Underground Rome sites open to visitors

Reuters

OPEN DOOR: Rome is to offer guided tours of sites such as gladiator barracks and the necropolis buried under the Vatican.

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The city of Rome is opening up some 30 rarely seen, mostly underground archaeological sites including temples, gladiator barracks and a Vatican necropolis.

Guided tours through the sites, often closed or overlooked by the public, will be available starting Monday through May 31, Rome city hall officials said at a news conference.

Most sites, some on the outskirts of the Italian capital, will remain open through the summer.

"This 'hidden Rome' is in front of everyone's eyes but nobody notices it," said Umberto Broccoli, the city's culture councilman. "A big part of Rome's history lies underground."

The tours seek to bring attention to ancient treasures like the Ludus Magnus, where gladiators lived and trained for fights in the adjacent Colosseum, or the well-preserved necropolis buried under the Vatican.

Among the other sites are a 2,000-year-old aqueduct which is still used to bring water to parts of the city, including the Trevi Fountain, the headquarters of ancient Rome's firefighters and several pagan sanctuaries.

So far, most sites have been closed to the public or could only be visited on demand, Broccoli said.

Tours cost euro5 (NZ$11) and advanced booking is required.

- AP