Le Domus Romane di Palazzo Valentini

Tridente, Trevi & the Quirinale


Underneath a grand mansion that’s been the seat of the Province of Rome since 1873 lie the archaeological remains of several lavish ancient Roman houses; the excavated fragments have been turned into a fascinating multimedia ‘experience’. Tours are held every 30 minutes, but rotate between Italian, English, French, German and Spanish. Book ahead online or by phone (advance booking fee €1.50), especially during holiday periods.

Visits take you on a virtual tour of the dwellings, complete with sound effects, vividly projected frescoes and glimpses of ancient life as it might have been lived in the area around the buildings. It's genuinely thrilling and great for older kids.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Tridente, Trevi & the Quirinale attractions

1. Colonna Traiana

0.04 MILES

Towering over the Foro di Traiano, Trajan's column (AD 113) is adorned with a microscopically-detailed spiral frieze illustrating the Romans' victorious…

2. Museo delle Cere

0.05 MILES

Rome’s waxwork museum is said to have the world’s third-largest collection, which comprises more than 250 figures, ranging from Dante to Snow White, plus…

3. Basilica Ulpia

0.06 MILES

A series of grey granite columns is all that remains of the Basilica Ulpia, a vast 40m-high hall that once stood in Trajan's Forum. Built in the early 2nd…

4. Foro di Traiano

0.08 MILES

Overshadowed by Trajan's towering administrative complex (the Mercati di Traiano), this was the last of the Imperial Forums to be built, dating to the…

5. Palazzo Colonna

0.09 MILES

The guided tours of this opulent palace are among the city's best, introducing visitors to the residence and art collection of the patrician Colonna…

7. Palazzo Venezia

0.11 MILES

Built between 1455 and 1464, Palazzo Venezia was the first of Rome's great Renaissance palaces. For centuries it was the embassy of the Venetian Republic …

8. Vittoriano

0.12 MILES

You can't ignore the Vittoriano, built at the turn of the 20th century to honor Italy's first king, Vittorio Emanuele II.