Fodor's Expert Review Villa dei Quintili

Even in ruins, this villa conveys a real sense of ancient Rome's opulence, as do the archaeological finds in its small on-site museum. Indeed, Emperor Commodus—the villain in the 2000 film epic Gladiator—coveted this once-splendid villa so much that he accused its owners, the Quintili family, of plotting against him, had them executed, and then moved in. He may have used the exedra as a space in which to train for the ostrich fights that were held in the Colosseum. The villa is 5 km (3 miles) from the catacombs and is accessible from both the modern Appia Nuova and from the Appia Antica (by bicycle or on foot only).