There's More to That

The Joys of Discovering the Roman Underground, From the Colosseum to What’s Beneath the Trevi Foundation


Listen Later

Tourism is surging in many places around the world—swarmed national parks, throngs of visitors amassing in churches and museums, and sidewalk cafes overburdened with diners. In this episode, we’d like to offer a less crowded way to be a tourist: consider going underground. 

This summer is a Jubilee Year in Rome, so the city will be more packed than ever. But below the traffic jams and bustle of pedestrians in the streets of Rome lie its subterranean sites, which include ancient aqueducts, pagan shrines and even apartment complexes built centuries ago. While tourists pound the pavement visiting the iconic landmarks aboveground, explorers can search beneath the streets of the Eternal City for a different perspective on ancient—and modern—Roman life. 

Host Ari Daniel speaks with Smithsonian contributing writer Tony Perrottet, who wrote recently about Rome’s underworld—the city lurking beneath the city. And he offers numerous tips to listeners who want to explore these fascinating and tranquil sites for themselves.

To subscribe to “There’s More to That,” and to listen to past episodes about the use of Italian Renaissance paintings to improve the farming of tomorrow, a special baseball field at a Japanese internment camp and the use of artificial intelligence to make ancient scrolls readable again, find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.

“There’s More to That” is a production of Smithsonian magazine and PRX Productions. 

From the magazine, our team is Ari Daniel, Debra Rosenberg and Brian Wolly. From PRX, our team is Jessica Miller, Genevieve Sponsler, Adriana Rosas Rivera, Sandra Lopez Monsalve and Edwin Ochoa. The executive producer of PRX Productions is Jocelyn Gonzales.

Fact-checking by Stephanie Abramson. Our music is from APM Music.

Episode artwork by Emily Lankiewicz. Photos by Tim Bieber via Getty Images and public domain.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

There's More to ThatBy Smithsonian Magazine

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

116 ratings


More shows like There's More to That

View all
Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

Science Friday

6,133 Listeners

On the Media by WNYC Studios

On the Media

9,166 Listeners

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! by NPR

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

38,689 Listeners

Radiolab by WNYC Studios

Radiolab

43,969 Listeners

This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

90,949 Listeners

Fresh Air by NPR

Fresh Air

38,189 Listeners

the memory palace by Nate DiMeo

the memory palace

6,845 Listeners

99% Invisible by Roman Mars

99% Invisible

26,163 Listeners

The Kitchen Sisters Present by The Kitchen Sisters & Radiotopia

The Kitchen Sisters Present

1,270 Listeners

Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

Hidden Brain

43,483 Listeners

Sidedoor by Smithsonian Institution

Sidedoor

2,200 Listeners

Proof by America's Test Kitchen

Proof

1,879 Listeners

Throughline by NPR

Throughline

16,043 Listeners

Short Wave by NPR

Short Wave

6,273 Listeners

Antiques Roadshow Detours by GBH

Antiques Roadshow Detours

673 Listeners