Exclusive: Tour of an Ancient Roman Cave

Gain a unique perspective on Rome and delve into Italian history in an exclusive access tour of the caves beneath the Appian Way. The “queen of the long roads” was the vein between Rome and southeast Italy, and therefore Greece and Egypt, but that is not its only memorable feature: your guide will show the way through the tunnel systems beneath the road itself. This journey will take you through ancient quarries dug for pozzolana, a type of volcanic ash used as a component in Roman cement. The magnificent road and the tunnels’ proximity to the city made it easier to transport the precious

While the road itself is a majestic and picturesque park, the catacombs beneath it tell their own story. Learn how the quarries developed into mass graves, and walk the paths taken by early Christians in the Roman Empire. Behold the necropoli where the same Christians buried their dead rather than follow the Roman practice of cremation.

In an excursion over a kilometer long, your guide will educate you about the construction, rediscovery and excavation of the tunnels, their varied uses and purposes over the millennia as well as its occupants — slaves, saints, and martyrs, laid to rest in tomb-lined tunnels. From quarries to graves to even mushroom farming, the very landscape beneath Rome reveals secrets of the city’s technological genius right along with its dark side.