The Eternal City, the City of Love, call it what you may, Rome, Italy is on the bucket lists of many. And for good reason! Rome is the treasure chest of Italy bursting with two millennia of artistic achievement. In a place where an entire empire of gold was crowned into centuries of rulers, where Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel and where the Vatican City upholds some of the longest kept secrets in the world, you can believe there are quite a few “off the beaten path” things to do in Rome (beyond your tourist map). But if you’re looking for a really cool travel story, you’ll want to hit up these creepy places in Rome.

 

As my son like’s to say “in the olden days” Rome was an empire known for its fierce warriors and mighty reign. Today Rome’s formidable legacy is carried on by its people, its history, a lifestyle. Today’s Rome will always have footprints of the past while cultivating a modern society rich with art, food and tourism. And if you look close enough, you’ll find there’s a very dark and obscure side to the Eternal City. 

 

Creepy Places in Rome that You Should Totally Visit – Things to

Do in Rome

 

1.Torre Argentina 

 

A square in Rome where Julius Caesar had been killed. It’s also a really weird habitat for stray cats and acts as a no-kill shelter. I kind of hope its haunted. Even if it’s not, it’s certainly one of the creepy places in Rome that will give you the willies.

 

By Wknight94 - Own work CC License

 

2. Porta Alchemica AKA the Alchemy Gate or Magic Portal

 

Built between 1678 and 1680 by Massimiliano Palombara, marquis of Pietraforte, in his residence, the villa Palombara, it is the only one of five former gates of the villa that remains. This mysterious door holds legends of a disappearing alchemist. Yeah, that’s just cool. On my top for creepy places in Rome, or things to do in Rome in general. 

 

By Sailko - Own work, CC
By Sailko – Own work, CC

 

3. Santa Maria della Concezione Crypts

 

Said to be the inspiration of the Sedlec ossuary (1870) in the Czech Republic and the Skull Chapel in Poland, this crypt or ossuary has the remains of 4,000 friars buried between 1500 and 1870. It originated at a time when spiritual masters formed cults for the dead. Creepy? Definitely at the top of my list for things to do in Rome.