. Apparently, every time you need to check the entire system.

The Edgerton camera was made especially for Cousteau by his old friend and fellow aquanaut Dr. Harold Edgerton. Dr. Edgerton, whom Cousteau jokingly called "Daddy 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 currently used in deep-sea photography by oceanographers around the world. Our camera was not new, and so it took skill and some care to make it work. In San Clemente, photography was on the backburner, and yet Joe did his best to make sure the equipment was in perfect order.

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

Once Fred asked Joe to sit on the crane and lower the "Saucer" into the water at the very moment when he wanted to take some shots for the film. For Joe, it was like a knife through the heart. He really wanted to shoot a sufficient number of frames in six months and make a film about our work.

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

I think, Jerry, it would be nice to put a flashing light on the Saucer. When you have to raise the apparatus, it will surely get dark, - said Fred.

Jerry rushed to the van, where there were various electronic devices, found a tube with a light bulb on one end. It was a xenon flasher filled with epoxy. It was turned on from inside the Saucer. Bright flashes of a flashing light made it possible to detect a device floating in the dark.

The electrical work aboard the Saucer was usually done by Jerry.

The flasher was set and Commander Crowder disappeared into the vehicle, followed by Canoe. The "saucer" was launched into the water. Crowder intended to repeat the operation that had failed the day before. He knew well the area adjacent to the island of San Clemente, as he was one of the commanders of the Seas underwater vehicle developed by naval specialists. "Moray", built by the test station, was a torpedo-shaped mini-boat, designed for two people. She had a high speed, had no portholes 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 track the movements of the device. While the "Saucer" was descending, we heard signals given at regular intervals by an emitter tuned to a frequency of 37 kilohertz. The area where it descended had a depth of 220 meters. Soon the sun went down; we were about half a mile from the coast, in the shadow cast by the steep slopes. We were spinning on our boat, holding just above the "Saucer". According to my calculations, in 12-15 minutes the hydronauts were supposed to sink to the bottom. I thought that they would immediately start moving towards the coast, where the hydrophones were installed.

Watch boat, this is Birch Tide, croaked our radio speaker.

- Birch Tide, we hear you, continue.

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

OK. We'll find out later, I said. Assuming the observer on the Saucer had just started work, I didn't want to disturb him with a phone call.

A cold wind blew from the sea, as if stuffed with ice needles. The radar station, located in the southern part of the island, followed the route of the boat and the Saucer. Knowing our position, we could point the Saucer at 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, this is the patrol boat... this is the boat. Can you hear us? Come back.

I listened. Hissing, rustling, some sounds were heard. Larry thought it was the sound of the engine running the Saucer. I spoke again. But the hydronauts may have picked up the oscillator signals and turned the phone's antenna down. Andre resorted to this technique whenever he performed any complex maneuver. To a certain extent, I understood him, also considering that the phone should always be on in case of an accident. The watch vessel was close to the device and only waited for signals, and did not request it.

From the signals, we noticed that the "Saucer" was slowly moving towards the coast, but not to the west, but in a south-westerly direction. Our coordinates were transmitted from the radar coast 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 the "Saucer", but did not receive confirmation. It looked like Joe Berkich wasn't happy with the communications system, although everything was fine this morning. About 45 minutes have passed, but we have not established contact with him. The course of the "Saucer" changed, we were sure that the hydronauts were moving in the opposite direction, to the open sea! Now Larry tried to contact Saucer. Turning off the engine, made a few calls and began to listen. Only a hiss could be heard. It began to get dark, and, as always, when visibility decreased, the waves seemed to get bigger and steeper. We turned on the stern light on the flagstaff and radioed Fred, who was half a mile away on the Birch Tide, if he could see him. Fred replied that he did.

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

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

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

Captain Marvel, this is Soucoupe speaking. We just found a hydrophone cable, we're moving along it. The dive is going well.

I relayed the message to the Birch Tide, relieved that the hydronauts had finally been found. I was amused by the episode with "shezam". We have long been going to come up with some kind of code designation for the boat. Instead of one common name, to which the serial number of the station is added, as was customary at San Clemente, we wanted to assign each station its own name. The call sign "Niceskater", which denoted all the stations, ships and vehicles that were on the island, we were already fed up with.

Well, it's coming! Larry agreed. - Let our boat be called "Shezam". When we get ashore, I will buy false letters and attach them to the stern.

We followed the movement of the "Saucer" for another half an hour. It got quite dark. The wind picked up a little. The boat tossed on the waves. We cruised back and forth, puzzling over how to get the craft aboard the ship in the dark. Some time later, the hydronauts reported by phone that they had dropped the ballast. After transmitting this message to the Birch Tide, we went to her to take on board the diver on duty. Then they went back and started listening. This time the signals of the beacon and the upward echo sounder were heard. We peered into the water column, each trying to be the first to find the "Saucer".

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

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

Before we had time to exchange these remarks, the bright 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 away from us. The beacon flashed, the small headlights were on. At night, the Diving Saucer was an outlandish, unforgettable sight. Before Canoe could grab the mike, Jerry had hooked up the tow line and was ready to attach the lanyard used to lift the craft.

The apparatus was raised 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 apparatus was more seaward than the hydroacoustic beacon, so we kept a course of 270 °, then began to turn south. Turning to the north, we lay down on a course of 50 °, found a 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, a lot of pegs. Finally found the lighthouse. I took a few shots, photographed all the devices. The device is clean and without any signs of damage.

Some kind of cable goes up from him, - added Kanoe.

Quite right, - said Crowder. - We noticed a cable caught on a cable, it disappeared somewhere above.

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 strength is maximum. During the last ten minutes, the sound was heard 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 hard rocks?

No, just sand. True, at a depth of about 160 meters we found a fault - a very steep wall. The sand suddenly ended, then solid rocks went on.

What character? Rocky?

Perhaps yes. I didn't see any individual rocks. The boundary between rocks and sand is very clear. The steepness of the slope is approximately 30°.

Is there a lot of fauna?

We found fish, starfish, a few crabs. But there were no sponges. The dive was successful as we were the first to see the hydroacoustic beacon. In my opinion, something needs to be done with this twisted cable before something bad happens.

This ended the conversation, and we went to the wardroom for a bite to eat. In the evening, the Deepstar crew was invited to watch the Seas in a hangar located on the island. We usually spent the evenings partying on San Clemente or heading out into the mountains, sometimes staying in the saloon where we were treated to three-week-old magazines and sweets. If there was a good picture, we watched it. Sometimes the movies were new, but most of the time 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 the Murena will more than compensate us for this loss.

The mini-boat "Moray" was designed over several years. As we noticed, some of its nodes in design had much in common with the nodes of the aircraft. The operators sat side by side in one sphere crammed with different instruments, counters, buttons and levers, most of the instruments were duplicated. The second aluminum sphere was in front, where the electronic equipment was located. There were no portholes. The operators set the Seas in motion with the help of a special design of propellers located in the aft part of the apparatus, according to the readings of the sonar installed in the front of the apparatus. 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 apparatus was fundamentally different from our Saucer. He dived not at the expense of cargo or water intake, but by means of mechanisms, and for safety reasons he had positive buoyancy.

Larry and Joe climbed into the apparatus, and one of the operators began to explain the purpose of the devices and levers. Looking inside, I saw that there was almost no free space left. "Morey" gave the impression of a well-thought-out, extremely complex apparatus. I thought about how simple and reliable the design of the Diving Saucer was compared to it. After all, more than 250 dives have already been made on the "Saucer"! True, no submersible is like another, there are many views on the design, construction and method of managing them under water. We left the Morea hangar admiring the boat builders for making such good use of the aircraft's design features, and at the same time we were even more convinced that simplicity of design is just as important.

The next day was rainy, a fresh northwest wind drove waves about a meter high across the sea. According to the program, "Saucer" was supposed to work in conjunction with an underwater controlled rescue 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 taken aboard.

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

For most of the dive, which lasted an hour and a half, the crew of the "Saucer" watched the cable-rope. The observer was Will Foreman, commander of the Deep Jeep, a submersible constructed by the test station, which we later became acquainted with. In addition, the "Saucer" performed maneuvers in order to determine the degree of sensitivity of the sonar installed on the CURV apparatus.

We watched the "Saucer" approach the CURV, which was equipped with a television camera. Until the jets of water-jet devices stirred up the water, everything was visible quite clearly. As our craft approached CURV, one could recognize André's face as he looked out of the porthole. He was warned by phone not to turn on the bright lights, as they could damage the vidicon tube mounted on the TV 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, which looked like a strange spaceship, and extended a mechanical arm to it. The CURV operator, in response to a greeting, opened a huge claw designed to capture torpedoes, and both vehicles shook hands. It was like a scene from a sci-fi movie. Finally, the welcoming ceremony was over. 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 besides, the weather turned bad. The rest of the day was declared non-working. Several people, including the crew of the Saucer, as well as the Canoe, André, and Gaston, had long been eager to see San Clemente. John Theisen, an employee of Photosonix, who did various jobs on the island for the Navy, offered his services as a guide. He has been shooting underwater here for nearly four years. Like all other employees - military personnel and civilians (150 people), he went to Long Beach every week by plane. They were brought back the same way. John got hold of two small two-axle trucks, and we boarded them with all our belongings - cameras, backpacks and hiking boots. The trucks clambered up the steep slope. The tops of the hills, several hundred meters above us, were half-hidden in a misty haze. Low-hanging ragged clouds swept by. Winding through a boulder-strewn valley, the road climbed up and went over a ridge of bare, rounded hills. Down in the east lay the sea, dotted with white lambs. The hills looked greenish from a distance, but up close they were almost devoid of vegetation. True, on the right side of the road there was a sign: "You are entering the San Clemente National Forest Reserve." This "forest" consisted of half a dozen eucalyptus trees neatly 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 we were facing one of the attractions of the island. Fifty meters from the first sign, there was a second sign saying that we had left the San Clemente National Forest. According to John, most of the guests were at a loss as to whether it was a joke or evidence of a serious attempt to create forest plantations. Shortly after the "forest" ended, the road became extremely rough. John contacted Niceskater 1, the main radio control station, and said that we were heading for the southern part of the island.

We drove west, descending the hills. To the northwestern tip of the island, a coast stretched for several miles, littered with shells, stones, fragments of logs.

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

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

Finally, the first truck reached the rock towards which we were heading. Jumping to the ground, we warmed up, brushed off the dust.

From the edge of the cliff below under the cliff, about 100 meters away, I saw a lot of seals near the very edge of the water in a wide area - fawn, brown, even a few completely white. They basked in the sun, which by this time had completely gone out from behind the clouds. The barking calls of seals drowned out the roar of the surf. In the distance, all the way to the horizon, stretched the Pacific Ocean. Dark patches of ripples and cloud shadows lay everywhere. It was a truly open ocean. Long waves 2.5-3 meters high crashed on the rocks. Sometimes a seal fell into the water while playing. In total, at least a thousand animals gathered at the rookery. I noticed that some of the seals were diving into the surf as they came up on the shore. The animals rode the waves. It seemed that this entertainment gave them indescribable pleasure. Suddenly the canoe pushed Gaston and showed him: not far from the coast, large fins cut through the water.

These are orcas, killer whales, - Andre said. - They will eat the seals.

I believed that killer whales are the most cruel and most daring marine predators. With an animal the size of a seal, they can deal with it in no time. Killer whales are said to swallow sea lions. A sea lion is no less than a seal.

We clearly saw the fins of three killer whales circling slowly so close to where the seals frolicked that it seemed a little more, and the killer whales would attack the animals. But nothing happened.

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

By this time, John came up to us.

After all, perhaps the seals are in a trap, aren't they? we asked him.

You don't have to worry about seals, he assured us. They're in shallow water. The depth for the killer whale here is too small, 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 sung.

We breathed a sigh of relief. We would be sorry if such peaceful and cheerful animals were the victims of killer whales.

Leaving Seal Bay, we bounced over potholes and drove towards the beach to see if anything worthwhile had been thrown out by the waves. The foot of the cliff of volcanic origin was replete with grottoes, knocked out by waves. André and Gaston led us to small lakes left after high tide, and took out shellfish from the water, while pronouncing their French names. These were mainly mussels and other bivalves. Gaston treated Canoe and Andre with pleasure. He did not bypass me either. I took the treat, thinking that I would taste something delicious. To my surprise, the treat was bitter, though generally edible, and had a strong seaweed flavor. I refused the second shellfish, believing that one was enough for me.

We entered a small cave, which, narrowing, went somewhere far inland. Unfortunately, we did not think to bring flashlights. And the cave was interesting. We have already managed to find many traces of Indians on the island: whole piles of empty shells and other remnants typical of Indian cuisine. Perhaps inside the cave we would have found some utensils or fragments of weapons. 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 grew stronger every minute. It looked like a heavy truck was going up the slope, but it was a helicopter. Flying over us, the pilot turned on the searchlight and directed a bright beam of light at us. John explained that it was a patrol helicopter, checking to see if everything was in order on the island. Contacting Niceskater 1, John said we were returning.

The sortie distracted us from the monotonous work for two weeks and gave us a good shake. We have already managed to make 15 dives with the scientists of the weapon testing station, that is, twice as much as the norm, but mostly short-term ones, since we wanted more observers to go under water. Since the batteries were rated for four hours, the maximum time for each of the two dives was no more than an hour and a half. Next week, guests who arrived on the island should dive - the highest ranks from the Department of Special Projects of the Navy. We repeated the exercise of recovering sunken torpedoes and rescuing the crew of the submarine - this time everything went much better.

Perhaps the most successful were the operations on Wednesday. It was assumed that the Saucer would bring to the bottom a special device for lifting torpedoes. Previous attempts to do this were unsuccessful, so everyone went out of their way to succeed. The test station scientists constructed a small, lightweight device with two "pincers" that could grab a torpedo. This device was equipped with a remotely activated hydrobenzene gas generator and an inflatable pontoon. The included generator produced gas, which gave the pontoon a lifting force of 45 kilograms. Before diving, the Diving Saucer gripped the device with its mechanical arm, plugged the wire into a socket mounted on the Saucer's body to control the device from inside the device.

For this operation, Val developed a special way to connect the device to the "Saucer" in the water. As soon as the "Saucer" reached the bottom, the operator began to search for a training torpedo equipped with a sonar beacon. During this dive, a crowd of people gathered in front of the televisions on board the support vessel, perhaps twice as many as a week ago. Soon the "Saucer" appeared on the screen, heading for the torpedo. It was reported from him that the sonar was working satisfactorily. The canoe slowly approached the torpedo, considering every move. It was necessary to place the gripping pincers parallel to the axis of the torpedo.

Having completed the first stage of the operation, the "Saucer" began to slowly move back and rise up, since buoyancy increased when it was released from the load. The canoe paused, then turned the Saucer a little. By moving the mercury, he tilted the apparatus forward and closed both claws on the body of the torpedo, at the same time turned on the gas generator and unhooked the gripping device that the "Saucer" held in its mechanical hand. Andre had done the same before, but then the pontoon did not have sufficient lifting power. Now we are looking forward to the completion of the operation. The "saucer" moved slightly away, only its front part was visible on the screen. It took about a minute until the pontoon was full. The torpedo stirred and finally broke away from the bottom, then began to float. Everyone shouted "hurrah", as if at the launch of some extraordinary rocket. It was announced on the ship's broadcast network that the torpedo could be seen on the port side at 15 meters. The crew boat was at the ready. All naval commanders gathered near the railing, watching the place of the alleged torpedo ascent. Several minutes passed. It would be high time to see the torpedo. Suddenly, a cry came from the mine: “She is here, right in the mine!”

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

Now it was time to complete the second part of the program. The canoe brought the "Saucer" close to the frame and quickly lowered the apparatus into the nest, which this time was a car tire. Thanks to the front camera, we could see how the mechanical arm stretched out, how the claw opened over the bar and closed, holding it tightly. The hardest part remained. The "saucer" was supposed to advance several meters and insert the barbell into the eye - a ring with a diameter of several centimeters. At the first attempt, the Canoe missed. Moving the "Saucer" and then stopping it proved to be a difficult manoeuvre. The second time the Canoe began to advance cautiously, as if taking aim. The attempt was a success: he hit the target. The spectators aboard the ship cheered again. And not without reason. It was the first operation of its kind using an underwater controlled vehicle. No other deep-sea vehicle, as far as I know, has been able to perform such an operation with such clarity and speed. On the same day, a little later, Andre did a similar trick, but in more difficult conditions. Despite the current at a speed of 0.3 knots, he discovered and raised 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. The skill of Canoe and André as operators made a great impression on everyone and made it possible to successfully carry out a whole series of dives. At the same time, our entire team gained valuable experience and managed to work together properly. True, not everything depended only on us. Joint efforts, coordination of surface assets with underwater devices - that was the key to success.

We were to make a number of dives in the vicinity and then prepare for the next expedition to the Gulf of California. The most interesting was ahead.

The Basilica of San Clemente has been around since 384. The church was built on the site of the house that belonged to the holy martyr
Clement, Pope of Rome (91-100), shortly after the death of the saint, who followed in Chersonese Tauride, where he was exiled, by order of Trajan. She saw the difficult years of the city, the raids of Alaric and other barbarian troops, the fire during the capture of Rome by the Normans in 1084, and a lot of things in her lifetime. It stands between the Colosseum and San Laterano, since the middle of the 19th century, archaeological excavations have been carried out here, during which the very first basilica was found, and under it even more ancient buildings of the 1st century. What we see now is a 12th century building.
The basilica is named after Pope Clement, whose relics were brought from the Crimea by Cyril and Methodius, the famous enlighteners. In 1869 Cyril was also buried here.

Let us give the floor to Stendhal, who visited here on October 15, 1828.
"You will have to remember this church if you ever seriously want to study the great mechanism of civilization and the idea of ​​eternal bliss, which is called "Christianity". In this respect, the church of San Clemente is the most curious in Rome.
The porch, whose borders in 417 (Stendhal believed that the basilica was founded in 417) was not crossed by sinners unworthy to be with other believers, is now a small portico in front of San Clemente with four columns (work of the 9th century). Next comes the courtyard, surrounded by a portico, where Christians were located, whose conscience was not in the best condition.
The church in the proper sense of the word is divided into three naves by two rows of columns taken from different pagan buildings. in the middle
there is a white marble fence with the monogram of Pope John the 8th, who ruled in 872 ...
In San Clemente, the sanctuarium, located in the same way as in the churches of the Greek religion, is completely separated from the rest of the church. There are the chairs of the bishop who conducts the service, and the priests who helped him during the service. "

In the basilica, you can see Christian mosaics from the 12th century and paintings by Masaccio.
The huge mosaic in the apse was made in the 12th century, but researchers believe that it repeated an earlier, 5th century one.

The main motif of the mosaic is the Tree of Life, lost by people and regained, thanks to the coming of Jesus Christ. In the center is an image of the crucified Christ. The 12 doves sitting on the cross symbolized the 12 apostles.

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

Below is the source of living water, which Revelation speaks of (“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and the Lamb” (Rev. 22: 1).) Deer or fallow deer quench their thirst from the source - image test of Psalm 41: "As a doe desires to streams of water, so my soul desires to You, O God!"

The triumphal arch that precedes the apse was also made in the 12th century. 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, traditionally depicting the four Evangelists: a calf (Matthew), a lion (Mark), an angel (Luke) and an eagle) John the Theologian. On one side of Christ and beings are Isaiah, calling to bless “the Lord who sits on a high and exalted throne” (Is. 6: 1), the apostle Paul and the great martyr Lawrence, who “learned from Paul to accept the Cross” (the inscriptions on the scrolls are quoted, held in the hands of the saints).

On the other hand, Jeremiah is depicted, asserting: “This is our God, and no one else can compare with Him” (Var.3.36), Clement and the apostle Peter, calling Clement “to look at Christ, whom I (that is, Peter) preached to you »

There are older frescoes in the basilica.

The Chapel of Saint Catherine was erected between 1411 and 1431, when its founder, Cardinal Branda di Catiglione, was Cardinal Priest of San Clemente. The chapel is painted by masters of thought: Masolino and Masaccio, there is still no clear division of authorship.
Stendhal highly appreciates Masaccio: "The virtues of this artist can only be understood by living two years in Italy. Masaccio died 42 years old, probably from poison (in 1443). This is one of the greatest losses that art has ever suffered. If Masaccio had been born a hundred years later, when painting had already created great examples, he would have become a rival to Raphael, possessing an equal genius with him.
The fresco is really very harmonious in color and composition.

) is one of the first Christian basilicas in the city. The church is dedicated to Pope Clement, who lived at the dawn of Christianity.

Church history

Inside, San Clemente is beautifully decorated, but it is better known due to the fact that it also contains the remains of the ancient temple of the 3rd century, on the site of which San Clemente was built. After visiting the church, you can also go down to the lower level of the building and explore the archaeological excavation area, which will take the visitor back to the times of Ancient Rome.

At the end of the first century AD, there was a Roman insula on the site of San Clemente, which eventually became a meeting place for the first Christians. This community of Christians was known under the name titulus Clementis, which, according to Roman tradition, most likely denoted the name of the owner of the building. Some believe that it was the Roman consul Titus Flavius ​​Clement.

At the end of the third century courtyard this insula was turned into a temple of Mithras, whose cult was very popular at that time. Some time later, a basilica was built over this courtyard of the inuslu. After the persecution of Christians ceased in Rome, the temple of Mithras was turned into a Christian basilica. The remains of this particular basilica can be seen today in the area of ​​archaeological excavations.

It was a very revered church at the dawn of Christianity. In the 5th century, two ecclesiastical councils were held in San Clemente. In the 6th, 8th and 9th centuries, they were rebuilt and restored. In 1084, the church was badly damaged during the Norman attack on. By this time the church level of the church was five meters below the level of Rome, and the San Clement building itself was unsafe. Thus, it was decided to build a new one on top of the old church, which was done in 1108.

Church architecture

This church has survived to this day almost unchanged. In the 18th century, San Clemente was restored, and in the 19th century, excavations began on the first Christian basilica. upper church is one of the most richly decorated churches in Rome. Visitors can view 12th-century mosaics, Renaissance frescoes, and richly decorated tombs.

In the lower level of the church of San Clemente, you can see the remains of the Roman insula, altar of the Temple of Mithras, and the remains of the first Christian basilica. Also in the church are the relics of the Enlightener Cyril.

Church of San Clemente on the map

From an architectural and historical point of view, the Basilica of St. Clement, mentioned in chronicles since the end of the 4th century, is one of the most remarkable churches in Rome. The first basilica was almost buried under the ashes of a fire that broke out in Rome after the Norman raid in 1084. In the 12th century, at the insistence of Pope Pasquale II, another building was erected over the ruined old building. The new temple was built on the model of the ancient one, and inherited from it the simplicity of forms, as well as some architectural details that could be preserved. Thus, despite all subsequent reconstructions, the temple bears the typical features of the early Christian church. Due to the fact that it was impossible to repeat the dimensions of the first building of the basilica, because the foundation of its right nave was very badly destroyed, the new right nave was made already the left one. However, the asymmetry of the church does not detract from its artistic and historical value.

Firstly, in addition to the general architectural structure, frescoes of amazing freshness have been preserved from the first church, which are perhaps the first example of a visual transition from Latin to Italian. The protagonist of the frescoes is Saint Clement. The plot of one of the frescoes is dedicated to the salvation of the baby, the second - the arrival of the relics of the saint in Rome, in the central nave depicts the comic story of the Roman prefect, the pagan Sisinnius. According to legend, Saint Clement converted Theodora, the wife of Sisinnius, to Christianity by persuading her to take a vow of chastity. The dissatisfied Sisinnius, who suspects his wife of having a relationship with a preacher, makes a scandal in the church, for which he is expelled from the church - this is what the upper part of the fresco tells about. Below is a scene where Sisinnius orders the servants to throw the saint out of the house, the same in retaliation blinds the servants of the prefect, as a result of which they throw a fragment of the column out of the house. Not only does the whole fresco look very much like a comic book, as replicas fly out of the mouths of the characters, it also contains the first inscriptions that have survived to this day in Volgar - colloquial Italian. For example, Sisinius shouts to the servants: “Fili de le pute, traite!”, which means “Son of bitches, pull!”. Other vulgar expressions, with which the blinded servants swear under the weight of the column, are also depicted in the fresco.

In addition to comic frescoes, the interior of the Basilica of St. Clement is replete with other significant details. The mosaic floor of the church in the cosmatesco style and the magnificent sparkling mosaic of the Tree of Life of the 12th century, depicting birds of paradise and deer at a watering hole, are very interesting. Also noteworthy are the carved choirs of the 12th century, the wonderful Chapel of Santa Caterina, painted by Masolino, with scenes from the life of the learned beauty of St. Catherine of Alexandria. At the very end of the left nave is the tomb of St. Cyril, the creator of the Slavic alphabet.

Visitors to the Basilica of St. Clement today have the opportunity to go down - to the level of the III century, and inspect the ancient temple of Mithra, discovered not so long ago, which stood on this site in imperial times. At the back of the room is a white marble altar with a bas-relief depicting Mithra, the god of light, killing a bull. Here you can hear the sound of an underground river and see with your own eyes the full depth of the cultural layers that cover Rome.