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Born from legends of wolves, the Roman Empire was not as cruel as the Dark Ages that followed its fall—an era of medieval tortures, underground graves, and crypts decorated with bones.
On this horror tour, we explore some of the most unusual and chilling sites of the Eternal City.
We begin at Santo Stefano Rotondo, a church whose walls are covered with gruesome frescoes depicting the tortures of Christian martyrs: being cut to pieces, burned alive, boiled in oil, or thrown to the lions—an unsettling “hall of fame” of suffering.
Next, we descend into the Catacombs of Rome, an extensive network of underground tunnels carved from the 2nd century AD onwards, where early Christians buried their dead. Stretching for miles beneath the city, these passageways are still marked by graves and decorated with inspiring frescoes.
If available, we may also access ancient pagan mausoleums along the Via Latina or visit Santa Costanza, where the sealed tombs can be specially opened for us—offering a rare glimpse into another world.
The tour then continues to the Crypt of the Capuchin Monks, a macabre yet fascinating site where four chapels are decorated entirely with the bones of monks. Once intended as a symbol of devotion, today it strikes visitors with its eerie and unsettling atmosphere.
Finally, near the old correction house of Renaissance Rome, we explore the Museum of Criminal Minds, which displays the dark history of justice in the city. Here you’ll find instruments of torture such as the guillotine, the Iron Maiden of Nuremberg, execution swords, and portraits and skulls of Rome’s most infamous criminals.
In total, the tour lasts about 3 hours, but it can be customized—shortened or expanded—depending on your interests.
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