The capital offers unrivalled artistic and architectural wonders, and on every visit it is possible to marvel at the city's unexpected corners — but what to see in Rome if you want to step off the beaten track? Here are 5 unusual ideas for spending unforgettable moments. Something for everyone.

Museo e cripta dei Cappuccini

A church, the adjacent convent, the crypt and the museum: all worth a visit, they are located on Via Veneto. Growing numbers of people visit the complex, not so much for religious reasons but for the curious crypt, which houses an ossuary that some may find slightly macabre, yet undeniably fascinating. What makes it remarkable is that the bones have been arranged into unexpected forms, including flowers and butterflies. The one downside is that photography is not allowed — though some visitors take pictures anyway.

In recent years the museum has gone multimedia: a blend of modernity and spirituality where visitors, with the help of holograms, touch screens and new interactive technologies, are guided through the key aspects of the culture of the Friars Minor Capuchin. Yet that is not really why people come here — the true gem is a single work by Michelangelo Merisi, known as Caravaggio: San Francesco in meditazione.

The optical illusion of Via Piccolomini

Remarkable, and all the more striking at certain times of day — such as sunset — is the optical illusion on Via Piccolomini: near the Janiculum hill, in a position elevated above the rest of the city, there is a street that, as soon as you turn off the Aurelia Antica, points straight towards St Peter's dome. Everyone, captivated by the grandeur of the dome, begins to walk along this street in wonder, until they notice something peculiar: the further you walk, the smaller the dome appears. How is this possible? It is an optical illusion produced not so much by the dome itself as by what frames it. The street is lined on both sides by a series of buildings, and these are the key. At the beginning of Via Piccolomini the human eye perceives a single subject — the dome — and its size is the only thing registered, precisely because the buildings frame it. As you cover the 50 metres of the street, however, the eye takes in the space around the dome thanks to the background that was previously hidden by the buildings, and perceives a different dimension. A truly striking effect that makes this Roman wonder appear even more beautiful.

Eating baccalà at Santa Barbara

To get the most out of a city, the advice is to explore it on foot. After a long walk, a refreshment stop is a must — ideally at a traditional Roman establishment such as Dar Filettaro a Santa Barbara at Largo dei Librari 88 (tel. 06.6864018). The trattoria is frequented by tourists from all over the world, as well as being recommended by Romans themselves, and here the speciality, needless to say, is fried fillet of baccalà coated in batter (made from water and flour, left to rise for a few hours).

An old and unpretentious osteria behind Campo de' Fiori, along Via dei Giubbonari, with rustic, no-frills tables and paper tablecloths; open evenings only and closed on Sundays, in fine weather it is also possible to eat outside. It is always packed, and if there is no room inside, you can have your fillets wrapped up to eat on the go — because there is practically nothing else on offer here besides bread, butter and anchovies, or beans and puntarelle. Another plus is that the fillets cost just 5 euros each.

Spezieria di S. Maria della Scala

Another place with an ancient and fascinating character is the Spezieria di Santa Maria della Scala: spezierie were the establishments where medicines were prepared and sold in the days before the pharmaceutical industry existed. The natural remedies produced in spezierie, making extensive use of medicinal herbs, were often created by monks, who grew the medicinal plants directly in the convent gardens.

The centuries-old Spezieria di S. Maria della Scala, at Via della Scala 23 in Rome, in the heart of Trastevere, is located on the first floor of the Discalced Carmelite convent, incorporated into the Church of Santa Maria della Scala, and is said to be the oldest pharmacy in Europe. Visiting it means stepping back in time, into an atmosphere that still evokes the feel of another era.

To this day, visitors can purchase the Acqua della Scala here, a remedy reputed to treat a wide range of complaints — from headaches to nausea, from allergies to rheumatic pain.

Porta alchemica at Piazza Vittorio

The Porta Alchemica, also known as the Porta Magica, Porta Ermetica or Porta dei Cieli, is the only remaining part of the ancient Villa Palombara, built in the second half of the 1600s by the Marquis of Pietraforte, Massimiliano Palombara (1614–1680), a devotee of esotericism and alchemy and a regular at the court of Christina of Sweden. The monument was originally one of the five outer entrances to the villa, which the marquis had engraved with alchemical symbols in order to attract the attention of anyone who might be able to decipher their secrets.

Legend has it that a mysterious pilgrim (probably Francesco Giuseppe Borri), having been a guest at the marquis's villa for several days, attempted to transmute an inert substance into gold. On the last day he was seen to vanish through the magic door, leaving behind a flake of gold and some alchemical formulae. The marquis is said to have then decided to have those unknown symbols engraved on the pediments and frames of his villa's doors as instructions for creating the philosopher's stone.

On the threshold of the door is engraved "SI SEDES NON IS", if you sit, you do not go, a phrase that read in reverse — "SI NON SEDES IS" — means if you do not sit, you go. This small admonition warns against being distracted by the symbols surrounding the door, and to focus instead on its very meaning.