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ROME

Five of the best underground sites to escape the heat in Rome

If you're flagging in Rome's summer heat, heading to a subterranean ruin is one of the best ways to cool down without sacrificing precious sightseeing time.

Published: 31 July 2024 16:00 CEST
The soaring vaulted ceilings of Nero's buried 'Golden Palace'.
The soaring vaulted ceilings of Nero's buried 'Golden Palace'. Photo by ANDREAS SOLARO / AFP.

So you booked a holiday to Rome at one of the hottest times of the year and are now considering spending the rest of your trip spreadeagle on your bed under your hotel room’s AC unit.

Fortunately, salvation is at hand: the Eternal City is built of on top of a vast network of ancient underground dwellings, cemeteries and churches, all of which are well worth visiting, and many degrees cooler than the surface temperature.

READ ALSO: Seven tips for surviving (and enjoying) Rome in summer

Here are five of the best sites to escape the heat in Rome while soaking in some history and culture – as with most of the city’s attractions, you’ll want to book in advance to make sure you secure a slot.

Domus Aurea

Located under the Parco del Colle Oppio, within striking distance of the Colosseum, Nero’s ‘Golden Palace’ remained buried for hundreds of years until it was rediscovered by accident during the 15th century.

The tour takes you deep underground, where you’ll have the opportunity to see original frescoes and mosaics and participate in a virtual reality experience showing how the sprawling complex would have looked 2,000 years ago.

Where: Via della Domus Aurea, 00184 Roma

When: Friday-Sunday, 9.15am-5pm

How much: €18 full price, €2 for EU citizens 18-25, under-18s go free for entry without tour. €8 per person extra for guided tour with VR experience. 

Visitor participate in a VR experience at the Domus Aurea. Photo by ANDREAS SOLARO / AFP.

Basilica of San Clemente

A unique tiered ruin spanning three levels and hundreds of years, the Basilica di San Clemente is an opulent 12th century basilica above a 4th century church converted from the house of a Roman nobleman, with 11th century frescoes.

Below this is a first century complex featuring, among other things, the ruins of Roman homes, a part of the ancient city’s imperial mint, a Mithraic temple, and a stream of water running through a still-operational ancient Roman pipe.

READ ALSO: Tourism: Five lesser-known museums to visit in Rome this summer

Where: Via di S. Giovanni in Laterano, 45, 00184 Roma

When: Monday-Saturday, 9am-12pm and 2pm-5.30pm; 12pm-5.30pm on Sundays and holidays

How much: €10 full price booked online in advance or €12 at the door, €5 for students under 26, free for under-16s accompanied by at least one adult.

Catacombs of San Callisto

Rome is full of labyrinthine networks of underground tombs, and none is more famous than the Catacombs of San Callisto, the Roman Church’s official cemetery in the third century.

At this burial site on the ancient Appian Way outside the city centre, you’ll find the Crypt of the Popes, which once contained the remains of nine popes and eight bishops.

READ ALSO: Six of the coolest places to go in Italy to avoid a heatwave

It’s worth noting that the bones were removed some time ago; for a spookier experience, you might want to consider Rome’s ‘Bone Church’, the Capuchin Crypt, where the walls are lined with skulls, bones, and the mummified remains of monks in their robes – a true memento mori.

Where: Via Appia Antica, 110, 00179 Roma

When: Every day except Wednesdays, 9am-12pm and 2pm-5pm

How much: €10 full price, €7 for children aged 7-16, free entry for children under 6.

Domus Romane of Palazzo Valentini

In front of Trajan’s forum, seven metres below the opulent 16th century Palazzo Valentini palace, sits a complex of two luxurious 4th century Roman villas, discovered as recently as 2005 during excavation works.

READ ALSO: Six places to escape the crowds in Rome

Visitors can explore the underground site via an impressive augmented reality tour that uses projected images to bring the ruins to life.

Augmented reality light projections enhance visitors’ experience at the Domus Romane. Photo by ANDREAS SOLARO / AFP.

Where: Foro Traiano, 85, 00186 Roma

When: Every day except Tuesdays, 10am-6.30pm; special open evenings Friday-Sunday, Jul 5 to Sept 22nd, 7.00 pm-11.00 pm

How much: €12 full price, €8 for children aged 6-17, free for children under 6, plus €1.50 reservation fee.

Case Romane del Celio

Tucked away on the approach to Rome’s pretty but well-hidden Villa Celimontana park just around the corner from the Colosseum, you’ll find these well-preserved ancient Roman houses that once served as a place of worship for early Christians.

The complex consists of about 20 rooms spread over two villas underneath a 4th century basilica. Though you can buy an audio guide for €5, visitors tend to recommend booking a guided tour; these are only available in English via a group reservation.

Where: Clivo di Scauro, 00184 Roma

When: Every day except Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10am-3pm.

How much: €8 full price, €6 for children aged 6-14 and groups of over 12 people, free for children under 6, plus €2 per person booking fee.

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TOURISM

Five lesser-known museums to visit in Rome this summer

As one of the most popular tourist destinations on earth, Rome’s well-known museums are often crowded and can be hot as a result. Here are some alternative museums to visit.

Published: 29 July 2024 13:03 CEST
Five lesser-known museums to visit in Rome this summer

If you’re planning on going to Rome this summer, be warned: queuing in the boiling heat is not for the faint of heart. With temperatures soaring up to 40°C on almost a daily basis, preparing a trip with precision to the Eternal City has never been more pressing.

It’s advisable to book popular spots such as The Vatican Museums or The Colosseum via their official websites to spend less time waiting in the heat.

However, whilst they are captivating, there are other less popular museums dotted around Rome that are perhaps just as interesting. 

Here are a few.

National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia

Housed in opulent Villa Giulia, the National Etruscan Museum showcases masterpieces from an era even more ancient than the Roman Empire. 

READ ALSO: How to get free access to Rome’s museums with the MIC card

Gems include sculptures such as the Sacrophagus of the Spouses (530 – 520 BCE), Apollo of Veii (510 – 500 BCE), and the Head of Leucotea (340 – 330 BCE). The museum also has the golden Pygri Tablets, which are written in Etruscan and Pheonician, the language of ancient Carthage (now Tunis). They’re 2,500 years old. 

Where: Piazzale di Villa Giulia, 9,  00196 Rome, Italy.

How much: €12 and tickets can be purchased from the official site.

The head of the Etruscan terracotta statue of Apollo of Veii at the National Etruscan Museum. Photo by: VINCENZO PINTO / AFP.

Spezieria di Santa Maria della Scala

For something a bit more unusual, yet equally wonderful, check out the oldest pharmacy in Rome (and reportedly Europe). Nestled in the bustling Trastevere zone, the Spezieria was founded in the 16th century for friars living in a convent nearby.

READ MORE: What you need to know about Italy’s free museum Sundays

The hall has old instruments for weighing medicine, apothecary jars, frescoed ceilings. It has quite an exclusive feel too: only 20 people are allowed inside. 

Where: Piazza della Scala, 23, 00153 Rome, Italy.

How much: €5 on site, but it is advisable to contact them via email at [email protected] first. 

Ara Pacis Museum

The Ara Pacis (Altar of Peace) is truly a marvel. The glass museum that hosts it was designed by acclaimed American architect Richard Meier, and opened in 2006. The altar was built and sculpted to celebrate Rome’s power under Augustus and was inaugurated in 9 BCE. 

It was then unearthed again in 1937, due to the efforts of archaeologist Giuseppe Moretti. The altar has previously been buried due to the terrain and numerous River Tiber floodings. 

Where: Lungotevere in Augusta ,00186, Rom, Italy.

How much: €12 but it is advisable to contact them via email at [email protected] first.

US architect Richard Meier during the inauguration of the new museum, the Ara Pacis sacrifical altar. Photo by: GIULIO NAPOLITANO / AFP.

Hendrik Christian Andersen Museum

Built between 1922 and 1925, Hendrik Christian Andersen’s museum hosts an array of sculptures chiselled by the Norwegian artist. 

There are over 200 of his sculptures inside, mainly on the ground floor. The first floor is kept for temporary exhibitions for alternative artists. Andersen died in Rome in 1940 and his grave can be visited at the Protestant Cemetery in Rome’s Piramide area.

READ MORE: Six places to escape the crowds in Rome

Where: Via Pasquale Stanislao Mancini, 20 , 00196 Rome, Italy.

How much: €6 and they can be bought online here.

VIGAMUS – The Video Game Museum of Rome

If art is not your thing, there are still museums around for you. Take the 12-year-old video game museum for instance, a centre dedicated to the origins and culture of video games. 

Expect to find Game Boys everywhere, large figurines of game characters and games. It’s an interactive experience for anyone seeking to do something beyond the usual in Rome.

Where: Via Sabotino 4, 00195, Rome, Italy.

How much: €10 and they can be bought online here

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