Fodor's Expert Review Le Domus Romane di Palazzo Valentini
If you find your imagination stretching to picture Rome as it was two millennia ago, then check out this "new" ancient site just a stone's throw from Piazza Venezia. As was common practice in Renaissance-era Rome, 16th-century builders simply filled in ancient structures with landfill, using them as part of the foundation for Palazzo Valentini. In doing so, the builders also unwittingly preserved the ruins beneath, which archaeologists rediscovered during excavations in 2007. It took another three years for the two opulent, imperial-era domus (upscale urban houses) to open to the public.
Descending below Palazzo Valentini is like walking into another world. Not only are the houses luxurious and well preserved—retaining their beautiful mosaics, inlaid marble floors, and staircases—but the ruins have been made to "come alive" through multimedia. Sophisticated light shows re-create what it all would have looked like, while a dramatic, automated voice-over accompanies you... READ MORE
If you find your imagination stretching to picture Rome as it was two millennia ago, then check out this "new" ancient site just a stone's throw from Piazza Venezia. As was common practice in Renaissance-era Rome, 16th-century builders simply filled in ancient structures with landfill, using them as part of the foundation for Palazzo Valentini. In doing so, the builders also unwittingly preserved the ruins beneath, which archaeologists rediscovered during excavations in 2007. It took another three years for the two opulent, imperial-era domus (upscale urban houses) to open to the public.
Descending below Palazzo Valentini is like walking into another world. Not only are the houses luxurious and well preserved—retaining their beautiful mosaics, inlaid marble floors, and staircases—but the ruins have been made to "come alive" through multimedia. Sophisticated light shows re-create what it all would have looked like, while a dramatic, automated voice-over accompanies you as you walk through the rooms, pointing out cool finds: the heating system for the private baths, the mysterious fragment of a statue, the marks left by wooden beams used to fill in the foundations of Palazzo Valentini during the Renaissance, and a WWII bunker and escape tunnel connected to the domus. If it sounds corny, hold your skepticism: it's an effective, excellent way to actually "experience" the houses as ancient Romans would have—and to learn a lot about ancient Rome in the process. A multimedia presentation halfway through also shows you the detailed battle scenes sculpted onto Trajan's Column above the site.
The multimedia tour takes about an hour. There are limited spots, so book in advance over the phone, online, or in person; make sure you book one of the English tours (at 11 am, 2 pm, and 5 pm).
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