Last Updated on March 11, 2024 by AMANDA CASTILLO
Off the Beaten Path in Rome
It’s easy to get caught in the tourist traps all over Rome. After all, the Eternal City is the attraction itself, and there is so much to see. However, if you’re looking for something away from the huge crowds, I have 3 affordable non touristy sites to check out.
Vicus Caprarius
Whether escaping the crowds or the heat, Vicus Capraris or The City of Water is the perfect off the beaten path activity.
This little-known and somewhat secret museum is just a 2 min walk from The Trevi Fountain. The water you see inside Vicus Caprarius slowly makes its way to The Trevi Fountain for tourists to throw their coins in.
The entrance is super low key and is easy to walk right past. Tickets are very affordable, around $5 and require a timed reservation available via the museum website.
This small museum will take you around 30 mins to see everything and takes you under the Trevi district, through a maze of ancient vestiges to the archaeological ruins of Vicus Caprarius. An old Roman apartment you’ll also get to see how the upper class Romans lived, using their very own aqueduct.
There is also an exhibition of artifacts discovered during the restoration in the 1990s that is worth taking a look at, too.
Galleria Sciarra
Just a few minutes from the notoriously and ever-crowded Trevi Fountain is Galleria Sciarra. From the outside, it may look like an ordinary building, but the entire courtyard is decorated in frescoes painted by Giuseppe Cellini in an Art Nouveau style.
Built in the late 1800s as a courtyard for the Palazzo Sciarra Colonna, the theme is dedicated to glorifying women or glorificazione della donna, which you’ll notice in the artwork. The paintings depict female virtues, including Justice, Patience, Fidelity, and Strength.
Admiring the artwork and the beautiful glass skylight is the perfect way to break from the buzzing city.
If you’re around the Trevi or Via del Corso area, it is worth checking out. The art, history, and architecture make it a must-see destination for anyone, and being a hidden gem among iconic attractions makes it even more special.
Crypt of the Capuchin Friars
Both shocking and fascinating, I had to save the best for last! Near Piazza Barberini, down Via Veneto, one of the poshest streets in Rome, and beneath the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception are The bones of the Capuchin friars.
Beneath the church are six tiny chapels with around 4000 bones of The Capuchins, a Catholic order established in the 16th century. The friars, all devout in their dedication to living the Gospel, are buried beneath the church—not as you would normally expect, though. These bones fill the church walls and ceilings. Even the chandelier is made of bones. And, like all works of art, it has a story to tell.
The purpose of the crypt is said to make people comfortable with mortality. The Capuchins believed eternal life awaits all who accept Christ, and death is not something to dread but to embrace. Its design is chillingly known as memento mori (Latin for “remember you will die”)
The museum is devoted to the history and development of the Capuchin Order. Several paintings are also on display, most notably Caravaggio’s St Francis in Meditation.
To fully absorb the experience, I recommend a Get Your Guide, guided tour of the Bone Chilling Crypt and the less visited Roman Catacombs that are usually a combined ticket.
*Side Note Photography is strictly forbidden inside photo cred in this post is from Tripadvisor
