Inspiration Andrea González
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Rome’s other archaeology

As well as great monuments such as the Colosseum and the Pantheon, Rome is home to a huge archaeological heritage that you just cannot miss. Escape from the usual circuit to visit these ten large constructions and complexes, from the Pyramid of Cestius to Aqueduct Park to the Baths of Caracalla.

  1. 1 Pyramid of Cestius

    In the first century BCE – after Cleopatra visited Rome and Egypt became a Roman province (30 BCE) – a fever familiar to our contemporaries broke out in Rome: Egyptomania. The monumental results of this can be found in the Ostiense district, where a structure stands out above the classical landscape of Rome: the Pyramid of Cestius. Built around 12 BCE as a tomb for the magistrate Gaius Cestius, it is one of the few surviving pyramids in Europe. More than 36m high, its impeccable white marble façade is preserved thanks to the fact that it was incorporated into the Aurelian Walls, which protected it from destruction.

    Side view of the Cestia Pyramid, with trees in the background and a blue sky.

  2. 2 Baths of Caracalla

    Built between 212 and 216 CE, the Baths of Caracalla are one of the best-preserved public thermal bath complexes in Rome. In addition to serving as public baths, they included libraries, gyms and gardens. They were a display of technical prowess, with running water and heating that continued to operate for more than 300 years. They could provide daily service to about 1,600 bathers and had space for more than 6,000 visitors. During the summer, the Baths of Caracalla are transformed into an outdoor stage for concerts and operas and they have also served as a setting for film productions such as The Great Beauty, one of the best films by the director Paolo Sorrentino.

    Air view of the Baths of Caracalla

  3. 3 Aqueduct Park

    In the south of the city, far from the tourist hustle and bustle, is Aqueduct Park, an impressive testimony to Roman engineering. This public park on the Appian Way is home to the remains of seven ancient aqueducts, including Aqua Claudia and Aqua Anio Novus, which supplied water to the ancient capital of the Empire. It is an ideal place for a stroll and to watch stunning sunsets among majestic structures that have stood the test of time. Due to its proximity to the Cinecittà film studios, Aqueduct Park has often served as a set for films: it appears in the opening scene of Fellini’s La Dolce Vita and in Pasolini’s Mamma Roma (and also appears in The Great Beauty).

    View of the Aqueduct Park at sunset, with light falling on one of the aqueducts which is lost in the horizon.

  4. 4 The Appian Way

    One of Rome’s main thoroughfares, the Appian Way was inaugurated in 312 BCE. Its aim was to connect the metropolis with Brindisi, the port that linked the Italian peninsula with the Greek and eastern cities. It played a crucial role in the expansion of the empire (all roads lead to Rome). The best-known section of the Appian Way – which has been preserved and is used to reach Aqueduct Park – crosses a landscape of ancient ruins, including villas and mausoleums of the Roman elite. The Romans used to bury their loved ones on the access roads to the cities, so the Appian Way became a ‘road of the dead’, a vast cemetery that ended up being one of the largest sources of Roman tombstones in the history of archaeology.

    View of the tessellated roadway of the Appian Way, surrounded by nature, with trees and archaeological remains on either side of the road.

  5. 5 Tomb of Caecilia Metella

    One of the mausoleums on the Appian Way is the Tomb of Caecilia Metella, daughter of the consul Quintus Caecilius Metellus Creticus and daughter-in-law of Marcus Licinius Crassus, a member of the First Triumvirate and the wealthiest man of his time. This circular tomb from the first century BCE was built by the son of the deceased, also called Marcus Licinius Crassus – a consul of Rome (together with the future Emperor Augustus) and a successful general – on the top of a hill, dominating the entire landscape surrounding it. Originally, the mausoleum was covered with travertine. Today you can still see beautiful sculptures and a frieze of oxen heads and garlands. Due to its strategic location, it was transformed during the Middle Ages into a fortress, which contributed to its preservation over the centuries.

    The Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella at sunset, with the circular structure and remains of the medieval wall, surrounded by trees

  6. 6 Villa dei Quintili

    Also along the Appian Way are the ruins of the luxurious Villa dei Quintili, owned by two aristocratic brothers and consuls executed by Emperor Commodus, the antagonist in the mythical film Gladiator, in which this villa was imagined to be where Maximus is transferred after being imprisoned. This vast complex – which included thermal baths, a theatre, a racetrack and mosaics and frescoes decorating all the residential areas – was one of the most impressive villas in ancient Rome. When the Quintili brothers lost Commodus’ favour and were executed, the emperor confiscated the property and turned it into one of his residences, hence his fictional encounter with General Maximus. Unlike other more crowded archaeological sites, here visitors can explore the vestiges of Roman opulence at their leisure.

    One of the monumental walls of the Villa dei Quintili, the evening sun shines through the windows

  7. 7 Trajan’s Market

    Although usually in the shadow of the Roman Forum, Trajan’s Market is a masterpiece of imperial architecture. Built in the early 2nd century CE, it is considered to be the first covered shopping centre in history. Just as with today’s shopping centres, it had multiple floors with shops, offices and administrative spaces. Today, it is home to the Museum of the Imperial Fora, which houses archaeological finds that narrate the daily life of ancient Rome, a version far removed from the majesty of the Forum, the temples and the Colosseum. It was also recreated in Gladiator.

    View of the circular market of Trajan's Market, where you can see the different floors and archaeological remains in the central courtyard.

  8. 8 Largo di Torre Argentina

    The Largo di Torre Argentina was the crime scene of one of history’s most famous and decisive murders: the assassination of Julius Caesar. With four Republican temples and the remains of Pompey’s Theatre, this site was discovered by chance in 1927 and visitors have only been permitted since 2023 via special walkways that allow them to enter without damaging the environment. Beyond its historical importance, the place famous for housing a colony of stray cats protected by volunteers. During visits, these cats can be seen sunbathing on the cobblestones on which Caesar lost his life on the Ides of March in 44 BCE.

    In the picture, Largo di Torre Argentina, with the steps where Caesar was assassinated on the right side of the panorama and columns, arcades and vegetation on the left side. Rome's buildings frame the landscape

  9. 9 Case Romane del Celio

    Located under the Basilica of Saints John and Paul on the Caelian Hill, the Case Romane del Celio are a fascinating archaeological complex that offers a unique view of life in Ancient Rome. There are well-preserved frescoes depicting mythological scenes, floral motifs and early Christian symbols on some of the walls and ceilings of its more than 20 rooms that date from between the 1st and 4th centuries CE. Among the most notable spaces are the Hall of the Genies, decorated with winged figures and garlands, and the Hall of the Prayer, which houses one of the first representations of a figure in a posture of prayer. Discovered in 1887, these houses allow visitors to immerse themselves in the transition from paganism to Christianity in Rome.

    In the picture, the interior of one of the Casas del Celio, with colourful ochre-toned frescoes on the walls.

  10. 10 The Catacombs of Rome

    The Catacombs are a fascinating system of underground tombs stretching for miles beneath the city. They were built between the 2nd and 5th centuries CE for underground masses and meetings – when early Christians were persecuted by the Empire’s authorities – and for burying martyrs and popes. Within the complex, the Catacombs of St Callixtus houses the tombs of several 3rd-century popes and the tomb of St Cecilia, one of Catholicism’s most revered martyrs. You can also visit the Catacombs of St Sebastian.

    Largo pasillo arqueado en las catacumbas, con hornacinas, probablemente dedicadas a la sepultura de fieles, a cada lado.

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