Case Romane del Celio

Case Romane del Celio Review

Formerly accessible only through the church of San Giovanni e Paolo, this important ancient Roman excavation was opened in 2002 as a full-fledged museum. An underground honeycomb of rooms, this comprises the lower levels of a so-called "insula," or apartment tower, the heights of which were a wonder to ancient Roman contemporaries. Through the door on the left of the Clivo di Scauro lane a portico leads to the Room of the Genie, where painted figures grace the walls as if untouched by two millennia. Farther on is the Confessio altar of Sts. John and Paul, officials at Constantine's court who were executed under Julian the Apostate. Still lower is the Antiquarium, where state-of-the-art lighting showcases amphorae, pots, and stamped ancient Roman bricks, the stamps so fresh they might've been imprinted yesterday.