The 10 Best Hidden Gems Things to do in Rome, Lazio

At the beginning of the 4th century, with the end of the persecutions and the promulgation of the Edicts of Tolerance in favour of Christianity, Emperor Constantine ordered the excavation of the cella memoriae, the place where Christians venerated the memory of Saint Paul the Apostle, beheaded under Nero around 65-67 A.D. Above his grave, located along the Ostiense Way, about two kilometers outside the Aurelian Walls surrounding Rome, Constantine built a Basilica which was consecrated by Pope Sylvester in 324. Between 384 and 395 the Basilica, under the emperors Theodosius, Valentinian II and Arcadius, was restored and enlarged according to an extensive project consisting of five naves opening out into an atrium (quadriportico), or courtyard with four rows of columns. Throughout the centuries the Basilica would not cease to be embellished and enhanced by the Popes. For example, the massive defensive wall was built to protect against invasions at the end of the ninth century, while the bell tower and the magnificent Byzantine door were constructed in the eleventh century. Other important additions include Pietro Cavallini’s mosaics in the facade, the beautiful Vassalletto family’s cloister, Arnolfo di Cambio’s celebrated Gothic baldachin and the Candelabrum for the Paschal candle attributed to Nicola d’Angelo and Pietro Vassalletto of the thirteenth century. This historical period represents the golden age of what had been the biggest Basilica of Rome, until the consecration of the new Basilica of St. Peter in 1626. This sacred place of Christian pilgrimage was well-known for its artistic works. On the night of July 15, 1823, a fire destroyed this unique testimony to the Paleo-Christian, Byzantine, Renaissance and Baroque periods. The Basilica was reconstructed identically to what it had been before, utilizing all the elements which had survived the fire. In 1840 Pope Gregory XVI consecrated the Altar of the Confession and the Transept. Other embellishments followed the reconstruction. In 1928 the portico with 150 columns was added. Contemporary work in the Basilica has uncovered the tomb of the Apostle, while other important and beneficial works are carried out, as in the past, thanks to the generosity of Christians from all over the world. In the fifth century under the Pontificate of Leo the Great, the Basilica became the home of a long series of medallions which would to this day depict all the popes throughout history. This testifies, in an extraordinary way, to “the very great, the very ancient and universally known Church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious Apostles, Peter and Paul” (Saint Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses 3, 3,2). Saint Paul Outside-the-Walls constitutes an extra-territorial complex (Motu Proprio by Pope Benedict XVI, 30 May 2005), administered by an Archpriest. In addition to the Papal Basilica, the entire complex includes a very ancient Benedictine Abbey, restored by Odon of Cluny in 936. This Abbey remains active even today under the direction of its Abbot who retains his ordinary jurisdiction intra septa monasterii. The Benedictine Monks of the ancient Abbey, founded near the tomb of the Apostle by Pope Gregory II (715-731), attend to the ministry of Reconciliation (or Penance) and the promotion of special ecumenical events. It is in this Basilica that every year on the feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, January 25, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity solemnly opens. The Pope has specified two privileged tasks for this Papal Basilica: the Sacrament of Reconciliation (or Penance) and the development and organization of ecumenical initiatives. On June 28, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI visited the Basilica and announced that the following year would be designated the “Pauline Year” to commemorate the bimillennium of the birth of Saint Paul. Thus, the “Pauline Year” was run from June 28, 2008 to June 29, 2009.

Right in the center of Rome, close to Piazza Venezia, Palazzo Colonna is one of the greatest Barocco Palaces of the eternal city. The impressive Colonna's Collections of paintings, sculptures and furniture from the 14th to the 18th century are unique and part of the roman history. The Colonna Gallery is open to the public every Saturday morning from 9 am to 1,15 pm (last entrance) from Via della Pilotta 17. All other days, including Saturday afternoon, private visits by appointment. Free guided tour (every Saturday): - in Italian at 10.00 And 11.00 Am - in French at 10.30 Am - in English at 12 am Private visits on request are available every day of the year. We also recommend a visit to the stunning Princess Isabelle Apartment with its incredible Van Wittel and Flemish Collections and the Pinturicchio frescoes.

An emotional multimedial experience through the history of Rome. Welcome to Rome is a new multimedial space where you can live a unique experience: to dive into 2700 years of history of the Eternal City. Spectacular video projections on the walls, ceiling and floor accompanied by a narrative voice. A great plastic that lives up to the evolution of the city over time. Holograms, projections and interactive exhibits that tell the story of important monuments. A cinema with a 4D video, together with 4 exhibitions will make you live an amazing and immersive experience through the history of one of the most beautiful city in the world. This space represents the first ideal stop for all the turists but also a special place for the Roman people where to live the past of their city and know many curiosities.

The history if the new exhibition space for the Musei Capitolini in the former Giovanni Montemartini Thermoelectric Centre, an extraordinary example of industrial archaeology converted into a museum, began in 1997 with the transfer of hundreds of sculptures to the new location during the restructuring works carried out across much of the Capitoline complex. In an atmospheric game of contrasts, the old machinery of electricity production became the backdrop for masterpieces of ancient sculpture and precious goods found in the excavations of the late nineteenth century and the 1930s. The display reconstructs some of the great monumental complexes and illustrates the development of the ancient city from the Republican era to the late imperial age.

The Museum of Palazzo Altemps houses absolute masterpieces of ancient sculpture belonging to famous and valuable noble collections received in state ownership. The installation aims to integrate - in a harmonious combination - the marbles in the decorative context of the rooms, having in mind and proposing solutions adopted in the arrangement of antique collections. The visit, on two floors, reveals a succession of decorated rooms, a maze of stairs and corridors leading to the discovery of the ancient works of art.

The imperial estate of Nero was built in 64AD, which is comprised of a series of pavilions, set in an articulated garden with an artificial lake in its center.

This 5th-century church features Michelangelo's sculpture of Moses that adorns the incomplete tomb of Pope Julius II.

Closed on Thursdays! The famous painter Caravaggio (1573-1610) was commissioned to paint for this church, where in one of its chapels is his realistic naturalism in three scenes of the life of St. Matthew.

This Church was constructed between 817 and 824 AD, on the site of an earlier fifth-century building, and features a grand courtyard, garden, twelfth-century bell tower and a gothic tabernacle by Arnolfo di Cambio.