77 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Rome - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Rome

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."

Dylan

Torre Argentina (Roman Cat Sanctuary)

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

Annetta Black

Added by Annetta Black

Porta Alchemica

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

Added by athomio

Quartiere Coppedè

Architectureal fantasy quarter of Rome.

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The Dome Illusion

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

Annetta Black

Added by Annetta Black

The Aventine Keyhole

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

Annetta Black

Added by Annetta Black

The Mouth of Truth

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

EricGrundhauser

Added by EricGrundhauser

Arciconfraternita Santa Maria dell'Orazione e Morte

At the crypt of St. Mary of Eulogies and the Dead you are left alone to ponder mortality among piles of skulls.

CadaverFormosus

Added by CadaverFormosus

See All 77 Things to Do in Rome See All 77 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
in Rome

Carciofi alla Giudia

Gastro Obscura

Carciofi alla Giudia

Created in Rome's Jewish ghetto, the fried artichokes herald spring.

Gastro Obscura

Susan Van Allen

Added by Susan Van Allen

Pizza Ebraica

Gastro Obscura

Pizza Ebraica

This cookie is found only in Rome's Jewish quarter.

Gastro Obscura

rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Eucalittino

Gastro Obscura

Eucalittino

Outside Rome, a tranquil abbey turns eucalyptus into liqueur.

Gastro Obscura

Susan Van Allen

Added by Susan Van Allen

Pajata

Gastro Obscura

Pajata

After being banned for a decade and a half, this Roman classic is back on the table.

Gastro Obscura

Gautham Krishnaraj

Added by Gautham Krishnaraj

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Atlas Obscura Trips

Rome Behind Locked Doors: Music, Magic, and Secret Crypts

Join us as we go beneath Rome’s streets and behind its locked doors to explore hidden and overlooked places, witnessing a capital city that most tourists rarely experience—strange, magical, and filled with intrigue.

Community Forums / Southern Europe / Italy

Top Discussions in the Italy Travel Forum

Post	Replies	Views	Activity
Where is your favorite place to eat and see something unusual in Rome?	1 July 23, 2019	655	July 23, 2019
Uffizi Gallery Trip	3 July 30, 2019	432	July 30, 2019
Stumbling Stones of Rome	3 July 24, 2019	593	July 24, 2019
'Il Babuino' ('The Baboon')	1 July 26, 2019	332	July 26, 2019
Capitoline Triad	2 August 16, 2019	190	August 16, 2019

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Stories
About Rome

If you look closely, the Baths of Caracalla look a bit like the Golden Arches.

The Roman Baths of Caracalla Will Not Be Getting a McDonald's After All

The relationship between Rome's cultural heritage sites and the burger chain is long and contentious.

by Matthew Taub

August 02, 2019

"Tempio del Dio Ridicolo."

The Latin Typo That Gave Us the Temple of Ridicule

Ancient Rome never had an "Aedicula Ridiculi," but plenty of people thought it did.

by Caroline Wazer

The sundial celebrating Marcus Novius Tubula's electoral victory.

Found: A Celebratory Roman Sundial, Two Millennia Old

A tribune of the people is still celebrating his electoral victory.

by Natasha Frost

November 08, 2017

Wolf puppies!

Found: Wolf Puppies Born Outside of Rome for the First Time in Decades

The animals are part of the city's founding mythology.

by Sarah Laskow

September 26, 2017

Ancient Roman lead pipes found in Ostia Antica.

Ancient Romans Were Using Lead Pipes Earlier Than We Thought

Soil samples provide a record of Roman water usage.

by Kelsey Kennedy

August 29, 2017

The Crossness Pumping Station in London was so intricately decorated that it was nicknamed "The Cathedral on the Marsh."

Modern Cities Owe Their Cleanliness to These Innovative Old Sewers

Crucial advances in where we put our poop, throughout history.

by Kavya Ram Mohan

The Colosseum still has secrets.

Found: A Medieval Horse Head Hidden in the Colosseum

The skull dates back to the 12th or 13th century.

by Sarah Laskow

January 19, 2017

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