Four Hidden Gems in Rome

Rome is a city full of history. Every day you can find a new place to discover. On my recent trip to Rome, I wanted to find places to visit that were hidden gems. Places that do not require a special access tour or long lines. In this blog, I write about my family visiting 4 hidden gems of Rome in one day. A keyhole with a majestic view of St. Peter’s Basilica. A church with the relics of the Passion of Christ. A marble mask that is over 2200 years old, and a gelato shop with over 12 different chocolate flavors.

The first stop of the hidden gems tour is Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, The Basilica of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem. We drove our rental car here and parked in an area not that far and paid meter parking. We paid for an hour and a half and we were back to the car before the meter ran out. At this Church we saw some relics from the Passion of Christ. The objects were brought over from the Holy Land by Saint Helena (Emporer Constatine’s Mother). The origins of the church date back to 320 A.D. as a part of Saint Helena’s home.

There are five relics on display towards the back of the church. The relics include: The panel which was hung on Christ’s cross; Two thorns of the crown of thorns; part of a nail; three small wooden pieces from the true cross; and the index finger of St. Thomas. When I looked closely at the finger, it’s more of a wooden apparatus that fits over a finger. If you are familiar with the Bible, Thomas had to touch Jesus to make sure He was real after the resurrection. The wooden piece has a sharp, almost knife-like point on one end. My thought is that he didn’t just touch Him, he pierced Jesus’ skin with this device.

I never knew this place existed. I thought I would have to take a journey to Israel to find objects that belonged to Jesus or any of His disciples. Amazing is an understatement to describe what it feels like to be that close to something that belonged to Jesus Christ and one of His disciples. At the time of our visit, there was not a crowd at the church. Just a few people inside. There is no entry fee and it should definitely be on your list of Basilica’s to visit the next time you’re in Rome.

The next hidden gem is The Mouth of Truth, Bocca della Verita. Located in Santa Maria in Crosmedi. The hours are every day from 9:30- 5:50. The Mouth of Truth is a large disc made of marble, with a carved face of a man. Legend has it that if a liar puts his or her hand inside the face’s mouth, the hand will get bitten off.

Tip- Get in line early! Bring an umbrella to help you stay shaded. The Bocca is by the outside of the church, and has a metal gate you have to enter. Entrance is free, so be prepared for a crowd.

Once we were done with the Mouth of Truth, in the area is the Knights of Malta Keyhole. The origin of the knights date back to 1113. The hospital that the knights founded became an order expempt from control of the church by Pope Paschal II. All the knights are religious and follow the three monastic views of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

We made our way up the Aventine Hill so that we can get a view during sunset. The keyhole is located in the Villa del Priorato dei Cavalieri di Malta, which is recognized as a sovereign nation in Italy. We went during the best time, because there was no one in line. When you look through the keyhole, you will see three nations; Italy, Malta, and Vatican City. My children and I took turns to view inside the keyhole. I saw the beautiful garden inside, reminding me of the book and movie The Secret Garden. Through the garden I saw St. Peter’s Dome in Vatican City. From the keyhole the Dome looks so close, but if you go around the villa to the park, you will see how far away it is. This park is a great way to take pictures of Rome. We watched the sunset and made our way down the hill to get some gelato for dessert.

The last hidden gem on my list is Gunther Gelato. We tried so much gelato in Rome, but this has to be the best one. Our Airbnb was close by, so we stopped by every night for a scoop or two of gelato. Gunther is located on Via dei Pettinari, 43. The hours are 10am- 2am, except Sunday they close at 12am. Gunther has over forty flavors to choose from. If you are a chocoholic like myself, you are going to have a hard time choosing which of the twelve different chocolate flavors you want. They have traditional flavors and exotic flavors that are rich and delicious. For example; Mugo Pine, Ricotta Stragata, Morogoro extra chocolate, Sambirano chocolate. For 4 Euros you get two flavors. My favorite is Madagascar Vanilla with Milk Chocolate. Gunther Gelato has something for everyone. My four kids enjoyed our nightly treat at this gelato shop, you will too.

I hope you learn about a new spot in Rome that you just can’t miss. With all the famous sights and churches these often hidden gems of Rome are not visited often and worth a visit. Comment below if you have another hidden gem in Rome.