CNN’s Ben Wedeman was given an exclusive tour of ancient tunnels underneath Rome’s Capitoline Hill. The tunnels, which archeologists say were once filled with ancient Roman shops and taverns, are set to open to the public in late 2026 or early 2027.

Rome

Beneath the bustling streets and historic ruins of Rome lies a vast network of ancient tunnels, tombs, catacombs, and caves. Chief archaeologist Ersilia D'Ambrosio provided an exclusive tour of a section of these tunnels, located 20 meters below Capitoline Hill, one of Rome's original seven hills. The tunnels, carved from volcanic stone known as tufo, were once integral to city life, housing shops, storerooms, workshops, and taverns. Some of the original artifacts, such as wine jugs, remain in place.

The tunnels have evolved over centuries, with brick reinforcements added in the 1800s and use as a bomb shelter during World War II. The area is currently being prepared for public access, with plans to open in the next few years. The site offers a glimpse into Rome's layered history and the many secrets still hidden beneath the city.

See the ancient tunnels that go 75 feet under the city of Rome

There is the Rome above, its ruins teeming with tourists in the midday summer sun. And then there's the Rome below, a sprawling network of tunnels, tombs, catacombs and caves. Chief archaeologist Ersilia D'Ambrosio gave us an exclusive peek at a part of that cool, dark underworld still off-limits to the public. We're 20 meters below the surface, she says, and it goes deeper still. We are underneath the Capitoline Hill, the Mons Capitolino, as it's known in Latin, one of the seven hills of ancient Rome. How ancient? Well, you get an idea, because if you look up there, that white stone is the foundation to the Temple of Jupiter that was built in the 6th century BC. Chiseled out of the soft volcanic stone known in Italian as tufo, these corridors and the rooms off of them were an integral organic part of the city, with shops, storerooms, workshops and taverns. Some of the old wine jugs are still here. The parts where you see bricks are from the 1800s, intended to shore up the structure, Ersilia says. Clearly, the tunnels in the tufo are much older, starting in Roman times. This was a hive of activity until early last century. Between the 20s and 1940, during the fascist era, Ersilia tells me, the old working-class neighborhoods around the Capitoline Hill were demolished as part of an effort to modernize the city. And when war came to the capital, this subterranean world served another new purpose. Here have a look at this, here, gabinetto, means toilet. This was done during the Second World War when this entire complex was used as a bomb shelter while Rome was being bombed by the Allies. Now, some 80 or so years later, this underground warren is being prepared to welcome visitors sometime late next year or early in 2027. The Eternal City still holds many secrets above and below. Ben Wiedemann, CNN, Under Room.

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