podtour
The Imperial Forums and the Colosseum
You start at the foot of the Capitol, outside the prison where Rome held its enemies before executing them.
Legends from the Capitoline to the Mouth of Truth: audio walk in Rome
Rome at its oldest, told through its legends, and through what's actually true in them: a sibyl, a tribune who fled with a bedspread over his head, a horseman saved by mistake, the traitors' rock, the geese that woke the city, and the mouth that bites liars.
What this walk is about
You start at the foot of the long staircase up to the Aracoeli, where the Middle Ages placed Augustus before a sibyl. You climb with Cola di Rienzo, who wanted to bring back the Republic and fell on this very hill, and you reach the bronze horseman who survived because he was mistaken for someone else. You look out over the Forum where the people burned Caesar's body, and you go down beside the Tarpeian Rock: a girl who opened the gate to the enemy, and a hero who was woken by geese and later thrown from the cliff. Further down come ancient temples beneath a demolished neighbourhood, the theatre dedicated to a young man whose name, in a single line of verse, made his mother faint, the prison that was never there, a medieval house that boasts of not being vain, the bridge the river carried off twice and, at the very end, the Bocca della Verità, the Mouth of Truth.
- Start
- The altar of heaven
- Finish
- The mouth said to bite
- Who it is for
- For anyone interested in legends and ancient Rome. You can also enjoy it as a family. You don’t need any prior knowledge.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
- Underfoot
- The walk has slopes or changes in level. There are cobbles or uneven surfaces. The route notes mention stairs or steps on the walk or its approaches.
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
Loading the map…
Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
The altar of heaven
- 2
The tribune and the quilt
- 3
The horseman saved by mistaken identity
- 4
The funeral pyre lit by the people
- 5
The story of Tarpeia
- 6
Manlius and the geese
- 7
The road that swallowed a neighbourhood
- 8
The verse that made a mother faint
- 9
The prison that was never here
- 10
The house that boasts of its modesty
- 11
The bridge the river took twice
- 12
The mouth said to bite
Walking directions are based on mapped pedestrian routes. Check local access and signs; the route is not an accessibility guarantee. Times are approximate.
Rome, before you go
Rome calls for a water bottle, reliable shoes and room for a detour. Its squares link up on foot; the hills and sunshine decide how many you will enjoy in a day.
More walks nearby
Rome's Ghetto and Tiber Island
You start in Piazza Mattei, at a fountain that was meant for the Jewish square and ended up at a nobleman's door.
From the Quirinale to Via Veneto
You start in front of the giants of the Quirinale and the palace from which a French general took a pope away at night, and in whose courtyard Italy's last king said goodbye, after a reign of little more than a month.
Good to know
What is Podtour?
An app for self-guided audio walks. Choose a city and a route, then listen to the stories behind its streets. You decide when to start and when to stop.
When can I download the app?
Podtour is coming to iOS and Android. There is no confirmed launch date yet. Join the waitlist and we will let you know when it is ready.
Does Podtour include attraction tickets?
No. Street walks and monument audio tours do not include admission tickets, transport or a guide accompanying you.
Can I listen without an internet connection?
Download the audio in the app before heading out, then listen offline. Loading the online base map and calculating a new route from your location require a connection.
What languages are included?
Every route includes Spanish and British English. The English version is adapted for English-speaking travellers, rather than translated word for word.
How do I get a whole city for free?
Join the waitlist, choose a city and confirm your email address. When the app launches, we will email you with access details. No card is required. You can also try one free route in every city.
Can I buy for myself or for a group?
Yes. Your own access is included and you can choose 0–5 guests: up to 6 people including you. Each guest saves up to €0.50 on a walk, €1 on a pack or €2 on a whole city compared with buying separately. The counter shows the total before you confirm one payment.
How do I share, and when must guests accept?
After paying, share your purchase’s invitation link. Each guest opens it in Podtour and accepts their place on their own iPhone or Android phone. They must redeem it within 30 days of purchase. Unclaimed places then expire and cannot be recovered or renewed. Access accepted in time is kept. Opening the link does not use a place; one account takes just one place, and no more people can join once all places are taken.
Can I add guests after buying?
No. Choose all your guests before confirming the first purchase. Afterwards you can share the places you paid for, but you cannot increase their number or restart the 30-day deadline.
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist. When we launch, your chosen city is yours to explore.
iOSAndroidComing soon
A little welcome gift
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
Podtour manages your launch request with your consent. You can withdraw it and exercise your rights as explained in our privacy policy. Privacy details.
One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.