“The death closes the gates of time, and opens those of eternity”. This is the message that welcomes you when you arrive at the Capuchin Crypt, which is in the Church of Our Lady of the Conception of the Capuchins. The special feature of this church is that the walls and ceilings are “decorated” with the remaining bones of Capuchin friars who died between 1528 and 1870. Check the clock on the wall opposite the door, it reppresents the continuity of life, now and in eternity. It might be a little creepy to some people, but it certainly has a place in Rome that you will never forget! The Capuchin friars have provided part of the monastery to accommodate tourists and stay in a place sacred and memorable.

On the top of the elegant Aventine Hill, a pleasant surprise awaits you. Just after the Giardino degli Aranci, the keyhole of the gate of the Priory of the Knights of Malta offers one of the most popular and picturesque view of St. Peter. Looking through this keyhole you can enjoy a fantastic view of the dome of St. Peter’s framed by hedges of the gardens of  the ancient Priorato. This gem is still unknown to most of the tourists. The complex was built in 939 as a Benedictine monastery above a  turreted palace donated by Alberico II: the inside church is dedicated to St. Basil.

The legend comes from the Middle Ages, with the “Mirabilia Urbis Romae,” which tell us that the Mouth of Truth had the power to dispense oracles. The Mouth of Truth is an ancient mask of marble, immured in the wall of the vestibule of the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin of Rome since 1632 and reppresents  the head of a river god, with a large open mouth. The legend says that when when a person, after having put the hand innside this mouth and makes a statement, his hand is safe if says the truth, otherwise the hand is cut off.

The Appian Way was a Roman road that connected Rome to Brindisi, the most important port for Greece and the Orient in the world of the ancient Rome. The Appia is probably the most famous Roman road of which we still have traces and  its importance is confirmed by the nickname by which the Romans called: regina viarum. The main feature of this new road is to be viable in any time and by any means, thanks to the paved with large smooth stones fitted together perfectly, resting on a layer of gravel that ensured stability and drainage. Along the first few miles there are numerous burial constructions, following the law that forbade burial within the sacred precincts of the Pomerio: monuments of distinguished families, but also colombari brotherhoods established to give its members a decent burial; or underground cemeteries belonging to their particular ethnic or religious communities. It creates the stratification of an exceptional heritage of historical, cultural and artistic treasures of great value.

The Church of St Mary in Palmis (Italian: Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Piante, Latin: Sanctae Mariae in Palmis), better known as Chiesa del Domine Quo Vadis, is a small church southeast of Rome, central Italy. It is located about some 800 m from Porta San Sebastiano, where the Via Ardeatina branches off the Appian Way, on the site where, according to the legend, Saint Peter met Jesus while the former was fleeing persecution in Rome. According to the apocryphal Acts of Peter, Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, where are you going?” . Jesus answered, “I am going to Rome to be crucified again”. On a small marble slab in the center of the church are, in fact, two prints of feet (copy of a relief preserved in the nearby Basilica of Saint Sebastian Outside the Walls), which would be the footprints left by Jesus; it is, in fact, a votive offering to the pagan god Redicolo, offered by a traveler before leaving to ensure the success of a trip (or return, thank you). An example of a similar ex-voto is visible at the Capitoline Museums. The length of the fingerprint is 27.5 cm which corresponds to a number of shoe equal to 44/45, significantly for its time.

The archaeological site of San Sebastiano Fuori le Mura is located in the initial part of the Appian Way, between the second and third mile of the ancient consular road.
John Paul II has written about:  “The catacombs retain, among other things, the tombs of the early martyrs, witnesses to a clear and steadfast faith, which led them as “athletes of God,” a victorious overcoming the supreme test. Many tombs of the martyrs are still kept inside the catacombs and generations of believers have stopped to pray before them. Even the Jubilee pilgrims of two thousand will go to the graves of the martyrs and raising prayers to the ancient champions of the faith, turn their thoughts to the “new martyrs” to Christians in the past and even today are subjected to violence, abuse of power , misunderstandings because they want to remain faithful to Christ and to his Gospel.”
The early Christians were tracing on the tombstones, which preservavano the remains of their loved ones, symbols expressing their faith. Walking through the galleries of the catacomb you can see the wide variety of graves and decorations. You can easily find many tombs decorated and work alongside other in plain masonry. Each tomb had his small mark to be recognized. Often an object or a mere fragment: a candle, a coin, a bottom cup, a trinket, a toy for a child.