What is it and how to visit ⤵️

🔸What you see here, it remained a secret for centuries.. until it was discovered in 1931 during the constructions works of a storage building for the Opera Theatre of Rome..

🔸I am talking about the Mithraeum of the Ara Massima! 🤩

🔸These ruins belong to an ancient Roman building which was right next to the Circus Maximus.
This building was very close to the “carceres”, which were the cages where the chariot of the Circus Maximus would start their race into the racetrack.

🔸It’s a bit difficult to decipher these ruins, however we can clearly recognize the different rooms and.. a mithraeum!

🔸We can recognize the mithraeum by the altar. This altar depicts the god Mitra while slaughtering a bull. This Mithraeum is from the 2nd century!

🔸What is a Mithraeum?

🔸The Mithraeum was the “temple” of the Mithraic mystery cult, which was a cult as popular as Christianism in the middle ages. This cult celebrated the God Mithra and the ceremonies were taking place in these small temples, the Mithraeums. 
Mithraism was a mystery cult that could only be practiced by men and the rituals were only revealed to the initiates. The fact that it was not an inclusive religion like the rival Christianism, contributed in the Mithraism to decline and disappear in the 5th century.

🔸This is a true hidden gem, isn’t it?
Don’t you find this super fascinating?

🔸How to visit: this site is only open few days a year. Visits must be booked by calling the number 060608. It takes a bit of patience as you may spend some time on the phone.

➡️ To discover more Rome gems visit us on livevirtua