My shortlist of Rome hidden gems near the Pantheon you’ll love. The best things to see in Rome include famous landmarks and secret corners that only reveal themselves to those who seek then out. This list will help you discover Rome hidden gems I the city center worth seeing.
If you speak with anyone from Rome, they’ll tell you a lifetime is not enough time to see the city in all its beauty. Yet, if you speak with the average tourist you will hear you can ‘do’ Rome in two days and then you run out of things to see.
So, what is the truth?
I am from Rome and I can tell you without a doubt that the truth is in what local says: you will never be done with Rome and anyone who says differently simply does not realise how much there is in the city.
It’s the typical case of ‘they don’t know what they don’t know‘ and honestly, I can see why this happens! If you search online the best things to see in Rome, you always get the same, tired list of the main landmarks; you have to draw the conclusion there is nothing else!
But nothing is further from the truth. Rome developed over the course of almost 3000 years, continuously and it is very much an open air museums with things at every corner: the space between landmarks is even richer in stories than the landmarks themselves.
So, to help those who are curious about the city to get a glimpse of how much Rome has to offer, I thought I’d put together this list of lesser known, non obvious and secret places in Rome city center that I believe you’ll love.
I have chosen this area because the Pantheon neighborhood is the historic centre of Rome and an area all tourists will find themselves in, so I know these will be easy to include in your itinerary even if you have a short time in Rome.
I believe seeing eve just some of these will truly add to your experience of the city and go beyond the obvious top landmarks in Rome which are beautiful of course, but only a fraction of what the city has to offer.
I hope you enjoy it!
Church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva – Rome hidden gem for Michelangelo lovers!
Santa Maria Sopra Minerva is a stunning church beside the Pantheon, which is truly worth seeing.
The church seems to have been first established in this location in the VIII century AD and took its name from a old temple of Minerva that used to be in this exact location (many Christian churches were literally built on top / took over Pagan temples). However, the church as we see it today is Gothic in style and dates from 1280.
Many things make this church special: the gothic architecture is almost unique in Rome; the ceiling of the church has an incredible blu and golden decorations; you can find here a stunning statue of Christ by Michelangelo and the tomb of Beato Angelico, among others.
If you are lucky and find it open, you can also visit the stunning cloister, which has the most incredible frescoes!
Address: Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, Piazza della Minerva 42, 00186 Rome Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/iBYAHML5F3YkGmoL7
Minerva’s Chick (statue)
The statue called Minerva’s Chick is not a hidden gem in terms of it being secret: it is actually as visible as it gets, by virtue of being in the center of a piazza!
Yet, it is a statue many overlook but that is significant and also has a funny story, one of those that make the city come to life with witty characters and jealous artists!
The statue represents a little elephant with an obelisk on its back and it is by Bernini, which is one of the most significant artists and architects to have shaped Rome as the open air museum we see now.
The statue is free to visit and you can easily see it wit Santa Maria Sopra Minerva mentioned above, since it is just in front.
You can find the story of Minerva’s Chick here
Address: Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, Piazza della Minerva 42, 00186 Rome Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/iBYAHML5F3YkGmoL7
Domitian’s Stadium
The Stadium of Domitian is one of the most visited spots in Rome but not all visitors realise this as the stadium is now Piazza Navona!
The Piazza is wonderful and very much worth a visit: you can find my guide to Piazza Navona here.
However, even a place as popular as this one hides a hidden gem, in this case in the form of the conditions of the ancient stadium, now underground!
The foundations of the stadium of Domitian are an underground archaeological site and are interesting to visit: as well as imposing ruins of the ancient structure, the exhibition includes a virtual reality set that shows you how the stadium used to be and makes you feel immersed in it.
The experience is interesting, worth doing and doesn’t take up much time, so it is easy to include in any itinerary of Rome city center. Official website: https://stadiodomiziano.com
Caravaggio’s Madonna dei Pellegrini and San Matthew’s Cycle
If you love art, Caravaggio or you just want to get aquatinted with one of the most significant artists in the history of Italian art (and beyond) then you’ll love to know that there are two churches in this area where you can admire his painting for free!
The painting are:
Madonna dei Pellegrini is the Church of Sant’Agostino Address: Piazza di Sant’Agostino 00186 Rome. Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/XtgfPMFrSJwcDMcR7
Il Ciclo di San Matteo in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi Address: Piazza di San Luigi dei Francesi, 00186 Rome Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jyKnz36Tg9sdmogS9
Sant’Eustachio’s stag head
Rome is a place of hidden stories and a great examples of a Rome hidden gem with a interesting and meaningful one is that connected to the church of Sant’Eustachio. The story of Sant’Eustachio goes more or less like this: Eustachio was a Roman solider, pagan, and one day he was out hunting.
As he chased a stag, the stag turned to him and a cross appeared between his antlers. As the vision appeared, Jesus spoke to Eustachio saying ‘Do you see? It is me you have been following all of this time’, a miracle that make Eustachio and then his family become devout Christians.
In memory of this story, you can see the stags’ head with the cross between the antlers on top of the church!
Top tip: you can spot the stag from street level. however, if you happen to go for a drink to the stunning Divinity Terrace (one of the best rooftop terraces in Rome, you can see it at eye level!). If you love coffee, also make sure you get one at Sant’Eustachio il Caffe just in front, universally recognised as the place with the best coffee in Rome!
The ceiling of Sant’Ignazio
The church of Sant’Ignazio is a relatively well known church in Rome city center, yet I add it to this list of Rome hidden gems near the pantheon because it is easily overlooked.
The church opens over a small and pretty piazza, itself worth seeing, and has a ceiling that hides a secret. Or two!
As you walk into the church, you will first notice a line of people quitting up to look into a mirror: this is worth doing, as the mirror is basically a magnifying one that allows you to see the stunning frescoed ceiling in great detail and you will notice the figures seem to float!
But after you do that, keep going and look up: can you see the dome? Well, that is not a dome at all! It’s an illusion of a dome made vith a clever use of the idea of perspective. The ceiling is actually flat!
Address: Piazza Sant’Ignazio, 00186 Rome
Piazza di Pietra
Piazza di Pietra is what I call a Rome hidden gem in plain sight, in the sense that many pass by it, but don’t take a moment to take in what the place is, greatly missing out on a real Rome marvel!
Piazza di Pietra is now a pleasant piazza with outdoor cafes and tourists sipping aperitivo, but it still maintains the ruins of an ancient Temple of Hadrian, whose immense, fantastic column you can still see.
The Temple dates from the II century AD and now blends perfectly with the later architecture of the city, making it one of the best places to see how Rome developed over the centuries using, reusing and repurposing buildings and artwork for the past.
Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza
The church of Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza is well known to art lovers but still comes as a surprise to many as it is hidden in a courtyard you may not see, if you don’t know is there.
The main thing that makes this church special architecturally is its spiral dome by architect Borromini: you can admire in its full beauty from the inner church yard but once you know it’s there you’ll also be able to spot it as you stroll between the Pantheon and Piazza Navona, peeking through roofs!
The hidden underground pond in Palazzo della Cancelleria
I have no photo of this one as photos are not allowed inside but trust me: it is there! Inside Palazzo della cancelleria, or more precisely, inside the Museo Mostra di Leonardo below it, you can see a small basin of water that seem to date from pre Roman times!
The basin is truly unexpected: I recommend to go see it as part of your visit to Museo Mostra di Leonardo, which is also excellent.
Address: Piazza della Cancelleria 1, 00186 Rome
Largo Febo and Santa Maria dell’Anima
Largo Febo is one of the most romantic spots in Rome and it is worth seeing on two accounts. First, the delightful greenery on the facade of Hotel Raphael, one of the most romantic hotels in Rome (outside and inside!).
Second, the incredible ceiling of the church of Santa Maria dell’Anima, which has a light blue color that will make you feel like you are staring at paradise itself!
Palazzo Doria Pamphili
Palazzo Doria Pamphili is an important noble palazzo and art gallery in Rome and one of those places that would be the jewel in the crown in pretty much other city… but not in stunning Rome!
Palazzo Doria is a delight to visit if you love art, architecture but even just for a pleasant drink in a stunning courtyard. As you enter, you find a shaded cloister with an upscale cafe; once inside, you can admire the incredible rooms of the palazzo or get an audioguide to discover its most significant paintings, which include a stunning Caravaggio.
Spazio Sette (bookshop)
if you love booskshops and secret spaces, then you will love this one as it is truly unexpected!
Spazio Sette is a bookshop hosted in historic Palazzo Cavallerini Lazzaroni: as you enter, you find yourself in a pleasant and surprisingly large bookshop but there it more here than meets the eye!
Go upstairs, and you will soon see what I mean: stunning rooms with frescoes ceilings, for everyone to see (we even met the resident cat here, an extra plus for us!).
When it comes to Rome hidden gems near the Pantheon, it doesn’t get much more hidden or much more of a gem than this!
I hope you enjoyed this quick list of my favorite Rome hidden gems near the Pantheon, it gave you ideas about the best things to see in Rome beyond the most obvious sights and inspire you to explore even more! Want to spread your wings to other areas? Have a look at more hidden gems in Rome here.
Rome Hidden Gems near the Pantheon – Pin this!
