rt of the church is structurally much as it was in the Middle Ages, the church was restored in the 18th century and so reflects Enlightenment ideals of the perfect church as well medieval ones (McKechnie, 2002, p. 138).
The 18th-century restoration creates a sort of shell around what is in many ways a typical medieval church, albeit in this case an especially fine example of one. There is a central nave with the two typical side aisles that are visually divided as well as physically supported by columns of marble and granite and a Cosmetesque pavement created by the 'Cosmati' masons whose fame was widespread in the 12th and 13th centuries and whose legacy, nearly a thousand years later, including some of the most beautiful stonework in the work. The pavement of San Clemente is typical of their finest work left a legacy of some of the most beautiful ornament in the world, distinguished by complex geometric patterns (Pajares-Ayuela, 2002, p. 19). The intricacy of the work creates an affect that is almost three-dimensional and creates a visual link between ground and the mosaics on the walls and ceiling (Kulterman, 1994-5, p. 12).
This "new" basilica of the church, constructed by Pope Paschal II in 1108, also includes a white marble choir. whose simplicity stands in contrast to the highly decorated arch. The basilica as a whole was meant to echo an older structure that had been
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