You’ve come to Italy to indulge your love of ancient history and to your frustration, the sites are full of slow-moving tour groups that are ruining the experience. Luckily, Italy is home to thousands of incredible sites, many of which are ignored. So when the crowds are getting you down, head in the opposite direction and indulge yourself in the beauty of the ancient world.
1. Herculaneum & Oplontis
If Pompeii is on your bucket list, it’s on your neighbors list, as well. Inching through streets filled with groups all heading to the same places can get in the way of you seeing what you came for. Luckily, the UNESCO site that includes Pompeii also recognizes 2 other incredible nearby sites.
The smaller town of Herculaneum is becoming more popular as people look for alternatives to Pompeii. It’s also much more informative for history buffs as the ruins are more in tact. Falling volcanic rock destroyed the roofs and upper levels of most of the houses in Pompeii.
Also nearby is the modern town of Torre Annunziata, where the wonderful site of Oplontis is often overlooked. The ancient villa, which belonged to the imperial family, preserves brightly-colored frescoes in almost every room. Only the Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii has anything comparable, but here you won’t be competing with the masses.
2. Ostia Antica
If you are strapped for time this trip, taking only half a day from Rome is a good solution. The ancient port town at Ostia is a short train ride from the Porta San Paolo (Metro Piramide) train station in Rome, where trains leave about every 15 minutes.
Many of the structures you will see are connected with trade and commerce, the source of the town’s wealth during the heyday of the empire. We recommend getting a guide to accompany you and explain where each piece fits into the historic jigsaw and how buildings were re-purposed over time.
3. Ravenna
The mosaics of Ravenna are a good enough reason to come to Italy, yet their fame is drowned out by more well-known sites.
This tiny town in Emilia Romagna, which was briefly the capital of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century, is home to the most impressive examples of mosaics from this period. The town today is itself a gem, lovingly preserved and well-kept by the locals who are proud to show it to those who make the effort to visit.
4. Paestum
It takes some determination to get to the temples at Paestum, which is why this extraordinary site is often overlooked. The best-preserved Greek temples on the Italian mainland are about a 2 hour drive south of the Amalfi Coast. To save time and increase your comfort, we highly recommend going with a private driver.
The awe of seeing these temples in person can not be substituted by anything in Rome or Pompeii. Delight in wrapping your arms around the columns and seeing how many people it takes to join hands!
In addition to the temples, the Salerno province is also known as one of the few places in Italy allowed to produce mozzarella di bufala. While you’re here, why not visit a local mozzarella farm to see the water buffaloes lounging in their pools and watch authentic mozzarella being made by hand?
5. Tarquinia and Cerveteri
If you are interested in the more ancient periods of Roman history, there’s plenty to discover about the Etruscans- the inhabitants of central Italy before the rise of Rome. Although the peaceful Etruscan city-states were wiped out by the war-loving Romans, the development of Roman civilization owed a great deal to them.
The Villa Giulia museum in Rome is dedicated to the Etruscans, but the best sites are in the north of Lazio. The two best examples of Etruscan towns today are Tarquinia and Cerveteri, close to the Civitavecchia port. Both are UNESCO-protected sites.
The necropolis at Cerveteri is easily accessible, and you can walk in and out of the hut-like tombs, most of which are now sadly empty. Thankfully, the underground Tarquinia necropolis was discovered later and has been better preserved. The museum is filled with the treasures discovered in the tombs and a vast collection of sarcophagi. Clearly less vain than the Romans, the funerary sculptures are far more realistic depictions of the inhabitant. Wrinkles, receding hairlines and protruding bellies are all visible. Not like anything the Romans would later produce.
There are dozens of tombs which can be visited, each with distinct and fascinating paintings. It may be best to avoid the narrow staircases if you suffer from claustrophobia.
6. Villa Romana del Casale
In Piazza Armerina,central Sicily, an aristocratic villa was discovered. It was filled with the largest single collection of Roman mosaics ever found. Miraculously they have been left where they were discovered and not moved into a more accessible museum.
The 4th century mosaics are believed to have been made by African craftsmen, and include wonderful scenes of hunting, mythology and every day life.
While the villa does make a good stopping point when moving from Palermo or Syracuse to see the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, we recommend going with a private driver.
7. Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli
Despite being a UNESCO site, the summer residence of the Emperor Hadrian isn’t particularly well-kept these days. As there are not many markers to explain what you’re looking at, we highly recommend going with an expert guide who can bring the place to life. You will be delighted by the world he created to escape the heat and the pressures of Rome.
While in Tivoli, make sure to visit the town’s other UNESCO site of Villa d’Este and marvel at the incredible water gardens which operate entirely on the pressure of gravity.
8. The Appian Way
The ancient road of Appia Antica offers the perfect retreat from a crowded Roman day. The road once connected Rome with the port of Brindisi in the south, from where the Romans set sail for Africa. Today, it is a green park surprisingly close to the city center. Come here on a Sunday when it is closed to traffic and makes for a wonderful walk or bike ride.
If you’re feeling energetic, walk from Circus Maximus, pass the Baths of Caracalla, until you come to the ancient city gate of Porta San Sebastiano. You can also get a taxi here.
Check out the museum inside the gate to walk along part of the ancient wall and go to the top of one of the turrets for great views of the park. Like the other sites on Via Appia, the museum is free (though donations are always welcome). Other sites include the Circus of Maxentius and the Tomb of Cecilia Metella.
You’ll also find the Catacombs of San Sebastiano (closed Sunday) and San Callisto (closed Wednesday). The Catacombs of Domitilla (closed Tuesday) are also close by.
9. Naples
Not an unknown site, but far too many people think of it as a transfer point to the Amalfi Coast or the islands of Capri and Ischia. Naples once had a bad reputation with visitors, but the city has really cleaned itself up.
The driving is still a harrowing experience and we wouldn’t recommend renting a car here, but the city center is brimming with incredible history. Don’t be surprised to see rundown and abandoned buildings in the city center, change comes slowly here. Aim to stay in the more elegant areas around Piazza del Plebiscito and you will feel perfectly safe.
Don’t miss the spectacular (if rundown) archaeological museum,which houses an amazing collection of ancient statues and the best discoveries from Pompeii. Other noteworthy sites are the Naples Underground tour of the Greek aqueducts and the Catacombs of San Gennaro.
10. Baia & Pozzuoli
Just a short train ride from Naples brings you to the volcanic Phlegraean Fields, a supervolcano which is home to 24 craters (most underwater) and the phenomena of bradyseism – where underlying magma and thermal activity causes the Earth’s crust to rise and fall.
In the case of Baia, this has caused parts of the ancient town to become submerged below the sea. It can be visited by a glass-bottomed boat, or for the more adventurous, by scuba diving or snorkeling. Parts of the town still remain above ground and the site is worth visiting just for the so-called echo chamber, which was modeled after Rome’s Pantheon.
Make sure to also visit the nearby Piscina Mirabilis, a monumental ancient cistern which is reminiscent of a cathedral. Then head back to Pozzuoli to see Italy’s third largest amphitheater. Although not very impressive on the outside, the tunnels underneath where animals and gladiators were kept are particularly well-preserved.
For private tours of these and other ancient sites throughout Italy, contact our team of experts at team@italyvacationspecialists.com