Table of Contents
The Barberini Gallery
Boasting Caravaggios, paintings by the peerless Artemisia Gentileschi, Canaletto, Van Dyck, Bernini, Borromini, and even Hans Holbein’s famous portrait of Henry VII, this gallery is just steps away from swanky Via Veneto but often overlooked in favor of the more flashy Galleria Borghese, which definitely requires booking ahead. Palazzo Barberini will give you your fill of Old Masters for a fraction of the hassle.
The Basilica of San Clemente
The Basilica di San Clemente excavation is one of the most impressive in the entire city, revealing a 4th century curch under a 12th century church, and under that a street with an ancient Christian temple, temple of Mithras, gladiator barracks, and someone’s back yard. Tickets are available at the back of the church – and it’s almost next to the Colosseum. Read our full article…
The Baths of Diocletian
Just over the street from Termini Station and Palazzo Massimo, this ancient spa complex is now a fascinating museum, with permanent exhibits and temporary exhibitions that use the huge internal spaces. It’s manageable in size, but has hundreds fascinating artefacts within the atmospheric rooms of the thermal baths.
The Capitoline Museums
On top of the Capitoline Hill, on the Campidoglio piazza designed by Michelangelo, is a palazzo that contains the original bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius, the original she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus, and the famous Colossus of Emperor Constantine (and its modern recreation, out the back of the palace in the gardens) – as well as thousands of treasures that were dug out of the Forum. It’s one of the world’s great museums, but it simply doesn’t get the footfall of the Vatican Museums – so you can just buy a ticket and stroll in.
Castel Sant’Angelo
Despite its imposing position near St Peter’s, the former mausoleum of Hadrian, erstwhile medieval castle, then Papal apartments, rarely has a line of more than a few minutes at the ticket office. It’s well worth visiting for the fascinating history and the stunning views – and there’s even a café at the top for a sundowner.
Centrale Montemartini
On the edge of the fascinating early 20th century district of Garbatella, this stunning ex-power station redevelopment juxtaposes ancient Roman sculpture and other artworks against a decidedly steampunk post-industrial aesthetic. Due to its location (just a few stops from Termini on Metro Line B), this is probably the most underrated place in Rome, and certainly the most unique. If you want to visit something almost no tourists ever see, this is the place.
National Roman Museum
Located in Palazzo Massimo literally next to Termini station and opposite the Baths of Diocletian, this museum could not be more convenient, nor more overlooked. Nor more spectacular: it contains a huge amount of art and artefacts from the ancient Roman world, including some of the objects recovered from Caligula’s party ships, and the staggeringly atmospheric murals from the dining room of Villa Livia. And thousands of other remarkable Roman artefacts.
Roman houses of the Celio Hill
Get a glimpse into daily home life of a regular Roman citizen in these incredibly well preserved homes. Under a basilica on the hill above the Colosseum, the complex contains more than 20 ancient rooms complete with original wall paintings, cooking and living areas – and an ancient condo!
Trajan’s Market
Over the street from the Forum, but entered from Via Quattro Novembre up the hill from Piazza Venezia, this fascinating insight into life in imperial Rome features shops, market stalls and ancient fast food joints, as well as the ability to stroll original, very well preserved streets of ancient Rome and into Trajan’s Forum.
This is just a tiny selection!
If you’ve found you can’t get tickets to the main attractions, do not despair. Rome has dozens of other places like the above that are overlooked by the hordes of people who don’t mind being crammed together like cattle to check boxes. All you need is a little research.
If you’re still looking for things to do that don’t need you to spend hours online, or cost a fortune, check out our other creative ideas:
