Esquiline & Basilicas
The Esquiline Hill (one of Rome's seven hills) around Termini Station is multicultural, rough, and full of surprises. Not postcard Rome, but a district with some of the city's most important churches and an authenticity lost in the Centro Storico.
Santa Maria Maggiore
The Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore (432 AD) is one of Rome's four papal basilicas and the best-preserved early Christian church in the city. The ceiling is gilded with the first gold Columbus brought back from America — a gift from the Spanish kings. The 5th-century mosaics in the main nave are masterpieces of early Christian art. The Cosmatesque floor (12th century) is a mosaic marvel of marble and porphyry. Admission: free.
San Clemente — Three Churches on Top of Each Other
The Basilica di San Clemente is one of Rome's most fascinating buildings — an archaeological sandwich from three eras:
- Upper Church (12th century): Romanesque basilica with a spectacular apse mosaic — the tree of life growing from a cross.
- Lower Church (4th century): An early Christian basilica with frescoes from the 9th and 11th centuries, including the oldest vernacular inscriptions in Italy.
- Lowest Level (1st century): Roman buildings and a Mithras temple (Mithraeum) with the altar where Mithras slays the bull — a cult that once rivaled Christianity.
Admission: 10€ (Lower Church + Mithraeum). One of Rome's most impressive places — three layers of history literally on top of each other.
Domus Aurea — Nero's Golden House
Emperor Nero had a palace built after the Great Fire of Rome (64 AD) that was the epitome of megalomania: The Domus Aurea covered up to 120 hectares, with golden ceilings, gemstones, a revolving dining room, and an artificial lake (where the Colosseum stands today). Accessible again since 2014 — only with a guided tour (VR glasses show the original splendor). Admission: 14€, reservation required. Open only on Saturdays and Sundays.
