Secret Rome

Visit palaces closed to the public, admire exceptional works of art away from the tourist circuit, listen to a concert in a magnificent hidden oratory, have your dog or car blessed, puzzle over a rare catoptric meridian or a wonderful anamorphic fresco, discover the remarkable motorised Rubens, enter into the secrets of the Vatican, rediscover a lost Bernini masterpiece, say a prayer before an image of the Holy Face of Jesus like that deposited on the moon in 1968, organise a dinner for two in a private palace, protect your throat from the rigours of winter.

Far from the crowds and the usual clichés, Rome is still a reserve of well-concealed treasures only revealed to those who know how to wander off the beaten track, whether residents or visitors.