Rome – 16 curious and secret places you should see

Roma It is one of those cities that you will surely not visit just once in your life. Its dimensions and great heritage make it a city that gives rise to returning with the intention of discovering new places of enormous interest.

And you will see the amazing places that I am going to show you for that return to the city.

A first trip always includes the classics, the Colosseum, the Roman Forum or the Vatican, which we have summarized in this article.

• Rome on a first trip

But these places are the ones that are always visited as soon as you arrive in Rome or if your trip is a getaway of one or two days, the more time you have, the more things you can see.

In our case we have traveled to the city many times because we have friends living there and with each new visit, we have expanded our knowledge of Rome to less and less touristy places.

It really is a surprising city, it has amazing places that are barely talked about.

And competing with the great monuments is difficult for other places in the city when it comes to attracting the attention of tourists.

At the outset and before showing you the curious and interesting places that Rome has, in this article that we leave you below, you have extensive information about the essential visits that you have to make if you want to see the most important things about the city in a little more depth.

To see the 22 sites that we propose you will need at least 3 or 4 days.

• 22 best places to see and visit in Rome.

But below we are going to discover new places, some of them very curious, that you can visit on successive trips to Rome or even intersperse them with major visits.

By the way, we also have a video that we leave you here in which you can see all the places that appear in the article.

Circus Maximus in Rome

Haven't you heard of the Circus Maximus, the largest entertainment building built by man, 600 meters long and with a capacity of up to 300.000 spectators?

Or maybe yes, but you don't know what you can visit.

Located very close to the Coliseum, today you can only see the space it occupied, since unfortunately it was lost over time.

The park that currently occupies that space allows you to guess its majesty, but it is no less important, since you can perfectly see the route that the chariots traveled.

The chariot racing They were one of the most impressive shows of the moment, in which several teams fought to the death to be declared winners.

Being located in a natural valley between hills, it was the perfect space for racing, and was once surrounded by huge spectator stands built on its natural slopes.

These stands were separated from the track by an artificial pit to prevent the animals from jumping, frightened by the shouts of the public cheering on the participants.

After many extensions, the stands ended up collapsing due to their enormous weight in the 3rd century, causing thousands of spectators to die.

Despite this, it was renovated and continued to be used for several years, even after the fall of the Roman empire.

El Circus Maximus had several egyptian obelisks inside, which were later distributed throughout the city, as is the case of the one that is currently located in the center of the town square (piazza di Popolo).

In the Middle Ages It was abandoned, and in fact it is known that its remains are buried several meters deep since the obelisks were found 7 meters underground.

Perhaps one day they will unearth it and the magnitude of this work can be seen.

It should be noted that on its west side there are some archaeological remains where you can make a visit with a device virtual reality.

The Visiting hours of the Circus Maximus They are, from Tuesday to Sunday, from 9,30:19 a.m. to 16,30 p.m. in summer, and until XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. at other times of the year.

El visit price with audioguide It is 5 euros, and with virtual reality, 7 euros.

Baths of Caracalla in Rome

The Termas de Caracalla They are the most important that you can visit in Roma, not to mention the most relevant.

Caracalla He was an emperor known for his cruelty, who is thought to have created a huge bath complex to wash away his sins and with the idea of ​​going down in history.

And is that the Rome Empire He was a pioneer in water treatment, whether in baths, aqueducts, or sewers.

The bathrooms They were part of the culture of said empire and a meeting point for the population; In fact, they were free and for all the people without distinction.

There were even places to get a haircut, exercise and saunas between buildings and walls full of marble sculptures.

All Roman emperors built baths, but Caracalla He wanted to make the most impressive ones ever built.

Built at the beginning of the 3rd century, the Termas de Caracalla, also known as Antonine Baths, in their day they were a work of art full of luxury with the idea of ​​being a temple of care.

There were huge pools with different temperatures, and rooms where people could chat.

Full of mosaics, this enormous building that could accommodate up to 6.000 people daily, has barely managed to survive to this day and is an incredible example of what Roman culture was like.

• Here you can buy the tickets to visit the Baths of Caracalla in Rome.

For your visit you have the option of the device virtual reality, with which you will have the best vision of what the hot springs were like in their time.

Boarian Forum in Rome

The forums in Rome They were meeting centers for trade, where Romans met with the idea of ​​buying, selling or exchanging their products.

But this forum had a different function from the rest, since the ships that sailed through the Mediterranean coast and they entered the city through the Tiber river, they stopped at this strategic place for commerce.

This made it one of the most important points in Rome, but the reason why we recommend visiting it is a very different reason.

This river port where goods such as jars of wine were unloaded was so important that a truly curious site was created very close by, known as Mount Testaccio.

Boca della Verita in Rome

One of the most visited sites in Rome What is not a great monument is the Boca della Verita, or in Spanish, Mouth of Truth, a sculpture that keeps a legend that makes hundreds of tourists come to visit it every day.

Located in front of the aforementioned Forum Boarium, in the entrance gallery to the church of Santa María de Cosmedín, its origin is not clear, since it was found in the Middle Ages in the waters of Tiber river, near said forum.
It is a really heavy stone disc, with a drawing of what is supposed to be an ancient God, represented by a man with enormous beard with his mouth open.

Legend says that the mouth eats the hand of liars.

And this is because in the Middle Ages, when the judges were convinced of the guilt of a prisoner, they made him insert his hand into this mouth of truth, and an executioner was waiting behind to cut off his hand with a blade.

Nowadays there are many tourists who visit the Boca della Verita and they put their hand in it…

Tiber Island in Rome

Tiber Island It is a small island in the middle of the tiber river, which is located between the Trastevere neighborhood and Forum Boarium, not far from Coliseum and Circus Maximus.

On this small boat-shaped island a temple was built in honor of Aesculapius, God related to medicine.

It is a strategic point thanks to its location, which allowed isolation from the rest of the city and was very useful in times of contagion of diseases such as the plague.

Even today it houses a very important hospital in Rome.

Jewish Quarter and Synagogue of Rome

Right in front, on the north bank of the tiber river, Is the Jewish quarter , whose best example is the building of the Rome Synagogue; Yes, it must be said that it is not an area of ​​as much importance as the Jewish neighborhoods from other cities in the world.

Views from a lock at Cavalieri de Malta in Rome

We know it sounds strange. but it is one of the most curious places in Rome, and the grace of Maltese Cavalieri It is found in the views you have through a keyhole.

Yes, yes, as you hear, it is a place that very few tourists know about, but it is worth visiting for the aforementioned views and those you have from nearby viewpoints.

Going up the hill near the aforementioned Forum Boarium rises above the tiber river, In the piazza dei Cavalieri in Malta, the headquarters in Rome of the Priory of the Grand Order of Malta.

Going completely unnoticed, you have one of the most incredible views of the city. dome of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

It is a simple lock, of a large size, that is, through which you look and at the back of the gardens you will see the curious panoramic views of the aforementioned dome.

It's a place where you won't be surprised to find a few tourists lining up to see through the lock.

Viewpoint of the Orange Garden in Rome

Very close you have the Orange Garden viewpoint (Garden of Aranci), from where you have one of the best panoramic views of this area of ​​Rome, spanning from the monument to Victor Emmanuel II until Vatican.

Pyramid and Porta di San Paolo in Rome

The walled city of Rome had several gates, some of which have survived to this day, and one of the most beautiful is St. Paul.

It is located next to the large Pirámide train and metro station, which makes it easier to go visit it.

This area has several attractions, since not only is the gate located, but a pyramid accompanies it following the path of the wall.

For those of you who like cemetery sculptures, there is a curious protestant cemetery right next door, along the adjoining park, where several famous English writers are buried.

Monte Testaccio in Rome

Walking from the pyramid along a section of the ancient wall of rome, once you arrive at the first door you can go to the aforementioned Mount Testaccio, an artificial hill formed by stacked remains of jars.

There were so many wine and oil jars that arrived at the city that the area where they were stacked gained height over the years until forming the aforementioned obviously artificial mountain.

Today, passing by the mountain, whose access is closed, you can see that what may seem to you like a garden with sand are piled remains of remains of jars.

Really curious!

Piazza di Popolo in Rome

On the other side of the city, at the northern end, is the Town square, which is the literal translation.

It is a huge space where many of the most important social demonstrations and revolts in the city have taken place throughout history.

In the center of the square you can see a egyptian obelisk which was found 7 meters underground in the Circus Maximus.

On one of its sides there is the Leonardo Da Vinc museum , and next to it, one of the hills of the city with the Pinchio Terrace, from where you have one of the best perspectives of the square.

On the other side, the two sister churches Saint Mary of Miracles y Saint Mary of Montisanto They lead into the city through one of the most important shopping streets in Rome, Via del Corso, which ends up leading to Venice square.

It is a very charming square where there are always street musicians giving it even more life.

Republic Square in Rome

One of the most beautiful squares in Rome is the Republic Square, very close to the Termini train station.

It is a circular square full of columns whose image has appeared in many Italian films.

In this square there is also the national museum of rome and Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels and Martyrs, with a very austere brick façade that contrasts with the baroque decoration of its interior.

San Pietro in Montorio on Via Garibaldi in Rome

Very close to Trastevere neighborhood and next to the Royal Spanish Academy in Rome, Is the temple San Pietro in Montorio.

This beautiful temple was designed by the famous Bernini y Cerruti, where there are also two chapels on top of another of Rome's hills.

Right behind him, and up the Via Garibaldi Through gardens full of sculptures, you arrive at the square where one of the most beautiful fountains in Rome is located, the Aqua Paola FountainOf 1612.

This fountain is the protagonist of the film The Great Beauty, one of the masterpieces of Paolo Sorrentino, which reflects the essence of the city.

The residence of the Embassy of Spain.

Next to the square there are some viewpoints from where you can see the center of Rome in the distance; The problem is that every year the trees grow more and are beginning to block the views.

Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome

To the south of the city, slightly away from the center, is Saint Paul Outside the Walls, along with that of San Pedro, the largest basilica in Rome.

It is a very curious building, with an interior open-air plaza where the tomb of the apostle Saint Paul.

Inside the church, and along the perimeter of the building, are the portraits of Saint Peter and all the popes that happened to him.

Via Appia Antica in Rome

One of the most important advances that the Roman empire were the roman roads, which were the cobbled roads that streamlined connections between the different cities.

That's where the saying comes from that all roads lead to Rome.

And one of the most important connections with southern cities like Naples or Pompeii is the Via Appia Antica.

It is a huge road that leaves from the San Sebastian gate, where the best preserved remains of the wall of rome, and currently joins the highway that goes down to the south of the country.

But the most notable thing from a tourist point of view is the area where it starts, where there is a pleasant park full of mausoleums and sculptures that was once the exit from the city.

An ideal place for a bike ride.

At the beginning of the Via Antica are also located Catacombs of San Calixto, one of the three most important preserved in the city.

Catacombs of Saint Callixtus in Rome

The Catacombs of San Calixto They were the first official cemetery in Rome.

The catacombs are the underground galleries that were used for burials, so you can see hundreds of tombs of very influential people in Ancient Rome.

Currently there are hundreds of kilometers of galleries of this style and some of them can be visited.

But they are not simple tombs, since in reality many of them are works of art with marble mausoleums.

The catacombs They were built outside the city walls and preferably along consular routes such as the aforementioned one. Via Appia Antica.

The idea of ​​making them underground was to avoid looting.

Here we leave you where you can hire Extramural excursions including the catacombs, Appian Way and St. Paul's Basilica, the best way to get to know this part of Rome that is on the outskirts of the city.