The Atlas Obscura Guide To Rome

142 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Rome, Italy

Updated August 21, 2024

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Unusual Attractions in Rome

Crypt of the Three Skeletons.

Rome, Italy

Santa Maria della Concezione Crypts

The crypts of Capuchin friars decorated with the bones of over 4,000 friars, including an entire "crypt of pelvises."

Cats lounging on ancient architecture

Rome, Italy

Torre Argentina (Roman Cat Sanctuary)

Hundreds of lucky felines haunt the ruins where Caesar was murdered.

The beautiful Art Nouveau Galleria Sciarra.

Rome, Italy

Galleria Sciarra

This hidden Art Nouveau courtyard is an opulent feast for the eyes.

Rome, Italy

Quartiere Coppedè

Architectureal fantasy quarter of Rome.

The entire ceiling

Rome, Italy

The Dome Illusion

A master of trompe-l'oeil creates a stunning, tourist-fooling dome out of a flat ceiling.

The Aventine Keyhole

Rome, Italy

The Aventine Keyhole

Rome's semi-secret peephole vista is also a former Crusader stronghold.

The Mouth of Truth

Rome, Italy

The Mouth of Truth

The yawning maw of this pagan visage is said to bite off the hands of liars.

Rome, Italy

Porta Alchemica

An alchemist's "magic door" stands in the middle of a Roman park.

See All 142 Things To Do in Rome

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Rome

The crostata, with the storefront in the background.

Rome, Italy

Pasticceria Boccione

In Rome’s Jewish ghetto, a 200-year-old bakery still makes the neighborhood’s historic sweets.

Servian Wall at McDonald's

Rome, Italy

Servian Wall at McDonald's

Inside this McDonald's you can dine on your Big Mac and fries next to a 2,500-year-old Roman wall.

Rome, Italy

Garum Biblioteca e Museo Della Cucina

Rome is now home to a stunning food museum and library.

Poster explaining that a simple dish of pasta is cheap and can help relieve world hunger

Rome, Italy

Museo Nazionale delle Paste Alimentari

This delightful little museum is dedicated to only one thing: pasta.

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Explore Rome, Italy

Architecture 36

Roman 35

History & Culture 25

Sacred Spaces 24

Ancient 22

Churches 20

Ruins 16

Statues 13

Relics And Reliquaries 11

Art 10

Relics 9

History 9

Rome Leaderboard

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Places Visited

Recent Rome Activity

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has been to The Head of St. John the Baptist at San Silvestro in Capite
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Stories About Rome

This detail from the 12th-century Aberdeen Bestiary shows a dragon wrestling an elephant.

That Time Portugal’s King Gifted an Elephant to the Pope

Hanno the elephant suffered much at the hands of power-hungry Europeans.

August 21, 2024

The Badass Female Gladiators of Ancient Rome

Gladiatrices were fierce athletes who drew crowds of thousands.

by Asia London Palomba

Roman emperors threw opulent feasts and parties to demonstrate their wealth and power.

Inside Roman Emperors’ Outrageously Lavish Dinner Parties

From Nero's revolving dining room to Augustus’s rigged lottery.

by Guy de la Bédoyère

This first-century bust shows a stern matriarch carved sometime during Roman Emperor Trajan's reign.

The Forgotten Women Who Shaped the Roman Empire

From a first-century poet to a Roman consul’s wife.

by Line Sidonie Talla Mafotsing

February 28, 2024

A detail from a third-century mosaic depicting two gladiators in combat from the House of Gladiators on Cyprus.

The Surprising Roots of Ancient Rome's Gladiator Fights

The quintessential Roman spectacle, originally a way to honor the dead, was not Roman in origin.

by Nicky Nielsen

January 9, 2024

Apicius doesn't specify decorating this dish with rose petals, but it adds a nice touch.

Make Ancient Roman Brain and Rose Soufflé

Somebody in the fifth century combined these ingredients into one recipe, and probably no one has since.

by Andrew Coletti

November 14, 2023

Jupiter riding an eagle in a detail of Caravaggio’s painting.

A Hidden Caravaggio Masterpiece, An Inheritance Feud, and a Roman Villa up for Sale

The future of a mysterious painting by the famed 17th-century "rebel artist" hangs in the balance.

by Monika Schmitter

One of the olive trees at Hadrian’s Villa dates back to the 13th century.

A Roman Emperor's Villa Is Now Producing Olive Oil

Hadrian's estate has trees found nowhere else on Earth.

by Vittoria Traverso

Lists Featuring Rome

Inside the Golden House.

The Colosseum seen from the Ludus Magnus.

St. Francesca Romana

The 11 Most Interesting Places to Visit Near the Colosseum for Curious Travelers

Including Domus Aurea, Ludus Magnus, and Santa Francesca Romana

Crypt of the Three Skeletons.

Inside the Golden House.

Mithras slaying the bull - Context Travel

Vatican Necropolis.

10 Places to Explore the Dark Underbelly of Rome

St. Valentine's city isn't all roses and romance.

Including Santa Maria della Concezione Crypts, Domus Aurea, and The Mithraeum at Circus Maximus

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