In this unusual walking tour we’ll follow the footsteps of Hercules, the first “tourist” in Rome. According to the legend, during his journeys around the Mediterrean Sea, the Greek demigod Hercules landed in a wild land, a swampy region called Velabrum in proximity to the Tiber River (in the area of the future Rome).
we’ll start from the the area of the Circus Maximus, once the biggest circus of the Ancient Rome. I will help you understand how stunning was once this huge building, now gone.
Admiring the shrine of Hercules Victor (the so-called temple of Vesta), the Temple of Portunus and the Shrines of Forum Olitorio, we’ll talk about local gods and goddesses and their strange rituals.
We’ll visit the narrow undergrounds underneath the Basilica of San Nicola In carcere or the Ara (altar) of Hercules in Santa Maria of Cosmedin.
if you are brave enought…we can line to put our hand in the Bocca della Verità (Mouth of truth): according to a legend, this marble disc is a “lie-detector”.
The big face is a monster ready to chop your hand off, if you’re a liar..
Itinerary
- meet your guide at the subway station Circo Massimo
- walking tour of the area nearby Circus Maximus and Forum Boarium
- visit of one underground site (San Nicola in Carcere if available)
duration:
2.30/3 hours
timing may change depending from your level of interest and walking pace
What’s included:
private guide service
Not included:
Admission tickets
