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5 unexpected things you definitely have to do in Rome, Italy

By Ian Goodwillie

ATHENS, GREECE, NOVEMBER 10: Walls are adorned with works of contemporary graffiti on the streets of Athens on November 10, 2014 in Athens, Greece. The hardships and unemployment of the country's economic collapse have led to a new wave of innovative graffiti, which is both politically aware and socially accepted making the city a Mecca for street artists. (Photo by Milos Bicanski/Getty Images)
ATHENS, GREECE, NOVEMBER 10: Walls are adorned with works of contemporary graffiti on the streets of Athens on November 10, 2014 in Athens, Greece. The hardships and unemployment of the country's economic collapse have led to a new wave of innovative graffiti, which is both politically aware and socially accepted making the city a Mecca for street artists. (Photo by Milos Bicanski/Getty Images) /
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Telling someone they should travel to Rome is like telling someone they should breath. It’s honestly a no brainer. When it comes to history, Rome has been at the center of it all for millennia after millennia, much like its Grecian counterpart, Athens.

While Italy has no shortage of amazing cities to check out, Athens needs to be high on your list. Keeping in mind that you still should do the more traditional touristy things, there are still some oddball items you definitely need to add to your itinerary.

St. Valentine’s Skull

ATHENS, GREECE
ATHENS, GREECE – MAY 23: Tourists and local Athenians stroll on Dionysiou Areopagitou Street in the Makrygianna district with the Acropolis in the background, on May 23, 2020 in Athens, Greece. After months of being on lockdown due to the coronavirus, Greece has opened its famed museums and tourist destinations while relaxing restrictions on movement and shopping on the mainland in recent days. (Photo by Byron Smith/Getty Images) /

Nothing screams romance like going to visit the skull of a Catholic saint housed in a glass reliquary. If that’s something that fits in to your travel style, then you should probably plan a stop by one of the most unique locations in Rome.

Housed in the Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin, the skull of St. Valentine has been drawing in visitors for many years. The problem is there was more than one St. Valentine and no one is 100% that this is the most infamous one of them all.

Museum of the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Resting on the banks of the Tiber River, the Chiesa del Sacro Cuore del Suffragio is already a popular destination in Rome. It might not be the biggest cathedral in the city but it certainly makes up for size with beauty.

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It’s also home to a fun little spot called the Museum of the Holy Souls in Purgatory, and it’s probably exactly what you think. All of the objects in this museums have burn marks from where they were supposedly touched by souls trapped in purgatory. Fun!

Rome’s The Mouth of Truth

Deep in Rome is the Piazza della Bocca della Verità which rests on the site of the historic ancient Forum Boarium. The Piazza is also home to the Santa Maria in Cosmedin church, which is a wonderful place to visit. But don’t miss the giant mask right beside it.

Just kidding. The Mouth of Truth is virtually impossible to miss. It is a massive jade mask that stands beside the church’s portico depicting a pagan face. Legends say it will bite the hand off of any liar who is bold enough to make such a bold play.

Santa Maria della Concezione Crypts

ATHENS, GREECE
An aerial picture taken on February 19, 2017, shows an artwork by street artist Same84 depicting Milwaukee Bucks’ Greek basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo on a basketball court in Athens.Greek NBA player Giannis Antetokounmpo began playing basketball in an open field in Athens neighbourhood of Sepolia. He was drafted number 15 in the NBA in 2013 and now participates in his first All Star Game. / AFP / Angelos TZORTZINIS / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY MENTION OF THE ARTIST UPON PUBLICATION – TO ILLUSTRATE THE EVENT AS SPECIFIED IN THE CAPTION (Photo credit should read ANGELOS TZORTZINIS/AFP via Getty Images) /

If you’re ever in Rome, you absolutely have to check out the remains of the Capuchin friars in these crypts. That’s not a recommendation you’ll get often on most trips, mainly because most people wouldn’t recommend going somewhere like this.

The Santa Maria della Concezione Crypts reputedly contains the remains of more than 4,000 Capuchin friars. This includes a room filled entirely with pelvises as well as one skeleton framed by bones that’s holding a scythe and scales made of bones.

Museo Nazionale delle Paste Alimentari

The weird side of Rome isn’t all so dark and foreboding. Some of it is on the lighter side of life, including the Museo Nazionale delle Paste Alimentari. Reputedly, this is the only museum dedicated to pasta in the entire world.

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It stands to reason that if you’re in Italy in the first place, you’re probably more than a little familiar pasta. This is the perfect, and apparently only, place to go and immerse yourself in the history of one of the world’s greatest genres of food.

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