Underground Rome: Complete Guide to Catacombs, Crypts & Hidden Attractions

Rome hides its secrets not only in ancient ruins above ground but also in the labyrinth beneath it. Catacombs, crypts, palaces, and ancient homes form a parallel world that will reveal an unfamiliar side of the Eternal City. In this article we'll show you the most impressive underground attractions in Rome and give you practical tips on how to visit them without missing a single hidden masterpiece.

Rome is an open-air museum with its Roman statues, fountains, and piazzas. The Eternal City is also a fantastic underground museum, full of hidden attractions below street level!

Fortunately, many of Rome's underground attractions are now open to visitors.

Due to their nature, however, visits to these sites are usually only with a guide and require advance reservation.

In this Rome guide I'll tell you about the best underground sites in Rome and what you need to know to plan your visit.

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Underground Rome and Why Visit Roman Ruins?

When we talk about Rome's underground attractions, we must first distinguish between underground structures that were intended to be underground and those that weren't.

Ancient underground sites in Rome include the catacombs, the Vatican necropolis, and several mithraea - ancient temples dedicated to the sun god Mithras (see below).

Each of these places was intentionally below street level, with the reason for their underground character usually being religious: most often these were burial places or underground sanctuaries to specific Roman gods.

Other sites ended up underground due to the twists of history.

Excellent examples of this are Nero's Domus Aurea, once a lavish and spacious palace, Crypta Balbi, Palazzo Valentini, or Caelian Hill (one of the Seven Hills of Rome).

Underground attractions have incredible stories. Today I'll tell you about those I believe you'll enjoy most and that I recommend visiting.

Underground Sites in Rome Worth Seeing

What Are the Best Underground Attractions in Rome

Catacombs in Rome

The catacombs are probably the most famous example of underground structures in Rome. Rome's catacombs are a system of underground tunnels extending over 20 km (12 miles) below street level.

The catacombs are early Christian burial grounds, with the oldest dating from the 1st century AD, but their use became increasingly popular with the spread of Christianity, especially before it became the official religion of the Roman Empire under Emperor Constantine.

As ancient burial grounds, the catacombs were underground by design.

Diggers excavated new catacombs in areas outside the city, first digging one layer of graves and continuing to dig as the number of dead needing Christian burial grew.

Due to their specific origin, Rome's catacombs differ from other similar underground structures elsewhere, where the most ancient level is the lowest - in Rome's catacombs, the most ancient layers are those on top!

With the spread of Christianity in the empire, the catacombs became deeper and more extensive. Some reach four levels deep with over half a million Christians buried in them!

The catacombs are open to visitors, but access is strictly regulated and only with a guide.

The Best Catacombs to Visit in Rome Are:

Vatican Necropolis

The Vatican Necropolis is the ancient Christian burial ground of St. Peter, who died as a martyr in Rome in the 1st century AD.

The necropolis is located beneath St. Peter's Basilica, purposely built on this sacred ground for Christians, and is open to visitors only in small groups due to the site's importance.

You can book your tour here.

Mithraea in Rome

Mithraeum is the name for underground chambers dedicated to worshipping the god Mithras.

Mithras is a deity originating from the Near East that became widely worshipped in Rome from the 1st century, becoming one of the most popular Roman gods, especially among soldiers.

Mithras was a god of agriculture and the sun and was worshipped in underground chambers with lavish feasts.

The chambers were called mithraea and were underground rooms with decorative frescoes and an altar.

The altars were usually carved with an image of the god, depicted as a young man killing a bull, from whose blood grain sprouted.

Bull fighting was a common theme in antiquity, representing the victory of order over chaos and all things wild. There are several mithraea in Rome, but only some are open to visitors. The two I recommend visiting are:

  • Mithraeum Barberini (Mitreo Barberini) - located beneath Palazzo Barberini and remarkable for the beautiful frescoes it has preserved. The mithraeum is the only one in Italy with wall paintings and is therefore unique. Visits are only on selected days: read our complete guide to the Mithraeum Barberini here.
  • Mithraeum of San Clemente (Mitreo di San Clemente) - located beneath the Church of San Clemente. San Clemente is a unique church in Rome, arranged on three levels, each from a different era. The mithraeum is its most ancient layer and has a breathtaking altar to Mithras with impressive carving of the god. The entire basilica is worth visiting for the mithraeum and beautiful mosaics. Information and tickets for the San Clemente mithraeum can be found here.

Capuchin Crypt

The Capuchin Crypt is one of the most special underground attractions in Rome. Located in the Church of the Capuchin Monks on Via Veneto, the crypt holds the remains of monks and is unique because it's decorated with human bones!

Skulls and bones create arches and patterns on the crypt's walls. Although examples of this type of crypt exist in other parts of the world, Rome's is unique and worth visiting if only out of curiosity.

Information and tickets for the crypt and museum can be found here.

Domus Aurea

Domus Aurea was Emperor Nero's residence. Built in the 1st century AD, the palace is enormous. Located atop the Oppian Hill, part of the Esquiline Hill now in front of the Colosseum, the palace had many halls, corridors, rooms, and gardens, and ancient sources describe it as full of natural light.

Nero wanted his home to be the most beautiful and lavish Rome had ever seen, and never intended to turn it into an underground palace. History, however, had other plans!

After Nero's death, everything associated with him was slowly but surely destroyed. First, part of his palace was demolished to make room for the Colosseum.

Later what remained was filled with debris and became the foundation for a new building - Trajan's Baths. All this means that the once magnificent home of Emperor Nero is now underground.

Rooms that once overlooked extensive gardens now have no natural light, and the palace corridors resemble giant underground tunnels.

Despite the terrible fate of this building, Domus Aurea is worth visiting. A light show allows visitors to see what the palace would have looked like. Several of the beautiful decorations of this once magnificent palace are still visible.

Here you can read how to visit Domus Aurea.

Underground Roman Houses

Some Roman houses that originally belonged to noble Roman families are now underground and open to visitors.

Private homes in Rome were two main types: insula and domus.

The insula was similar to what we now call an apartment or residential block and was housing for the poor.

An excellent example of an insula is found next to Capitoline Hill: although not entirely underground, its lowest floor can be seen, quite below street level.

The insula is rarely open to tourists. However, you can see it from the road when walking past the Vittoriano from Piazza Venezia toward Piazza Campidoglio.

On the other hand, domus were single-family homes typically consisting of a central courtyard with several rooms for different purposes and family needs.

Roman domus were at street level and went underground due to changes in the city's level.

You can visit Roman domus in two places:

  • Domus Romane at Palazzo Valentini - beneath Palazzo Valentini, at Piazza Venezia, is a beautiful example of an ancient Roman house. Accessible via a large staircase, the domus has plexiglass floors that allow its foundations to be seen. There's also a light show that virtually recreates what the house would have looked like when in use. The house is large and the tour is well organized. From it you can also see Trajan's Column up close. You can book tickets here.
  • Domus Romane del Celio - located on Caelian Hill, in front of the Palatine, this Roman house has well-preserved rooms with frescoes, making it unique in Rome. The house is located beneath the Basilica of Saints John and Paul, who lived here and have an interesting history - over the centuries the site was a domus, then an insula with shops, then a domus again! You can find our review, photos, and visiting tips here

Crypta Balbi

Crypta Balbi (Crypta Balbi) is an underground attraction in central Rome that's now part of the National Roman Museum (Museo Nazionale Romano).

The crypt is on several levels and archaeologists consider it one of the best places in Rome to learn how the city developed over time.

Originally the space consisted of an ancient theater, a series of columns (now called the "crypt"), and an exedra (a room with benches or chairs where people gathered and socialized), which is still visible. Over time, however, this space changed its purpose and became a cemetery, quarry, bath, and monastery.

This is one of the most significant underground monuments in Rome. Information and tickets can be found here.

More Underground Attractions in Rome You Might Like

There are several underground attractions in Rome worth visiting.

  • Colosseum Underground Level - this isn't a separate attraction but the underground level of the Colosseum where animals were kept and props for gladiatorial battles were stored. Visiting this part of the Colosseum is worth the extra amount you'll have to pay. The underground tour allows you to understand the Colosseum's inner workings, and looking up reveals an impressive view of the arena and seating! Find information and tickets for visiting the Colosseum's lower level here.
  • Acquedotto Vergine Aqueduct in Rinascente - this is perhaps the most special of all underground attractions in Rome and you find it in a shopping mall! La Rinascente is a luxury department store, but on its lower level it hides a secret - the ruins of the ancient Aqua Virgo aqueduct - the one that supplies water to some of Rome's most famous fountains, including the Trevi Fountain (which is nearby). You can't visit the aqueduct, but you can admire its arches from the store's lowest level for free - worth stopping by!
  • Trevi Fountain - beneath the famous Trevi Fountain is a large archaeological area that's only partially accessible to visitors. The place is known as "Vicus Caprarius" and contains remains of an ancient Roman house destroyed during the fire in Rome during Emperor Nero's time, as well as a water cistern feeding the Aqua Virgo aqueduct. Only a small part of this area is open to visitors, but it's worth stopping if you're in the area. Information and tickets can be found here.
  • Underground of Piazza Navona - beneath Piazza Navona you can see what remains of Emperor Domitian's stadium. The remains are small but interesting to view. Domitian's Stadium is the most ancient Roman stadium in Rome built of stone masonry. You can book a tour here.

I hope you enjoyed this brief overview of the best underground sites in Rome and it helped you decide which to add to your Rome itinerary.