Hidden Rome: Basilicas, Underground Ruins and Temple of Mithras

A basilica above an older church. A sanctuary of Mithras hidden beneath the streets. In Rome, sometimes all it takes to travel through the centuries is to walk down a staircase. Join a shared guided walk through four basilicas: Santa Maria Maggiore, Santa Prassede, Santi Silvestro e Martino ai Monti, and San Clemente. Admire the golden mosaics of Santa Prassede and the Chapel of Saint Zeno, then descend to the ancient rooms beneath San Martino ai Monti. Walk across Colle Oppio for an outdoor introduction to Nero's Domus Aurea. At San Clemente, explore the layers beneath the medieval basilica: an earlier church, Roman buildings and a Mithraeum. Deep below today's streets, hear water still flowing underground. Discover how daily life and sacred spaces reveal Rome's transformation from the pagan world to Christianity. A journey for lovers of archaeology, art and the history of religions, with San Clemente underground admission included.