Indulge Your Dark Side With A Ghostly Tour Of Rome's Crypts And Catacombs

When you think of Italy, more than likely thoughts and images of the rolling hills of Tuscany; the stunning beaches of the Italian Riviera and Amalfi Coast; the magical islands of Ischia and Capri with their quaint trattorias along narrow, cobblestoned streets; and the gondola-laden canals of Venice come to mind. Vibrant and bustling tourist destinations like Florence, Rome, and Milan are known for their rich history, ancient culture, world-renowned artwork, and larger-than-life architecture and monuments. And while Italy exudes all this and more in present day, its ancient past was quite a bit more haunting and much more terrifying.

Blood-soaked arenas and corpses of animals, gladiators, soldiers, slaves, and prisoners dominated the country's landscape. The smaller, ancient Roman city of Capua within the Campania region served as training grounds for notorious gladiators such as Spartacus, Spiculus, and many more, as referenced by the History channel. The grand Flavian Amphitheater in Rome — also known as the Colosseum — was a historic battleground where chariot races, gladiator combat, animal hunts, and games took place regularly. The Eternal City itself: a mass secret burial ground of saints, sinners, pagans, and Christians.

While Rome's city streets are bustling with tourists and residents, its underground network of secret burial chambers reveals a city of the dead. If history wrought with horror and bloodshed fascinates you, Rome's dark, ancient past comes to light via modern-day guided tours facilitated by Dark Rome, allowing you to indulge your dark side with a ghostly tour of the Eternal City's crypts, catacombs, and much more. And there's no better way to experience the intriguing and ghastly history shrouding the city's deathly past than through The Original Crypts and Catacombs Tour, where participants will experience a historical tour with an authentic archaeologist guide.

Or perhaps mysterious paranormal events, phantoms, spirits, and all things that go bump in the night does more for you than just raising the hair on the back of your neck and arms. If that's the case, the Ghosts, Mysteries and Legends of Rome Night Walking Tour will pique your love for ghost stories, murder, and mayhem. If you can't decide between the two because your strange fascination for the dead is so strong, Dark Rome has combined both of these horrifying tours just for you in their Dark Rome Combo Saver: Crypts and Catacombs plus Ghosts Mysteries and Legends of Rome tour. This tour is so in-depth, it provides over eight hours of frightening yet eye-opening information into Rome's sordid past.

Further your intrigue of the city's monumental, historical past by standing on the shoulders of giants and learning more about the famous gladiator battles and medieval executions upon Rome's hallowed soil by touring the Colosseum. Dark Rome offers three fascinating tours where the participant will feel like a spectator within this massive, ancient ruin. The Colosseum Tour with Roman Forum and Palatine Hill offers historical insight by day, whereas the Colosseum Evening Tour with Arena Floor and Roman Forum affords a unique opportunity to visit the Colosseum, arena, and forum by night. Should you prefer a smaller group tour, the Small Group Colosseum Underground Tour with Roman Forum, Palatine Hill & Gladiator Arena offers a "skip-the-line" service, whisking you into the Roman amphitheater, revealing its underground secrets.

It goes without saying that while present-day Rome is bursting at the seams with people, motorized vehicles, and both ancient and modern buildings, its centuries-old past, with its fascinating historical events, obsession with fighting to the death, and honoring the dead, still to this day holds its place firmly in history books, and within the framework of Rome's landscape, beguiling all of us now and for years, if not centuries, to come.