Your local guide, well versed in the ghostly myths and legends of the Eternal City, will meet you at the entrance to the Castel Sant'Angelo. Castel Sant’Angelo is a vast cylindrical fortress of stone and brick, located in Parco Adriano opposite St. Peter’s Square. The oldest parts of the castle were built between 123-139 AD as a funerary tomb for the Roman Emperor Hadrian, and it was at that time the tallest building in Rome; it is still sometimes referred to as The Mausoleum of Hadrian. Like so many buildings in Rome, Castel Sant’Angelo has a fascinatingly layered history, and what can be seen today is Hadrian’s ancient Roman building with medieval and Renaissance features superimposed or added in later years. The name Castel Sant’Angelo dates from the 6th century when, according to legend, the Archangel Michael appeared on top of the Mausoleum with a flaming sword in hand.

You will make your way across the Tiber River via the Sant'Angelo bridge, an ornate crossing lined with statues that was the site of many public executions. Here your guide will share the story of Beatrice Cenci whose trial and execution caused outrage amongst the Roman people and whose ghost is said to appear on the bridge every year on the anniversary of her death.

As you venture deeper into Rome’s historic centre, you’ll proceed along the elegant Via Giulia and pass by the Chiesa di Santa Maria dell'Orazione e Morte (Church of Saint Mary of Prayer and Death).

You will make a brief stop outside Santa Maria dell’Orazione e Morte is a 17th-century Baroque church famed for its skull-adorned crypt, reflecting themes of death and salvation. You will find out how this peculiar place of worship is known for the macabre artwork that adorns its walls and is dedicated to collecting and burying the city’s abandoned dead.

Later, you’ll pause by the Ponte Sisto, a 15th-century pedestrian bridge in Rome, famed for its arches and central oculus. Your guide can reveal some of the legends surrounding this ancient bridge, known for its spectral sightings and mysterious tales.

You will visit the famous Campo de’ Fiori, which hosts a lively market during the day but hides dark secrets by night. Your guide can show you the statue of the philosopher Giordano Bruno, who met a gruesome end in the square in 1600. You’ll find out how he was burned at the stake for heresy, and some say his defiant spirit has never left.

In the nearby Piazza Navona, one of Rome’s most beautiful squares sitting on the former site of the Stadium of Domitian, boasting wonderful Baroque fountains. You’ll find out about ghostly echoes from the past that have been spotted in the windows of palazzos or heard dashing across the cobblestones.

The supernatural stroll continues to Largo di Torre Argentina, where the ruins mark the spot where Julius Caesar was assassinated.

Your tour will end at the Pantheon, one of Rome’s oldest and most mysterious sites. Some say the open oculus at its centre is a portal to the beyond, and its long history of burials has left more than just architectural grandeur behind.