Underground Rome

Description

Under modern Rome there is another Rome… a fascinating and mysterious Rome rich in history, art and treasures. The itinerary that allows you to experience a journey through centuries of history starts at the Basilica of San Clemente. With its two underground levels, this church gives a perfect idea of a main characteristic of Rome: the urban stratification. This early Christian church of the 4th century, with its medieval fresco paintings still in good condition, is well preserved under the Church of the 12th century.

Going further down, you will reach two other ancient Roman buildings. One of them hosts a small temple dedicated to the pagan god Mithra, an eastern solar deity whose cult was imported from Asia Minor to Rome and spread above all among the military class.

The other site that will be part of your exploration of underground Rome is the small, but really interesting, archaeological area of the Vicus Caprarius, just south of the Trevi fountain. During restoration works of the modern Cinema Trevi, remains of two ancient Roman buildings, were found underneath it. Archaeologists excavated 400 m² (4,300 sq. ft.) of rubble that covered the remains of two imperial residences. They found a reservoir of an aqueduct, the Acqua Vergine, that connects to the nearby Trevi Fountain, as well as many items such as vases, statues, coins, mosaics, inscriptions.

Getting a true feel for Rome entails digging below the surface – both symbolically and literally. Most of the ancient Rome is still being excavated today in the course of street work and other infrastructural improvements, at some points 30 feet below the modern city.

On this exciting Underground Rome Tour, we’ll join expert speleologists or archaeologists for an in-depth exploration of Rome’s underground, including crypts, sewers and buried temples. We’ll look at some of the latest discoveries, while also narrating about urban layering, the relationship between the modern city and its history, and the cutting edge of Roman archaeology.

• Explore ancient architecture underneath the streets of Rome
• Discover Crypta Balbi, a museum below a Renaissance palace
• Led by an professional speleologist or archaeologist

Rome Tour: An Insight into Rome’s fascinating and forgotten past

There are centuries of history hidden inside the subterranean layers beneath the three churches that we invite you to visit with us on this Rome group tour, an interesting journey into the bowels of the earth.

There were tough centuries for Rome, from its journey as capital of a grand empire to a small province living under constant threat of wars and economic & archaeologist and political crises. Even after Constantine moved the capital of the empire to Constantinople in 330 AD, Rome still numbered around 460,000 inhabitants in the 5th century AD.

And yet, there were no more than 27,000 inhabitants by the 8th century AD. This radical decline in the population concurred with the old political institutions falling into neglect and the rise of new power structures taut to the papacy.

Meanwhile, the large areas of the city within the ancient walls were abandoned or changed to vegetable gardens, and complete structures were reformed as the Christian churches.

Explore the subterranean layers of hidden Rome

Under modern Rome, there is another Rome… a fascinating and mysterious Rome that is rich in history, art and treasures. The Rome Tour itinerary allows you to experience a journey through centuries of history starts at the Basilica of San Clemente.

With its two underground levels, this church gives a perfect idea of a main characteristic of Rome: the urban stratification. This early Christian church of the 4th century, with its medieval fresco paintings still, in good condition, is well preserved under the Church of the 12th century.

Going further down, you will reach two other ancient Roman buildings. One of them hosts a small temple dedicated to the pagan god Mithra, an eastern solar deity whose cult was imported from Asia Minor to Rome and spread above all among the military class.

The other site that will be part of your exploration of underground Rome is the small, but really interesting, archaeological area of the Vicus Caprarius, just south of the Trevi fountain. During restoration works of the modern Cinema Trevi, remains of two ancient Roman buildings were found underneath it.

Archaeologists excavated 400 m² (4,300 sq. ft.) of rubble that covered the remains of two imperial residences. They found a reservoir of an aqueduct, the Acqua Vergine that connects to the nearby Trevi Fountain, as well as many items such as vases, statues, coins, mosaics, inscriptions.

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