Just steps from Piazza Venezia, there’s an underground place most people walk right past, hidden beneath the church of San Nicola in Carcere.
From the outside, it looks like an ordinary church. But inside, a passage leads you underground, into the remains of an ancient Roman temple.
And what you find down there will surprise you.
Here’s a closer look.
See the video transcript
Not too far from the Vittoriano in Rome, you will find a fascinating underground place that hardly anyone knows. Walk this way. At the end of this street, you will find this church. It may look like a regular church at first sight, but you’ll be struck by what you’ll discover inside. This is San Nicola in Carcere, a medieval church built on top of an ancient Roman temple. There is an open passage leading underneath the church. Walk downstairs. Here you’ll find the ancient Roman street level and the basements of the temples onto which the church was built. But watch out, this place was also once a cemetery, so you might encounter some bones too.
📍You’ll find it in Via del Teatro di Marcello, 46
Want to discover more of Rome underground?
Take a look at our small-group underground tours. On these tours you discover the hidden layers of Rome beneath famous sights, always in intimate groups of no more than 12 people.
Our tours are not packed, not rushed, and not stuck in tourist spots — because this is how we’d show Rome to a close friend. You can learn more about how our Rome tours work, the best Rome tours or browse all our small-group walking tours to see the experiences currently available.
