Semi-Private Underground Rome, with a Guaranteed Substitute

Two archaeological sites under two of the busiest squares in Rome, walked with a small group rather than a crowd. This listing does something the others do not, and it is worth knowing about. Archaeological sites in Rome close at short notice, and the underground area beneath Piazza Navona is currently shut. The operator states in writing that if a site is closed by the authorities, the visit is replaced with the San Clemente underground or another site of equal interest. San Clemente is a genuine substitute rather than a consolation: three buildings stacked on each other, a 12th-century basilica over a 4th-century church over a Mithraeum with the sound of running water still audible in it. When it is open, the Stadium of Domitian held around 30,000 people for athletic competition, and Piazza Navona sits on its outline. The other stop is Vicus Caprarius, the City of Water, under the Trevi district, where the Aqua Virgo still runs through Roman brickwork on its way to the fountain. Part of the visit is underground and noticeably cooler than the street, which in July is an argument in itself. All sales are final.