With thousands of years of history, it is no wonder that Rome is full of ghosts and spooky places. That’s one of the reasons a visit to the ancient city can be a fun and exciting time, especially around Halloween. The following are some of the spookiest and most mysterious attractions Rome has to offer.
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Crypt of the Capuchin monks
Direction
Via Vittorio Veneto, 27, 00187 Rome RM, ItalyGet directions
Telephone
+39 06 8880 3695
Web
Visit the website
A church made entirely of the skeletons of its ancient friars? That is exactly what you will find in the Crypt of the Capuchin Monks. Located just off the haughty Via Veneto, the crypt is decorated with the bones and skulls of more than 4,000 monks, all arranged in interesting patterns such as starbursts and crucifixes. The crypt is as fascinating as it is creepy.
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The catacombs on the Via Appia Antica
Direction
Via delle Sette Chiese, 282, 00147 Rome RM, ItalyGet directions
Telephone
+39 06 511 0342
Web
Visit the website
Thousands of Romans, including saints and popes, were buried in the vast network of catacombs just outside Rome on the Via Appia Antica (the Appian Way). The largest catacombs and one of the oldest to visit is St. Domitilla. You can also visit San Callisto, which contains 14 papal crypts, and San Sebastiano, where San Sebastián was buried (the church of San Sebastián towers over the catacomb).
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The Vatican necropolis
Like the Appian Way catacombs but located below Vatican City, the Vatican Necropolis or I Scavi is a lurid look at the graves of dozens of popes, including St. Peter. Given its famous residents, I Scavi is one of the holiest sites in Rome. But it certainly gets creepy when one pauses to think that they are walking among the remains of the most famous figures in the church.
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Purgatory museum
Direction
Lungotevere Prati, 12, 00193 Rome RM, ItalyGet directions
Telephone
+39 06 6880 6517
Web
Visit the website
In the small church of Sacro Cuore Suffragio, near the Castel Sant’Angelo, is the Museum of the Souls of Purgatory (Museo delle Anime del Purgatorio), which narrates several cases of souls trapped in that space between heaven and hell . Witness evidence from purgatory (that is, the paranormal), such as burnt handprints on the pages of books, and you’ll be scared for the rest of your visit.
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Monster house
Near the Plaza de España, in Via Gregoriana 28, is the Palazzo della Maschera Grottesca, a 16th-century palace that has the face of the devil as part of its facade. While visitors cannot enter the palace, they can stand outside and marvel at the menacing mouth of the monster that forms the gate.
