Underground Rome
Rome, the Eternal City, is one of the most fascinating cities in Italy. It is full of glory and grace. It has always been a destination visited by millions of people because of its extreme beauty. Rome is an outdoor museum with many things to see: the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Roman walls, the Pantheon, etc.
But we don’t have to focus only on what we see at first glance, since it has many hidden mysteries. This city has an endless hidden wealth of historical and cultural value. The increasing urbanization of the Roman territory, as well as the promotion of the mining exploitation, has allowed the extraction of many buried ruins.
The door of Villa Albani was hidden for centuries. At first the archaeologists thought it was a catacomb, or something else that was used to communicate with the nearby catacomb of S. Happiness. They also assumed that it was the mysterious mausoleum of Lucilio Peto, a circular tomb built in the time of Augustus. However, the direct exploration revealed that this was a type of mining cave. They found many amphora fragments, pieces of tiles with animal representations, beautiful embroidery, gold buttons and so on.
Another example of great charm is represented by Titolo Equizio (see photo), located under one of the most famous churches of Rome, in the basement of the Basilica of S. Martino. The area of the church was affected by the construction of the Domus Aurea of Emperor Nero, and the structures of the Titus and Trajan Baths, of which some remnants still remain, including seven rooms that are still visible. It is a large rectangular room, divided into three aisles by six pillars, and it is clearly a third-century Roman building. This place was used as a covered market, or as a warehouse. But at the end of the third century it was reused as a place of Christian worship.
If you follow the Via Appia route, at the fifteenth mile, below the church and the S. Maria Estrella convent, you’ll discover the Albanian catacombs, rediscovered in 1720. Here is located a famous catacomb, and a church that holds the relics of San Senatore and S. Perpetua, as well as countless other saints and martyrs. The current entry is on the Via Appia Antica, a staircase that leads directly to the central area of the crypt lit by a large skylight. You can also see many fresco paintings, and if you look carefully, it is possible to see several layers of painted plaster, which means they are ancient paintings, and also that the early Christians used this place as a place of worship without interruption until the ninth century.
In the late nineteenth century, during the work on the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, many Roman remains were released, but unfortunately they were destroyed. Of those which were saved; Templi dell’Area, Sacra di Largo, di Torre Argentina and the remains of the Domus Romana ai Baullari. Undoubtedly, it is worth visiting these places!
Rent apartments in Rome, you’ll be amazed by its beauty. You’ll have a comfortable and cheap stay.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Underground Rome | rome blog
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