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Quick links
This guide assumes
that you are about to undertake a 3-4 days trip to Rome. Nothing
more, nothing less. We are very strict with such things.
| Albums
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| when in Rome, taking pictures
is a must... |
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| Prerequisites |
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| maps/books/money |
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First of
all, you will need a map. Now, there are lots of possiblities,
but having an illustrated book sis always a good choice.
The second most important thing in Rome is a camera. Movie cameras
are great. Photo cameras are divine! Taking notes basically
gains in flavor what loses in effectiveness...
Then, you will need to know at least a couple of italian words.
Knowing also their meanings also helps, but is sometimes secondary.
The natives will anyway try to fight their English into your
way as soon as you sound non-italian. Here are a couple of links
to easy-to-use word and phrases lists:
http://www.travelnet.co.il/italy/eng/016-Dico.htm
http://www.nyu.edu/global/florence/students/s-Italian-Phrases.html
Finally, you will need some pocket money (Rome is expensive,
so be sure to bring around 20 EUR/day for food, 50 EUR/day for
staying at a decent hotel, and ~20 EUR/day for visiting things
around), a couple of sun glasses (the current roman style requires
men and women alike to wear dark or very bright transparent
sun glasses), and some good sneakers (walking is well worth
in Rome, since every couple of meters you will find something
interesting, be it a statue, a church, or simply a beautiful
garden). You might also need something special for nocturnal
dining, but this does not relate to our guide to visiting Rome,
so I will skip this advice. |
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| Day
1 |
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| a 7h walk around Rome,
exposed in this album |
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At a first
glance, Rome is impressive. So impressive, that you almost forget
how you pay EUR 9,50 to go from the airport to the safe heaven
of the Rome Central Station. Once there, you find yourself fighting
the jetlag and the huge crowd that moves, moves, and, again,
moves, in the Piazza dei Cinquecento (The Five Hundreths
Square). It is the place where all the important transportation
means in Rome meet: you have the train, the metro, the bus,
and the sneakers. Your choice!
We are now skipping the part regarding the lodging (which is
an adventure of its own). Let's assume you've taken a room at
the Windrose Hotel.
We chose this one out of the blue, but we can further tell you
that it's 3 minutes walking distance from the Piazza dei
Cinquecento. Any other hotel will do.
You should start by buying a city map in Piazza dei Cinquecento.
It will get around EUR 5 out of your pocket, but it will pay
back in the long run. Even if you bought one of the marvelous
books not advertised at the begining of this guide, you should
buy a cheap paper one. After all, the former can be bent, twisted,
marked, torn apart, and even disposed at the end of the trip.
At first you should get accustomed to your hotel's surroundings.
After all, you never know when you'd like to return late in
the night. Rome is safe for most of the time and in most places
(especially if you are near the city center), but it can also
be dangerous when you least expect it. We also read this story
from other Rome guides, so you should trust us. Therefore, start
slowly to walk around your hotel; if it's Windrose you also
have a bunch of monuments, so you lose nothing of the visiting
time in this adventure. Again, we do not suggest that you should
lodge there. We are also not affiliated in any way with that
hotel (redactor's note: the disclaimer took another 59 pages,
without detailed anexes representing the Windrose Hotel, its
staff and their relatives).
Let's start a 45 minutes (warmup) walk. Just in Piazza dei
Cinquecento there are the Terme di Diocleziano (The
Diocletian's Baths), aged 17+ centuries. The National Roman
Museum holds most of the restored items, but one can visit the
surroundings of the Baths at will. On the Bath's right, when
looked from the entrance to the inside, via Gaeta will
lead the tourist to Castro Pretorio, which is not a mere
glorious wall, ending in another wall, this time the city's
own. However, following the wall for 5 minutes results in seeing
the interesting Porta Pia, as well as some typical Roman
old and modern architecture.
Terme di Diocleziano |
Porta Pia |
Liceo Volpicelli |
Being now returned in Piazza dei Cinquecento, we should
now embark in the big trip to Rome's wanders. The goal is to
see, in the order of reaching the specific site, Piazza della
Repubblica (1), Basilica Santa Maria degli Angelli et
dei Martiri (2), Sant'Andrea al Quirinale (3), Fontana
Trevi (4), Piazza della Colonna (5), Palazo Montecitorio
(6), Basilica San Lorenzo in Lucina (7), Ara Pacis
(8), Mausoleum Augusteo (9), Basilica San Carlo al
Corso (10), Piazza del Popolo (11), Basilica Santa
Maria del Popolo (12), Piazza di Spagna (13), Piazza
Mignanelli (Colonna dell'Immacolata) (14), Trinita dei
Monti (15), Piazza San Carlo alle Quatro Fontane
(16), Palazzo Barberini (17), Fontana del Tritone
(18), Abatto degli Cappuccini (19). There's more to see,
but let's just stick to these one for the start... First, go
from Piazza dei Cinquecento to Piazza della Repubblica.
Here you will find Piazza della Repubblica (1) and Basilica
Santa Maria degli Angelli et dei Martiri (2). Proceed on
via Nazionale until you reach via Delle Quattro Fontane
(on the right). Look at the four fountains guarding each of
the four crossroad corners, but do not waste time here for now
-- the view is much better during the evening, when the water
in the fountains and the statues are lit from behind. Take left
on via Del Quirinale and you will find yourself in front
of a park. Just after the park you can see the obelisk and the
fountain of Sant'Andrea al Quirinale (3), placed in the
large Piazza del Quirinale. Take Sal Monte Cavallo
at the end of the Piazza (make sure you don't continue on via
XXV Maggio or you will end up on the itinerary for day 2).
Piazza della Repubblica |
Sant'Andrea al Quirinale |
Fontana Trevi |
Continue on via Dataria and then on the right on V.S.Vinc.
until you reach Fontana Trevi (4). After finishing looking
at Fontana Trevi (it took us 30 minutes to just wonder
at this extraordinary place), continue on v. L.Chigi
or on v.d. Murate (depending on whether you leave the
fountain from its front or from the leftmost side) and you will
end up in front of Piazza della Colonna (5) and Palazo
Montecitorio (6). From here until Piazza del Popolo
everything is simple: just follow the large (by roman standards)
v.d. Corso and you will find Basilica San Lorenzo
in Lucina (7), Ara Pacis (8), Mausoleum Augusteo
(9), Basilica San Carlo al Corso (10), Piazza del
Popolo (11), and, finally, Basilica Santa Maria del Popolo
(12).
Piazza della Colonna |
Mausoleum Augusteo and
Basilica San Carlo al Corso |
Piazza del Popolo |
From Piazza del Popolo, which is a superb place to admire
10th-17th century architecture and art,
take on v.d. Babuino and continue until you reach Piazza
di Spagna (13). The place will strike you from afar, given
that its superb fountain is illuminated and, similar to Fontana
di Trevi, a large crowd is gathered in its vicinity. Take your
time until you can see the fountain from close range: the fountain
sculptures are both interesting and sprinkling with water. Looking
ahead you can see Piazza Mignanelli (Colonna dell'Immacolata)
(14), while on the left you can see the three sets of stairs
leading to the Trinita dei Monti (15). We advise you
to go first in the Piazza, as there is another round of (less
abrupt) stairs towards the Trinita and you can also avoid interefering
with the numerous tourists that take pictures of the Trinita
from below. Also be aware that the numerous rose merchants in
the Piazza di Spagna may also attempt to clean your wallet without
actually selling something back. If you go to Piazza Mignanelli,
it also makes sense to continue one more minute on v.d. Propaganda,
and then turn on the first street left (v. Capo delle Case),
so that you can see Basilica San'Andrea delle Fratte.
To return to Piazza Mignanelli and continue the trip to Trinita
dei Monti, just take the first street left or trace back your
steps. The road leads now up and end in a beautiful espanada,
from which you can actually see far away, along via Condotti,
v.d. Clementino Borghese, and up until Basilica di
Santo Spirito, near the Vatican.
Piazza di Spagna |
Trinita dei Monti |
From Trinita dei Monti you should take via Sistina until
you reach Piazza Barberini. There you can see Palazzo
Barberini (17), Fontana del Tritone (18), and A.
d. Cappuccini (19). The Piazza also opens to a number of
small roads filled with restaurants, so one can take here a
(deserved) dinner. We are now close to the end of this tiring
journey: by taking on via Delle Quattro Fontane, you
will reach soon Piazza San Carlo alle Quatro Fontane
(16). Take your time to watch, but be careful, as the roads
are subject to intense traffic. Especially the riders are dangerous,
since they do not stop no matter the obstacle (they seem to
have developed a 6th sense on how to avoid the passer-bys,
but one should not risk to encounter a novice rider). At the
end of via Delle Quattro Fontane, take via Nazionale
and you will soon reach Piazza dei Cinquecento through
Piazza della Repubblica.
Quatro Fontane |
Quatro Fontane |
End of day one. For a complete set of pictures, see the day
1 album.
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| Day
2 |
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| a +14h walk around Rome,
exposed in this album |
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After a
honey night, up again for a fantastic adventure: a complete
14h tour around Rome. From the begining we must say this is
not for the faint-hearted. Even if you do not wish to walk all
day long around Rome, you can still decide that you should read
this section, since the long walk is actually being composed
of three completely separate tours: a 6h walk around the ancient
places of Rome (the Historical Tour), a 3h tour of the
Piazza di San Pietro and its surroundings (the Religious
Tour), and a 4h walk in the city center, around Piazza
Navona and Piazza Della Minerva (the Roman Night
Tour). The extra time is needed for walking to and from
the various locations.
Let's start with the Historical Tour. The goal of this
tour is to visit: Piramida di Caio Cestio (1), Porta
San Paolo (2), Basilica S.Saba (3), Terme di Caracalla
(4), Circo Massimo (5), Basilica Santa Maria di Cosmedin
(6), Tempio Vesta (7), Arco di Giano (8), Piazza
Bocca della Verita (9), Basilica San Giorgio in Velabro
(10), Isola Tiberina (11), Sinagoga (12), Teatro
Marcello (13), Tempio di Apollo (14), Tempio di
Junona (15), Piazza Venezia (16), Santa Maria
in Aracoeli (17), San Marco (18), Palazzo Venezia
(19), Cordonata (20), Piazza del Campidoglio (21),
Palazzo Nuovo (22), Palazzo dei Conservatori (23),
The Tarpeian Rock (24), Foro Traiano (25), Foro
di Augusto (26), Trajan's Market (27), Foro di
Caesar (28), Foro Romano (29), Arco di Settimo
Severus (30), Arco di Tito (31), Basilica di Massenzio
(32), Arco di Constantino (33), Palatino (34),
Colosseo (35). It is a long trip, but the things to be
seen are all exceptional.
First, go to Piazza dei Cinquecento and go to the metro.
You will notice that the station is called Termini (The
End). Take the B line towards Laurentina (the
other end is Rebibbia, and you should remember it for
a possible return, in case you do not wish to follow the day's
guide in full). The tickets come in several flavors, of which
two are important. One is the one ride ticket, which allows
you to take one ride for 1 EUR. The second is the full day ticket,
which allows you to ride the metro/bus for one day, for a mere
4 EUR. Since most of your today's tour will require walking,
we suggest taking the one way ticket. Take the metro until the
Piramide (Pyramids) station (4 stops: Cavour, Colosseo,
Circo Massimo, Piramide). Once out of the metro station, you
will see Piramida di Caio Cestio (1) and Porta San
Paolo (2). The story of the first says that Caius was trying
to follow the Egyptian trend of his century, and has therefore
ordered to be buried under a pyramid, only this time in Rome.
Hence, a white pyramid awaits its visitors in the middle of
Rome. Heading for the Terme di Caracalla, you have to
take uphill on Vialle Giotto. By allowing yourself to
go left on the pitoresque v.d. Palatino or on any other
short streed running on the left side of v. Giotto, you can
reach Basilica S.Saba (3). Return on v. Giotto, for example
by following v.Bramante or by tracing back your previous
steps, and continue until you reach the gigantesque Terme
di Caracalla (4). This impressive bath center was offering
at its time facilities like bathes, art galleries, gardens,
libraries and gymnasia, private and conference rooms and lots
more to up 2000 bathers and visitors.
Piramida di Caio Cestio |
Vialle Giotto |
Terme di Caracalla |
From the Baths of Caracalla, headfirst to the ancient city center
via via delle Terme di Caracalla (the music of the italian
language never ceases to amaze us). The road leads to Circo
Massimo (5), with a quick glimpse on the Palatine (uphill).
Unfortunatelly, all that's left of the Circus Maximus is the
name, since the hills have been vanquished by time and insensitive
Roman authorities. Take on v.d. Greca and find yourself
standing in Piazza Bocca della Verita (9), which also
contains Basilica Santa Maria di Cosmedin (6), Tempio
Vesta (7), Arco di Giano (8), and Basilica San
Giorgio in Velabro (10). It is best that you skip the queue
on the Bocca della Verita by just defeating the impulse to go
for the famous mouth -- it will come and go, but the visiting
light is short and there is still much to see during this day.
Bocca della Verita |
Tempio Vesta |
Piazza Bocca della Verita |
It is now the moment to pace up. Go uphill towards the Tevere
(Tibre) water and follow lungotevere d. Pierleoni. On
the left you will see Isola Tiberina (11). Continue walking
on this street until you see a yellow building on the right.
By the signs on the crossroad you will grasp having reached
a place with lots of antique wonders: Sinagoga (12),
Teatro Marcello (13), Tempio di Apollo (14) and
Tempio di Junona (15). Follow the short streets around
(at most 1 minute of walk each), but keep returning in front
of the Sinagogue.
Sinagoga |
Tempio di Apollo |
Teatro Marcello |
You are now going to get away from the water, into the heart
of Ancient Rome. Cross the yard towards Tempio di Apollo,
then exit on the road uphill, on via del Teatro di Marcello
. You have reached Piazza Campitelli, where you can see
a beautiful and relatively unknown church: Santa Maria in
Campitelli. After visiting this wonderful church, going
uphill turns a great view in front of your eyes. You are now
at the side of Piazza San Marco, having just in front
Santa Maria in Aracoeli (17) and Palazzo Venezia
(19). Santa Maria in Aracoeli is famous for its long staircase,
built in the 14th century to celebrate the end of
the Plague. Head uphill and go to the center of Piazza San Marco.
You will see the abbey of San Marco (18), built in the
9th century and dedicated to the patron of Venice.
Santa Maria in Campitelli |
San Marco |
Santa Maria in Aracoeli |
From Piazza San Marco you will enter without noticing the larger
Piazza Venezia (16), which is placed directly in front
of Palazzo Venezia (or viceversa, given the time of their
creation). On the left you can see the antique wonders: Foro
Traiano (25), Foro di Augusto (26), Trajan's Market
(27), and Foro di Caesar (28), all built into one another.
Their story is quite interesting: after Trajan has finished
conquering Dacia (nowadays Romania) in two bloddy wars (101-102AD
and 105-107AD) he decided to build a memorial column, that would
be placed in his forum. The forum was designed to be the most
important yet, with the column, a basilica, and several other
auxiliary buildings aside. Behind the forum stands the market
complex, including more than 100 shops. The Caesar's forum was
the first forum built outside the Foro Romano, built
with the goal of reducing congestion of the latter. Finally,
Augustus forum was built between Trajan's and Julius Caesar's,
to celebrate Augustus' victory over Cassius and Brutus, the
murderers of Julius Caesar.
Foro Traiano |
Palazzo Venezia |
Trajan's Market |
Now, from Piazza Venezia head back to Piazza San Marco and to
via del Teatro di Marcello. It is time for the Capitoline
Hill walk. The place is dominated by the trapese Piazza
del Campidoglio (21), designed and built by Michelangelo
in 1536. The staircase connecting it to via del Teatro di
Marcello is called Cordonata (20) and was built with
a low steep specifically to allow the pontif's easy access to
Palazzo Nuovo (22) and Palazzo dei Conservatori
(23). From Piazza del Campidoglio you can go directly
to the Foro Romano. However, you should first take a
detour to see The Tarpeian Rock (24); supposedly, this
is the place where the traitors were thrown towards a deadly
red cliff, in ancient times. To reach The Tarpeian Rock
follow v.d. Tempio di Giove and descend the staircases
on the left. Then head again uphill, and follow the road to
Foro Romano (29).
Piazza del Campidoglio |
The Tarpeian Rock |
Foro Romano |
To descend in Foro Romano, you can go to the left of Piazza
del Campidoglio and follow the road downhill, near the Mamertine
Prison (the story tells this is the place where the apostoles
Peter and Pavel were hurt to near-death and saved by a miracle).
Inside the Roman Forum, the ancient buildings unfold: Arco
di Settimo Severus (30) (the Arch of Septimius Severus),
Temple of Saturn, Curia (the Senate house), Rostra
(the orators tribune), Basilica Aemilia, Temple of
Castor and Pollux, Temple of Antoninus and Faustina,
Temple of Vesta (where the vestal vergins were nurturing
the eternal flame of Vesta), Temple of Romulus (supposedly
the founder of Rome, alongside his brother, Remus), Basilica
di Massenzio (32), Santa Francesca Romana, Temple
of Venus, and, last but not least, Arco di Tito (31).
A small place with an enormous history to tell.
Arco di Settimo Severus |
Temple of Romulus |
Torre de Santa Francesca Romana |
The route (called Via Sacra) leads now to two of the
best preserved antique buildings: Arco di Constantino
(33) and Colosseo (35). The Arch of Constantine is the
last great monument, built early 4th century. The
Colosseum was the Rome's greatest amphiteatre (now Stadio Olimpico
can probably marginally claim this title), build to hold up
to 50000 people watching the games. The seates were used according
to the rank, with the emperor using a full reserve. Supposedly
the name comes from the huge statue of Nero that was replaced
by the stadium. All along Via Sacra, on the right side,
sits the Palatino (34) (the Palatine), the residence
of emperors and patricians.
Arco di Constantino |
Colosseo, fuori |
Colosseo, dentro |
There are more churches in Rome than one can imagine. However,
since the day is already giving way to the night, and we are
already at the Colosseum, we will focus on seeing just Basilica
San Clemente (1), Basilica Santi Quattro Coronati
(2), Basilica San Giovanni in Laterano (3), Piazza
di Basilica San Giovanni in Laterano (4), Porta di San
Giovanni (5), Murro del Vaticano (6), Piazza di
San Pietro (7), Basilica San Pietro (8), Basilica
Santo Spirito (9). Again, we are covering a lot of space,
but this time not so many places. However, the two cathedrals
(San Giovanni and San Pietro) require a long time to visit.
Remember, we are at the Colosseum. Take via San Giovanni
in Laterano and walk until it ends in the beautiful Piazza
di Basilica San Giovanni in Laterano (4). On the way you
should see Basilica San Clemente (1) (on the left) and
Basilica Santi Quattro Coronati (2) (on the right, between
the buildings). The Piazza di Basilica San Giovanni in Laterano
is guarded by a tall obelisk, coronated with a christian cross.
Not far behind it (looking from where you came from) stands
the majestic North Facade of Basilica San Giovanni in Laterano
(3). First built in the 4th century, the cathedral,
once home of the Pope, was rebuilt and extended several times,
last in the 18th century. The interior of San Giovanni
includes The Papal Altar and a large number of frescoes and
paintings, as well as the traditional sculptures. By exiting
from the Main Entrance, you can face Porta di San Giovanni
(5), way downhill. Turn back and take the time to analyze the
Main Entrance Facade and its neighbors, Palazzo Laterano
(right), and Capella di Corsini (left). Head downhill,
and pass through Porta di San Giovanni.
Basilica San Giovanni
in Laterano, fuori |
Basilica San Giovanni
in Laterano, dentro |
Porta di San Giovanni |
The metro station San Giovanni will take you to Piazza
di San Pietro. Take the metro A line in the direction
Battistini and descend at Ottaviano - San Pietro
(the 9th station, with the other eight being Manzoni,
Vittorio Emanuel, Termini, Repubblica, Barberini, Spagna, Flaminio,
Lepanto). Take via Ottaviano until reaching Piazza
Risorgimento. You can now see Murro del Vaticano
(6), which leads to Piazza di San Pietro (7) (the road
is called via di Porta Angelica). From here you can clearly
see Basilica San Pietro (8) (on the right) and Piazza
Pio XII (on the left). Here you can take the tour of the
interior of the Basilica di San Pietro, as well as the
tour of the Summit of the Dome, the last requiring an entry-fee.
After finishing the tour(s), take on via della Conciliazione.
By taking v.d.Ospedale you will reach Basilica Santo
Spirito (9). After finishing looking around, return to via
della Conciliazione. The Religious Tour has ended
for today; it is now time for the Roman Night Tour.
Papal sign |
Piazza di San Pietro |
Basilica di San Pietro |
Michelangelo's Pieta |
San Pietro's Altar |
San Pietro's
Casket Structure |
The Roman Night Tour will take you to some of the many
splendors of Rome's night. The main goals of this trip are:
Castel Sant' Angelo (1), Rome bridge view (2),
Chiesa Nuova (3), Palazzo della Cancelleria (4),
Piazza Campo di Fiori (5), Palazzo Farnese (6),
Palazzo Spada (7), Basilica di Sant'Andrea della Valle
(8), Palazzo Braschi (9), Fontana del Moro (10),
Piazza Navona (11), Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi
(12), Basilica Santa Maria della Pace (13), Basilica
San Luigi del Farnesi (14), Palazzo Madama (15),
Basilica Sant' Ivo alla Sapienza (16), Piazza della
Rotonda (17), Pantheon (18), Piazza della Minerva
(19), Santa Maria sopra Minerva (20), Pie' di Marmo
(21), Palazzo Pamfili (22), and Basilica Sant'Ignazio
di Loyola (23). Again, a lot to see, but not so much to
walk. We cannot calculate the efficiency of sightseeing, but
if we could, this would probably be a highly efficient walk...
We start our tour on via della Conciliazione. Just walk
until it ends, and you will arrive on the side of Castel
Sant' Angelo (1). By taking a few more steps, you will be
facing its main entrance. The castle can be visited at almost
any hour of the day, and generally hosts impressive displays
of medieval equipment, so you can take some of your time to
visit the old establishment (for a fee). However, we think it
is much more rewarding to be able to see some other great places,
so we advise you to postpone the visit for another day. Take
instead the bridge in front of the Castle (Ponte Sant'Angelo)
and admire the sights around (Rome bridge view (2)).
It is an unique mixture of light (direction San Pietro) and
darkness (the opposite side); a metaphor of the Roman looks
altogether.
Castel Sant' Angelo |
Rome at night,
bridge view |
From Ponte Sant'Angelo take via Paola and you
will reach Corso Vittorio Emanuel. Just accross the street
there is a minor convent: S.Giovanni dei Fiorentini.
Head on Corso Vittorio Emanuel until you reach Chiesa
Nuova (3). After admiring it, walk on the right of Corso
Vittorio Emanuel until you reach v.d.Baullari. At
the end of it you will be standing in Piazza Campo di Fiori
(5). On the right (from the direction you entered the plaza)
you will see Palazzo della Cancelleria (4), a typical
example of the Rome's Renaissance architecture. Ahead of the
Piazza Campo di Fiori is Piazza Farnese, which
leads to Palazzo Farnese (6) and Palazzo Spada
(7).
Piazza Campo di Fiori |
Chiesa Nuova |
It is now time to meet the famous Naona Square and its
surroundings. First, return to Corso Vittorio Emanuel.
To do that, head back to Piazza Farnese, then to Piazza
Campo di Fiori. Now take on v.d.Biscione (parallel
to v.Baullari, which served for getting into Piazza
Campo di Fiori). At the end of it you will see Basilica
di Sant'Andrea della Valle (8) and Corso Vittorio Emanuel.
Cross the street and you should be facing Palazzo Braschi
(9). Take the time to observe its balcony and mixture of sound
(Corso Vittorio Emanuel) and quiteness (the streets behind
Palazzo Braschi). Take on the left street, until you
reach Piazza di Pasquino. Pasquino is an ancient
statue of Menelaos, situated at the extreme right of Piazza
di Pasquino. Looking in that direction will give you a first
glimpse of Fontana del Moro (10), situated at the Southern
end of the Piazza Navona (11). In the middle of the plaza
you can see Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (12). The surrounding
of Piazza Navona are a definite attraction: on the left
you can reach Basilica Santa Maria della Pace (13), while
on the right you will see Basilica San Luigi del Farnesi
(14), Palazzo Madama (15), and Basilica Sant' Ivo
alla Sapienza (16), all built in the 16th and
17th centuries. Take the time to walk by each of
them, but make sure you end on the right side, since this is
the start of the last part of the trip: the Pantheon.
Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi |
Piazza Navona |
Basilica Santa Maria della Pace |
We are now close to the end of this trip. It has been a long
day, but this way leads to Piazza dei Cinquecento, therefore
to the hotel and a deserved night rest. Just accross Basilica
San Luigi del Farnesi (14), Palazzo Madama (15),
and Basilica Sant' Ivo alla Sapienza (16) (street reference:
.d. Salvatore or v.d. Staderari) is the Pantheon
(18). You must cross the v.d. Rotonda and you will find
yourself in front of the Pantheon, the temple of all
the gods (pan theo) erected during the 1st
century. On your way you should have also crossed Piazza
della Rotonda (17). Head on the left of the Pantheon (from
the direction you came), until you reach Piazza della Minerva
(19). You will recognize it by the spectacular sculpture of
an elephant carrying a miniature obelisk. It is a good place
to take pictures and rest a while. The Piazza is guarded by
Santa Maria sopra Minerva (20), a Gothic church dating
probably since the 13th century. Walking by the side
of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, along via del Pie' di
Marmo, you will reach Pie' di Marmo (21), an ancient
statue of a foot, built in marble; it is the only remain of
the Temple of Isis. Walking in the same direction, and after
a short cross of the Piazza del Collegio Romano, you
will reach Palazzo Pamfili (22). Continue left and you
will find yourself in front of the last place of this long tour,
the Baroque Basilica Sant'Ignazio di Loyola (23). FYI,
Ignazio di Loyola was the founder of the Jesuit order.
Pantheon |
Basilica Sant'Ignazio
di Loyola |
You have now completed the whole day 2 tour, and it is time
to head back home (or at least to Piazza dei Cinquecento).
Take any of the two streets starting on the left of Basilica
Sant'Ignazio di Loyola. They will lead to either Piazza
Colonna or via del Corso. From Piazza Colonna
just continue walking for 1 minute and you will find yorself
on via del Corso. Take on Largo Chigi, then continue
on v.d. Tritone until you reach Piazza Barberini
and Fontana del Tritone (remember day 1?). Then head
on v.d. Quattro Fontane until you reach via Nazionale,
which leads to Piazza della Repubblica and Piazza
dei Cinquecento (around 30 minutes of walking in total).
Piazza Barberini |
Piazza della Repubblica |
End of day two. For a complete set of pictures, see the day
2 album.
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| Day
3 |
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| a visit to the Palatine
and to the Vatican
Museums |
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| |
Yesterday
you've been visiting, amongst others, the Colosseum. Well, turns
out that the ticket you bought for Colloseum is also valid for
an entrance to the residence of the ancient roman aristocrats,
Palatino (the Palatine). The second goal of this day
is the visit to the wonderful Vatican Museums, and especially
the Sixtine Chapel. Only two sites today, but they are large
and the preious days have been exhausting. We left visiting
museums for Monday afternoon, since the afflux of visitors is
less impressive during this period, which means more place for
you to enjoy the exceptional art.
Just as in the previous days, we start in Piazza dei Cinquecento.
The Palatine tour can be started from the Roman Forum (remember
day 2?). The metro station Termini
will take you to Colosseo (just 2 metro stops, the intermediate
being Cavour). From there, pass Arco di Costantino,
take on via Sacra and turn left after Arco di Tito.
The Palatine, the ancient home of roman aristocrats, offers
the visitor a wide range of building sizes, from the austere
Huts of Romulus to the lavish Domus Augustana.
Possible attractions also include: The House of Augustus,
House of Livia, Cryptoporticus, Domus Flavia,
The Stadium, and Palazzo Settimio Severus.
Domus Augustana's Court |
Domus Flavia |
The Stadium |
It is now time for the main tour of the day: the luxurious Vatican
Museums. First, getting there. Return to the metro station Colosseo
and take the metro to station Termini (2 stops). Change
lane and take the metro in the direction Battistini.
Just like yesterday, the direction leads to the Vatican, but
this time the trip will take one extra stop, since the goal
station is Cipro-Musei Vaticani. Take on via Candia
and turn right on via Santamaura. As you reach the Vatican
Walls (via Vaticano), you will see on the left the entrance
to the Vatican Museums. You are about to embark on a 4-6 hours
tour of wonders. First earn your right by buying a ticket (~15
EUR for a ticket excluding Raphael Loggia, Vatican
Library, and Vatican Archives). Then, start your
tour by passing the gates and reaching the surprizing open square.
Here you will see Cortile della Pigna (a bronze pine
cone), The Broken World (a metallic broken sphere), and
La Bocca della Citta (the fountain face). This is also
the place to listen to the tour guides dissecting Michelangelo's
Sistine Chapel paintings.
Vatican Museums Sq. |
Cortile della Pigna |
The World |
On the way to the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Museums
include The Gallery of the Candellabra, The Gallery
of Tapestries, with 3.5x5 meter carpets hanging along the
walls, The Gallery of Maps, with incredibly detailed
maps of the Church's lands (watch especially for the maps of
Italy, Milan (Mediolanum), and Venice, as well as for the dynamic
Siege of Malta). The (down) stairs will lead you to the
least known Vatican Museum of Modern Art.
Vatican Museums Sq. |
Museum Ceiling |
The Muses
room entrance |
The Gallery of Maps |
Map of Italy |
Vatican Museum
of Modern Art |
The high point of the tour is for certain the Sistine Chapel.
Painted mainly by Michelangelo, but also by frescoe-masters
like Perugino, Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, and Roselli, the Chapel
reveals subjects from the Old and New Testaments. The main points
are the ceiling, created by Michelangelo for Pope Julius II,
between 1508 and 1512, and the wall behind the altar, where
an artistically mature Michelangelo painted the illustration
of The Final Judgement for Pope Paul III, during 1534-1541.
It is beyond the purpose of this guide and the qualification
of its authors to describe these masterpieces. However, we admit
being guilty of falling back in admiration for them.
The Final Judgement |
The Sistine Chapel's Ceiling |
Just before finishing the tour, a final walk through the museums,
especially the Modern Art Wing of the Vatican Museums and the
Pinacoteca, the Renaissance art gallery. Take your time
to admire not only the paintings, but also the walls and other
decorations. You should now be allowed a bit of rest, to digest
so much art and beauty. If your feet allow it (after the past
couple of days' walks), you could start a tour through the Vatican
Gardens (only with a payed guide).
From Vatican's
collection of
cult objects |
Bringing the obelisk
to San Peter's Square |
A Vatican library |
Vatican walls |
Vatican corridor |
Vatican painted glass |
End of day three. For the pictures, see the day
3 album and the Vatican
Museums album.
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Day 4 |
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| a simple walk
around Rome , enjoying the sun and everything (time to trip
back home) |
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| |
For the
passed three days you've been seeing masterpieces of ancient,
medieval, and modern architecture and art. In this last day
of touring Rome, it is time to walk around and get a glimpse
of the daily Roman life. Rome is normally an agitated and lively
city, with youth and elders enjoying alike the effervescent
atmosphere. As a plus, the relligion is very important for the
average roman. We have therefore selected an easy paced tour
around a number of churches, parks, and light ancient places.
The goals of this tour are: Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore
(1), Plazza Vittorio Emanuele II (2), Basilica Santa
Croce in Gerusalemme (3), Porta Maggiore (4), Tempio
di Minerva (5), Piazzale Flaminio (6), Villa Medici
(7), and Villa Borghese (8).
Starting from Piazza dei Cinquecento, head on via
Cavour. After at most 5 minutes of walking, you will be
facing the obelisk placed in the back of Basilica Santa Maria
Maggiore (1), a 5th century cathedral. The bell
tower, its superbly decorated interiors, and the piazza
in front of it are going to hold you for a long time. Take the
time to observe the groups of italians heading to and from the
church (if you reach the church mid-morning you will also see
the ministers providing service).
Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore |
Santa Maria Maggiore,
interior |
Santa Maria Maggiore,
interior |
Take on via Carlo Alberto. Watch for the suicidal motor-riders
-- again, they will not stop at walkings or other stop
signs. Expect to see them crossing on the red, squeezing between
you and a screaming bus, or even bust on the sidewalk. Just
keep your temper and widen your senses! The road ends in front
of a sunbathed park, in the middle of which lie some ruins and
Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II (2). While the plaza seems
to be the residence of children and elderly people, the ruins
provides shelter to a respectable number of stray cats, fed
by kind-hearted people and animal-care agencies. It is not unusual
to see walkers-by stopping and caressing the animals (who otherwise
seem to be enjoying a life of do-nothing and tanning). Continuing
to walk in the same direction you will reach the end of the
park and the start of via Conte Verde. This road is continued
further with via di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, which
leads to Basilica Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (3). Take
left on via Eleniana and you will arrive in front of
Porta Maggiore (4), a major bus and tram station and
an always crowded intersection. We are not going to speak again
about the riders; suffices to say they are here too. Continue
on via Giolitti and you will find yourself shortly after
in front of the Tempio di Minerva (5).
Ruins in
Piazza Vittorio
Emanuele II |
Porta Maggiore |
Tempio di Minerva |
Take on via Manzoni and walk until you see the Manzoni
metro station. Take the metro in the direction Battistini
and descend at Flaminio. You are now in Piazzale Flaminio
(6), behind the Porta Popolo and Piazza del Popolo.
Take the time to observe the street life. On one side there
is a famous touristic attraction, with people of all sizes and
shapes heading more or less calm to Piazza del Popolo.
On the other side you can see the natives themselves: a small
fleas market, some newspaper stands, a few hidden shops, and
lots of aggitated people with roman profile. It is the quintessence
of this city: the contrasts can be seen at each step and finish
by melting together (old and new buildings, natives and visitors,
local and foreign drinks, luxury and poverty, calm and aggitation
aso). Take on viale Washington until you reach the large
Villa Borghese park. The park is free to visit and offers
the tourist a number of varied attractions: interesting villas,
(Villa Medici (7), Villa Giulia and Villa Borghese
(8)), a lake and a temple (Tempio di Esculapio), large
lawns, sculptures and fountains (Fontana Tortuga and
Fontana Pincio), a large number of plazas and esplanadas
(the obelisk-dominated Piazza Bucarest, Piazzale d.
Martiri, Piazza Napoleone), and a couple of superb
art galleries (Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna and
Galleria Borghese). You can walk around, admire the elloquence
of the italian youth, let yourself bathed in sun and the feeling
that love is all around, or just make a tour of the art galleries.
For sure, the choice is not bounding.
Cityscape from
Piazza Napoleone |
Tempio di Esculapio |
Piazza Bucarest |
End of day four. For the pictures, see the day
4 album.
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| Epilogue |
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| We hope you (will) enjoy
Rome at least as much as we did! |
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The four-days
trip is now over. You have probaly seen a number of key places
in Rome, and have also learnt a bit about its inhabitants. For
us it has been an amazing trip, so amazing that it motivated
us to write this guide. We just hope you have enjoyed your visit
to Rome at least as much as we did.
Regards,
Ana Lucia |
Alexandru |
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Rome,
a brief guide
