Marino

Marino Between the Underworld and Urban History

If you want to give your stay a cultural focus, Marino offers a range of historical points of interest: from an extensive network of caves beneath the historic center to archaeological collections, churches, and places connected with the history of wine and stone. The topics range from antiquity to more recent chapters in the town’s history, and can be explored individually.

Underground Marino and the Mithraeum

Underground Marino consists of an extensive network of caves, some of which are interconnected. It lies about 12 meters below street level and extends for dozens of kilometers beneath the historic center. This underground world forms a distinct focus alongside the city’s visible buildings. The caves can only be accessed by prior reservation. If you plan to visit, arrange your reservation in advance.

Marino’s Mithraeum also brings place and history together in a special way: it is one of only three Mithraea in Italy with a painted scene of the Mithraic mysteries. The painting was created in the 2nd century AD and depicts Mithras killing a white bull. It was executed in encaustic directly on the signinum plaster of the cistern. Its subject, date, and painting technique offer different ways to explore the ancient cult and its representation.

Museum Collections and Roman Traces

The Museo Civico Umberto Mastroianni is housed in the former Church of Santa Lucia. The church was built over a Roman cistern dating to the 1st or 2nd century AD. The museum site thus brings together the history of a church building and an ancient structure beneath its walls. The collection includes classical statues, funerary steles, sarcophagi, and inscriptions, as well as a fragment of a presbytery screen. It brings together different types of objects rather than focusing on a single work or category.

Fountains, the Basilica, and the Historic Center

The Fontana dei Mori was commissioned in 1632 to celebrate Marcantonio II Colonna’s victory at the Battle of Lepanto. The fountain became a symbol of Marino and provides a tangible point of reference for the town’s history. The Basilica of San Barnaba Apostolo was built through the devotion of the Colonna family and is one of the largest and most important churches in its diocese. Via del Riccio runs through Marino’s historic center, complementing individual cultural and historical themes with a route through this urban landscape.

The History of Wine and Peperino

The Museo del Vino is part of the local wine heritage. It is a private collection of winemaking and viticulture equipment typical of Marino and the Castelli Romani. The equipment was used until a few decades ago. This brings the practical side of the wine tradition into focus: cultivation and processing, made visible through the tools on display.

The Cave di Peperino tell another story of the area. Their quarries were in operation from Roman times until 1960. This period represents a long, clearly defined phase of peperino extraction. Together with the ancient works of art, collections, and buildings, the quarries offer another way to explore Marino’s history.

Consider which of these places you would like to explore in more depth, and find a hotel to suit your trip to Marino.

Discover more destinations: Palombara Sabina, Pisciarelli, Falcognana, Fiano Romano, Castel Di Guido, Monterotondo, Monte Compatri, Bagni Di Stigliano

For the broader travel overview: Rome.