Rome's Super Hidden Gems: Trastevere Tour & Jewish Ghetto

The Enchantment of Trastevere on Our Tour

In the courtyard of the Basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, time stands still. As you cross the threshold, the clock turns back a thousand years, the silence broken only by the sound of church bells echoing across Rome’s oldest neighborhood. Just a few steps, and the Trastevere Tour Rome unfolds before you — the charm of the portico, the peaceful garden, and the fountain where water flows softly from an ancient vase.

Guided by your passionate local expert, discover the mysterious and timeless beauty of narrow cobblestone alleys of Trastevere, the aroma of freshly baked bread, the scent of climbing plants draping over ivy-covered walls, and even the laundry lines suspended between houses, just as they’ve been for centuries.

Inside the Basilica of Santa Cecilia, where filtered light illuminates finely decorated windows, appreciate vaulted ceilings, and ancient mosaics and frescoes that tell stories of faith and devotion from Trastevere medieval community. Let yourself be captivated by the moving statue of Saint Cecilia — the patron saint of music — resting beneath the main altar in a splendid crypt. She lies in the same position in which her body was found at the end of the 16th century, when the Pope ordered her exhumation.

Experience firsthand the miracle that astonished the entire Trastevere district and all of Rome: the young body of Saint Cecilia was found intact, as if death itself had no power over her — her flesh as incorruptible as her spirit. It seemed as though only a few hours, not centuries, had passed since her martyrdom in the 3rd century, according to Christian tradition. The statue, sculpted by the artist Stefano Maderno, portrays her as a young woman lying gently on her side at the moment of martyrdom — forever alive in the innocence of her faith.

Descending into the underground levels of the Basilica of Santa Cecilia, your Trastevere Tour in Rome turns into a journey through centuries. Beneath your feet, second-century Roman floors are still adorned with original mosaics and wall decorations — remains of luxurious houses and ancient thermal baths, the “spas” of Imperial Rome. 

Still within the underground area, admire the crypt of the Basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, where the saint’s relics are preserved. At the center of the crypt, behind a bronze grille, you’ll see up close the famous statue of Saint Cecilia, sculpted by Stefano Maderno — lying on her right side, with three fingers on one hand and one on the other, symbolizing the Trinity and the oneness of God. The delicacy and realism of the sculpture make the scene profoundly moving. So much history and art to discover, brought to life by the passion of our local guide.

Who was Cecilia? It’s the question everyone asks during our Trastevere walking experience.

Cecilia became a saint for refusing to marry Valerian, the Roman man to whom she had been given in marriage. She was a young noblewoman from a wealthy Roman family, so devoted to Christ that she considered herself his bride. Nothing could persuade her to break her vow of chastity: she chose death over the physical union with Valerian — who, at first bewildered, was ultimately touched by her faith and converted to Christianity.

Cecilia endured the suffering of her execution like Christ himself, with the strength that only unshakable faith can give. They tried to suffocate her in the hot bath of her house, but she survived. Furious and incredulous, her executioners struck her neck three times with a sword, yet her head did not detach completely, and Cecilia lived for three more days.

During the visit to the Basilica in Trastevere, our guide will explain how this is only one of the extraordinary legends created over the centuries about martyrs who had lived so many centuries before. No one had been there; no one could contradict the story. One simply had to believe — indeed, it was an obligation to believe in the tales of the female and male saints enriching the history of the Christian Church.

Discover the Basilica of San Crisogono on our guided Trastevere walk

Inside the Basilica of San Crisogono, one of the oldest churches in the Trastevere district, history comes to life through our guide’s vivid descriptions and expert storytelling, as you explore its beautiful interiors and the underground areas that include a 4th-century church.

The church opens with its majestic central nave, supported by imposing marble columns reclaimed from monuments of Imperial Rome that had remained abandoned for centuries within the city’s ancient fabric. The golden mosaics shine today just as they did in the Middle Ages, when, at sunset, the spaces were illuminated only by the flickering light of torches.

The floor is simply astonishing — a vibrant sequence of colorful geometric patterns crafted from fragments of precious marbles taken from ancient ruins scattered across Rome. It is known as Cosmatesque flooring, named after the family of craftsmen who created this distinctive style in the Middle Ages.

With your expert guide — an archaeologist, historian, or art historian — you’ll appreciate the splendor of Baroque art and the style that transformed the church during its 17th-century renovation. Yet the origins of this site reach back to the 2nd century AD, when in these underground spaces, on the outskirts of pagan Rome, the first Christians gathered in secret. 

Descending into the lower levels, you’ll explore the ancient 4th-century Basilica of San Crisogono in Trastevere, walking among brick pillars and remains of Roman dwellings and early Christian worship halls. Admire the small primitive altar while your guide reveals the meaning of the frescoes depicting saints and martyrs, along with the funerary inscriptions — stories of faith, courage, and hope preserved beneath the streets of Trastevere.

Our Trastevere Guided Tour Reaches the Tiber Island

Cross the ancient bridge and arrive on Tiber Island, where the roots of Rome run deep — a place where myth and history flow together with the river that embraces the city. Around 3,000 years ago, this strategic point marked the crossroads of ancient trade routes, especially for salt merchants traveling between northern and southern Italy. Here, traders could cross the Tiber more easily by passing over two narrower branches of the river rather than its main course.

Amid legends of miraculous healings and ancient cults, your guide will reveal the island’s long history as both a place of isolation and a sanctuary of healing. Since the age of Ancient Rome, it was home to a great temple dedicated to Aesculapius, the god of medicine. Our guide will point out the ancient marbles that once gave the island the shape of a ship — a vessel anchored to the land, to the birth and the story of Rome itself.

Today, the Basilica of St. Bartholomew stands proudly at its summit, continuing to tell stories of faith and remembrance. With your guide, you’ll also explore the Fatebenefratelli Hospital, a historic institution that for centuries has embodied compassion and courage — including one of Rome’s most extraordinary acts of heroism during World War II. In 1943, doctors and staff protected members of the Jewish community from Nazi raids, hiding them within the hospital walls and inventing a fictitious contagious disease to keep the German soldiers away.

Jewish Ghetto Tour in Rome: From Trastevere to the Other Side of the Tiber

Our Trastevere Tour of Rome’s Hidden Gems concludes in the Jewish Ghetto of Rome, where history, faith, and resilience have been intertwined for over two thousand years. Walking through the narrow cobblestone streets of the Jewish Quarter, your guide will share the story of Rome’s Jewish community — the oldest in Europe — confined in 1555 by Pope Paul IV within the walls of the Ghetto, which remained closed for more than three centuries. Despite the harsh conditions, this small district became a powerful symbol of endurance, unity, and identity.

You’ll pause before the Portico d’Ottavia, an ancient Roman monument later transformed into the heart of the medieval Jewish market, where daily life continued to flourish despite restrictions. Not far away stands the majestic Great Synagogue of Rome, a striking symbol of rebirth and freedom after the emancipation of 1870.

Your path will then lead you to Piazza Mattei, one of Rome’s most charming squares, adorned with the elegant Turtle Fountain — a Renaissance masterpiece that seems to capture both the grace and resilience of the Jewish community itself.

Exploring this unique quarter, you’ll uncover stories of courage and sorrow, such as the tragic Nazi raid of October 16, 1943, but also the unbreakable strength of a people who, after centuries of persecution, never lost their soul.
This final part of your Jewish Ghetto Tour in Rome completes the journey that began in Trastevere — not just a passage through history, but a profound encounter with the most human and enduring spirit of Rome: ancient, vibrant, and unforgettable.