Piazza Navona Underground Ruins Tour with Palazzo Altemps

Your tour begins at Palazzo Altemps

Meet your private art historian guide outside the entrance to Palazzo Altemps, a Renaissance palace steps from Piazza Navona. Skip the ticket line and step into one of Rome's most overlooked treasures.

Explore the grand courtyard of Palazzo Altemps

The palace courtyard opens onto a world of ancient marble. Admire the Athlete at Rest, the Statue of Demeter, and original imperial busts, including the notorious Nero, as your guide traces the palace's centuries of history.

Discover the Suicidal Gaul and Ludovisi Collection

Inside the museum, your guide leads you through the Ludovisi Collection, assembled after a stunning 15th-century archaeological find near what is now Tiburtina station. The Suicidal Gaul stops most visitors cold: a Gallic soldier who killed his family and himself rather than accept Roman slavery.

Examine the Ludovico Sarcophagus

Carved with a dramatic battle between Romans and Goths during the crisis-ridden 3rd century AD, this monumental burial piece likely held a general or emperor. Your guide unpacks the political upheaval frozen in stone.

Descend beneath Piazza Navona

Step underground and leave the modern square behind. Below the cobblestones lies Domitian's Stadium, a 20,000-seat ancient arena opened in 86 AD where Romans gathered for track and field events long before the piazza above existed.