“Explore with us the Eternal City’s undergrounds: a journey through hidden secrets, crypts, temples and ancient roman structures that are now buried several feet below the surface of modern Rome. ”
Follow your guide over 15 feet below street level to discover the Stadio di Domiziano (Stadium of Domitian), a buried treasure hidden beneath Piazza Navona. This unique UNESCO World Heritage Site was Rome’s first permanent venue for competitive athletics, the first and only known example of a masonry stadium that could have seated up to 20,000 spectators.
We will then proceed to visit the underground structures under the church of Santa Maria in Via Lata where it is claimed that St. Paul himself spent two years of his life in the crypt under the church whilst waiting for his trial. Surrounded by rare and carefully preserved frescoes, your guide will walk you through the first Christian place of worship discovered here, a 5th-century oratory (chapel with welfare centre) constructed within the remains of a large Roman warehouse some 250 meters long. You will then admire an ancient Roman well signalling the presence of pristine waters that, according to the legend, appeared thanks to the prayers of Saint Paul while imprisoned.
Our journey then continues to the ancient Vicus Caprarius, Ancient Roman alleyway and road that serves as an entrance to one of Rome’s most treasured landmarks: the ancient ruins beneath the Trevi Fountain. Once inside, you will be able to witness the well-preserved area giving you a glimpse into what Roman architecture and way of life was like thousands of years ago.
On this journey through time, you will be able to touch first hand Rome’s millennial stratification and observe the archaeological evidence of the great events that characterised the city’s history: from the realisation of Aqua Virgo aqueduct to the fire of Nero, from the sack of Alarico to the siege of the Goths. A unique opportunity to see a part of Rome accessible to few!
