UNDERGROUND ROME TOUR
Private Walking Tour (3 hours - from 195 €)
This private tour is recommended to those who want to make a journey back in time to discover a humble and silent Rome...
You have probably seen the Vatican Museums, the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, numerous Baroque and Renaissance churches but maybe you don't know that below the streets, the squares and the churches lies a hidden city. This unique tour is a sophisticated journey back in time to discover a humble and silent Rome and to experience the immense beauty hiding underneath Rome.
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:
1- The Basilica of St. Clement (with subterranean levels), a unique place for experiencing an archaeological timeline from Ancient Rome to the beginning of Christianity and the Middle Ages. Below the Basilica itself, we can visit the IV century early christian church and I century roman building and one of the most interesting underground sanctuary dedicated to the God Mithras brought to Rome in the 1C BC by the Roman legions posted in the Eastern provinces.
2- Roman Houses of the Caelian Hill: this archaeological complex below the Basilica of St. John and Paul cover many different layers of housing, from the 2nd to the 4th centuries AD, particularly interesting for the original pagan and christian frescoes (closed on Tuesdays and Thursday)
3- Basilica of SS. Sylvester and Martin (one of the oldest ones of Rome). The Basilica is located on Colle Oppio near the Colosseum and its exact name is Basilica of Santi Silvestro and Martino ai Monti. This church is the classic example of an underground space from the Roman era, and it is possible to see in a clear way the stratification of buildings that took place over time. A hidden gem worth visiting.
Note that if book this tour on Tuesdays or Thursdays, due to the closure of the Roman Houses of the Caelian Hill, upon request we can visit one of the two following beautiful sites:
a) Vicus Caprarius: The site, excavated between 1999 and 2001, contains two ancient Roman apartment buildings of a neighborhood of the imperial age, gradually abandoned as Rome lost population and contracted. The excavated ruins here show two houses which can be dated to the 12th and 13th centuries, and were built from discarded bricks and tufa blocks from prior buildings from this site or nearby that were subject to multiple renovations over the centuries. (Vicus Caprarius is closed on Mondays). One of the apartments’ ground-floor was turned into a water distribution tank, the only one preserved of the aqueduct, called “Virgo”, built in 19 BC. Twenty-five metres below the surface of the city of Rome, the Aqua Virgo has flowed almost continuously since 19BC. We will take a walk in Emperor Augustus's miracle of hydraulic engineering.
b) Capuchin Crypt: a small space of six chambers like chapels containing nearly 4000 bodies belonging to the Capuchin Friars. The Capuchin Friars belong to a Roman Catholic religious order of brothers and priests, inspired by the ideals of St. Francis. Such ideals place emphasis on living as simply as possible whilst possessing a passion for peace, honesty and charity. This all seems normal enough, so that's why the existence of Capuchin Crypt - aka the Bone Cemetery - appears even more surprising and bizarre.
c) The Basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere - Today it's a beautiful baroque church that sits atop a grand house that archeologists believe might have belonged to a branch of the Caecilii Metelli, one of Rome's most famous senatorial families. Here many rooms and even the granary are preserved almost intact.
You have probably seen the Vatican Museums, the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, numerous Baroque and Renaissance churches but maybe you don't know that below the streets, the squares and the churches lies a hidden city. This unique tour is a sophisticated journey back in time to discover a humble and silent Rome and to experience the immense beauty hiding underneath Rome.
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:
1- The Basilica of St. Clement (with subterranean levels), a unique place for experiencing an archaeological timeline from Ancient Rome to the beginning of Christianity and the Middle Ages. Below the Basilica itself, we can visit the IV century early christian church and I century roman building and one of the most interesting underground sanctuary dedicated to the God Mithras brought to Rome in the 1C BC by the Roman legions posted in the Eastern provinces.
2- Roman Houses of the Caelian Hill: this archaeological complex below the Basilica of St. John and Paul cover many different layers of housing, from the 2nd to the 4th centuries AD, particularly interesting for the original pagan and christian frescoes (closed on Tuesdays and Thursday)
3- Basilica of SS. Sylvester and Martin (one of the oldest ones of Rome). The Basilica is located on Colle Oppio near the Colosseum and its exact name is Basilica of Santi Silvestro and Martino ai Monti. This church is the classic example of an underground space from the Roman era, and it is possible to see in a clear way the stratification of buildings that took place over time. A hidden gem worth visiting.
Note that if book this tour on Tuesdays or Thursdays, due to the closure of the Roman Houses of the Caelian Hill, upon request we can visit one of the two following beautiful sites:
a) Vicus Caprarius: The site, excavated between 1999 and 2001, contains two ancient Roman apartment buildings of a neighborhood of the imperial age, gradually abandoned as Rome lost population and contracted. The excavated ruins here show two houses which can be dated to the 12th and 13th centuries, and were built from discarded bricks and tufa blocks from prior buildings from this site or nearby that were subject to multiple renovations over the centuries. (Vicus Caprarius is closed on Mondays). One of the apartments’ ground-floor was turned into a water distribution tank, the only one preserved of the aqueduct, called “Virgo”, built in 19 BC. Twenty-five metres below the surface of the city of Rome, the Aqua Virgo has flowed almost continuously since 19BC. We will take a walk in Emperor Augustus's miracle of hydraulic engineering.
b) Capuchin Crypt: a small space of six chambers like chapels containing nearly 4000 bodies belonging to the Capuchin Friars. The Capuchin Friars belong to a Roman Catholic religious order of brothers and priests, inspired by the ideals of St. Francis. Such ideals place emphasis on living as simply as possible whilst possessing a passion for peace, honesty and charity. This all seems normal enough, so that's why the existence of Capuchin Crypt - aka the Bone Cemetery - appears even more surprising and bizarre.
c) The Basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere - Today it's a beautiful baroque church that sits atop a grand house that archeologists believe might have belonged to a branch of the Caecilii Metelli, one of Rome's most famous senatorial families. Here many rooms and even the granary are preserved almost intact.
Read what my guests wrote about this tour
If I could award more than 5 stars to Dino, I would! Dino kept us completely engaged throughout this tour - my 15 year old son initially started the tour in an extremely tired state (as we had been trying to pack in a lot into our holiday in the earlier stages) but Dino won him over in no time. Dino was a gem - he was extremely knowledgable in the history and details (plus urban legends!) of the sites we visited and kept everything interesting. Thanks Dino - this tour was the highlight for us in Rome! Serena T., USA
Dino is a local, has terrific expert knowledge, and was also really good company. This tour is better suited to people who really like to see the history of Rome in terms of how what e see today has been built upon over so many centuries, and want to see that history with their own eyes. It was fascinating. It is probably not so good for a younger crowd, my teenagers were getting a little restless by the end, although they found the tour very interesting. Brett G., USA
My wife and I had both been to Rome before. We asked Dino to design a day tour that would expose us to new things, He delivered in spades. He is incredibly knowledgeable and a pleasure to be with. I can recommend him without reservation to anyone who wants a super guide. After the tour he followed up with emails about further sights and restaurants. William L., USA