Twenty million tourists are drawn to Rome every year. They admire the Colosseum and St. Peter's Cathedral, sit down on the Spanish Staircase, and stroll along the Campo de Fiori.

But the Eternal City has much more to offer: secrets, clandestine spots, stories sunk into oblivion.

Why, for example, is there a lighthouse, when Rome is not near the coast? Where is the grave of Pope Joan? What does the hangman's cloak have to tell? Which landmark was nearly stolen? Where can you find the formula that supposedly turns lead into gold? Where do you get rewarded for impossible misbehaviour? And why is the world's oldest baby hatch here, of all places?

This book will bring you to spots that will show you Rome from a completely new side.