Crypta Balbi

The Crypta Balbi, one of the four sites of the National Roman Museum, opened to the public in 2001. If you're passionate about ancient Rome and want to see how the center of the city looked in antiquity and the Middle Ages, don't miss this important museum in Rome.

An incredible discovery

During excavations carried out around 1981, a large portico was uncovered. It was an annex to the theater that Cornelius Balbus had built in 13 BC.

The crypta consisted of a wide colonnaded courtyard, and research has shown that after various transformations the site was reused year after year through the medieval and Renaissance periods and right up to the present day.

What to see at the Crypta Balbi

Over its long history, the site has served as a theater, a burial ground, a rubbish dump, and even housed churches with a monastery attached.

The Crypta Balbi also displays  pieces and materials found during the excavations: ceramics, glassware, coins, lead seals, objects in metal, bone, ivory and precious stones, plus tools from a craft workshop that produced luxury items for clothing and ornament.

Prices

Standard ticket without the multimedia video: €13. It's valid for 3 days and also includes admission to all the sites of the National Roman Museum: Palazzo Massimo, Palazzo Altemps and the Baths of Diocletian.

EU citizens aged 18 to 25 pay €2, and under-18s and over-65s go in free.

Remember that admission to the sites of the National Roman Museum is included in the Omnia Card. You can also buy an individual ticket to the Crypta Balbi.

Address

Via delle Botteghe Oscure, 31 Roma

Opening hours

Tuesday to Sunday, 9.00 to 19.45
Closed Mondays (except Easter Monday), January 1 and December 25

Getting there

Buses: H, 30, 40, 46, 62, 63, 64, 70, 87, 119, 130, 186, 190, 271, 492, 571, 630, 780, 810, 916
Tram: 8.