Rome
Rome is the capital city of Italy and the symbolum of both Christianity and the Latin culture. It was the first Western metropolis to be founded (tradition says on April 21st, 753 BC), and has since then influenced the world’s culture, society, architecture, engineering, philosophy, law and so on since then.
The Urbs Aeterna (Eternal City) is a delight to any genre of tourist: briliant monuments and museums for the culturally oriented, vast green areas and long walks for those who enjoy stretching their legs, savoury dishes and wines for the foodie type. Both modern and ancient, this city is bound to enchant you.
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How to get to Rome
Rome has two airports: Fiumicino (Leonardo da Vinci International Airport) and Ciampino, the first one being the most used and known of the two. Travelling from the airport to the centre of the city is easy and comfortable, especially via train.
For example, from Fiumicino, you can get to Roma Termini (the main railway station of Rome) in more or less 30 minutes using a train called Leonardo Express, which travels only to/from said airport/train station; you can also use regional trains of the FL1 line, if you would like to get to or come from a train station that is not Termini. It is also possible to use buses (there are many to choose from, depending on where you would like to go).
It is best to avoid renting cars or use a taxi because of the intense traffic, the difficulties of finding a parking space and the high cost. By car, you can reach Rome by the motorway Autostrada Roma-Fiumicino “A91”. Remember that it is necessary to pay a small toll for travelling on a motorway and it will take more or less an hour to get to Roma Termini station from the Fiumicino airport.
You can find the details on trains, buses, taxis and rental cars’ booking, prices, timetables and more on the Fiumicino airport official site:
https://www.adr.it/web/aeroporti-di-roma-en/pax-fco-to-and-from
In case you travel from Ciampino airport:
https://www.adr.it/web/aeroporti-di-roma-en/pax-cia-ciampino
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Things to do in Rome
Colosseum
The Colosseum is an amphitheatre of oval shape, built in 80 A.D. and part of UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Along history, it has been used for many different purposes (first for gladiator shows and animal hunts, then in later ages as a workshop, fortress and more) but today, it is part of an archeological visit on the ancient history of Rome.
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Useful information
| View location on Google Maps | |
Official site  |
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| 9.30 am – 7.00 pm (from 1st September 2021) 9.30 am – 6.30 pm (from 1st October 2021) 9.00 am – 4.30 pm (from 31 October 2021 to 28 February 2022) 9.30 am – 5.30 pm (from 1st to 26th March 2022) 9.30 am – 7.15 pm (from March 27th to August 31st 2022) |
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| December 25th, January 1st | |
| Different types of ticket according to quantity of attractions. One example: Colosseum, Forums and Palatine ticket: Full rate € 16.00; Reduced fare € 2.00 More information on tickets, tours and so on (official site) |
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The Palatine hill, the Imperial fora and the Roman Forum
According to legend, Rome is bound to Greece by the mythical city of Pallantium, founded by Greek individuals such as Pallantium of Arcadia and part of ancient Rome territory. The name of the Palatine hill might derive from that, as this is thought to be the very first centre of Rome.
Later it became a residential area for aristocrats and emperors, who built richly decorated houses and palaces there, such as: the Domus Tiberiana, the Domus Transitoria, the Domus Aurea, and the Domus Flavia (or Augustana).
The Imperial fora are public squares, constructed over a long period of time and especially loved by Emperor Caesar; in fact, he was fond of politics and economy, and the fora were the centres of such fields in the Roman Empire.
They were really the centre of public life for over a millennium, especially the Roman Forum. This rectangular plaza is surrounded by the Palatine hill, the Colosseum and the Imperial fora, with many surviving structures that will all capture your attention.
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Useful information
| View location on Google Maps | |
| Official site |
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| 9.30 am – 7.00 pm (from 1st September 2021) 9.30 am – 6.30 pm (from 1st October 2021) 9.00 am – 4.30 pm (from 31 October 2021 to 28 February 2022) 9.30 am – 5.30 pm (from 1st to 26th March 2022) 9.30 am – 7.15 pm (from March 27th to August 31st 2022) |
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| December 25th, January 1st | |
| Full rate for Colosseum, Forums and Palatine: € 16 Tickets available online, restricted time of access |
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Saint Peter‘s Basilica and St. Peter’s Square
The best representation of Vatican City, the independent Church state inside Rome, is undoubtedly Saint Peter’s Basilica. Located in the magnificent St. Peter’s Square, the Basilica offers a delightful example of Renaissance architecture. Be sure to stop for a few moments to admire the Piety (It: Pietà), one of Michelangelo’s most awe-inspiring sculptures. “The Witness” (the obelisk found in the Square) is Egyptian, while the rest of the Square is actually of Baroque inspiration. Many different artists contributed to the beauty of both the Basilica and the Square, and it surely shows how diversity is, indeed, prosperity.
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Useful information
| View location on Google Maps | |
| 7.00 am – 6.30 pm | |
| Closed during religious holidays | |
| Free access | |
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Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
If you want to know the history of the Church by images instead of long texts, this is the place for you. The beauty of the creations of some of the best artists that graced Italy will be an inspiring memory and make you a Renaissance connoisseur. Renaissance, a style born in Florence more or less half a millennium ago, honours the elegant proportions and geometry of ancient Greece and Rome. Among the names of the many artists that represented it is Raffaello, who will accompany you on your journey through the Museums with his painted Rooms.
In the last gallery of the Vatican Museums you will find the Sistine Chapel. Exquisite examples of Michelangelo’s skills are The Last Judgment, which covers the whole altar wall, and the frescos on the ceiling. Up there you will finally see the famous Creation of Adam, painted, as Michelangelo’s other frescos, with bright and alive colours. Everything is worth looking at, but pay special attention to the Southern and the Northern walls: you will be in for a treat, thanks to famous Botticelli and his Youth (or Trials) of Moses and Temptations of Christ.
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Useful information
| View location on Google Maps | |
| Official site |
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| Generally: 9.00 am – 6.30 pm (last access: 4.30 pm)
See the complete calendar with hours on official site |
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| Sunday, excluding the last one of the month and Holidays
See the complete calendar on official site |
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| Different types of ticket with different services. One example of ticket, which includes the audio guide, is €24.00. More information on tickets, tours and so on official site |
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Castle of the Holy Angel (Castel Sant’Angelo)
Found in Hadrian’s Park (It: Parco Adriano), this Castle is also known as Mausoleum of Hadrian, because it was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family.
Like the Colosseum, it changed uses through time (a fortress, a castle, a prison), but is now a brilliant museum. While outside, be sure to also enjoy the beautiful bridge (It: Ponte Sant’Angelo) and the bronze statue of Michael the Archangel, standing on top of the Castle. If you decide to go to the top as well, you will be able to see a nice view of Rome.
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Useful information
| View location on Google Maps | |
Official site  |
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| 9.00 am – 7.30 pm (last access: 6.30 pm) | |
| Monday | |
| € 12.00 (+ € 1.00 for ticket online) Tickets available online |
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Pantheon
The Pantheon is a former Roman temple “of all the gods” whose original construction date is uncertain. It was burned down and rebuilt, later becoming a Catholic church and thus acquiring one more name: Basilica of St. Mary and the Martyrs or, informally, Santa Maria Rotonda.
The Pantheon, with a unique architecture that has been an inspiration to other artists as well, is one of the best-preserved of all Ancient Roman buildings. Art historian Ernst Gombrich has said the dome “seems to hover freely over you like a second dome of heaven”. Checking the harmony it can bring to its silent admirers is definitely worth it.
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Useful information
| View location on Google Maps | |
| Official site |
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| 9.00 am – 7.00 pm (last access: 6.30 pm) | |
| No closing days | |
| Free access
Audio tour ticket: €8.50 |
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Trevi Fountain
Anyone who has seen the movies Roman Holiday or La Dolce Vita has probably dreamed of seeing this fountain up close, and it sure is a good idea to make time to admire the largest Baroque fountain in the city. It is located at the junction of three roads and marks the terminal point of one of the aqueducts that supplied water to Ancient Rome, and did so for more than 400 years.
The scene on the fountain’s façade tells the story of Roman technicians who, with a virgin’s help, were able to locate a source of pure water, known as Aqua Virgo.
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| View location on Google Maps | |
| Official site |
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| Always accessible | |
| No closing days | |
| Free access | |
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Navona Square
Built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian (1st century AD), this open public space has been used for different festivals along time: Agonia, in Ancient Roman history, with games held in celebration of the god Mars; theatrical events and other ephemeral activities, in honour of a Papal family between 1650 and 1850; and today, a Christmas market.
It is indeed the perfect location for festivals, given the beautiful architecture of its area, for example Pamphili palace and three magnificent fountains: the Fountain of the Four Rivers, the Fontana del Moro and the Fountain of Neptune.
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Useful information
| View location on Google Maps | |
| Official site |
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| Always accessible | |
| No closing days | |
| Free access | |
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Square of Spain
A set of steps called Spanish steps link Piazza Trinità dei Monti and Piazza di Spagna. This square is called so because of the Palazzo di Spagna, the seat of the Embassy of Spain to the Holy See. In the middle of the square you will see the delightful Fontana della Barcaccia from the baroque period, thanks to acclaimed artist Bernini.
Do not miss the chance to visit the Keats-Shelley Memorial House, where the poet John Keats lived, nowadays a museum dedicated to English romanticism. For a complete experience, you can stop for tea at the Babington’s tea room and hopefully notice a few movie stars there.
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Useful information
| View location on Google Maps | |
| Always accessible | |
| No closing days | |
| Free access | |
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Villa Borghese
Villa Borghese, now Borghese Gallery (It: Galleria Borghese), is an art gallery that houses paintings, sculptures and antiquities of a collection begun by Cardinal Scipione Borghese. Borghese was a patron of Bernini and passionate about Caravaggio’s art; in fact, you will be able to see many of Caravaggio’s paintings, Boy with a Basket of Fruit and Sick Bacchus included.
The collection contains Titian’s Sacred and Profane Love, Raphael’s Entombment of Christ and works by Peter Paul Rubens and Federico Barocci as well. English writer John Evelyn described the Villa and its gardens as “an Elysium of delight”, and we have no reason to doubt his words.
The museum is located in a beautiful park and from the Pincio terrace you have a spectacular view over the city of Rome.
I, Alejo2083, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Useful information
| View location on Google Maps | |
| Official site |
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| 9.00 am-7.00 pm (last access: 5.45 pm) | |
| Monday | |
| Standard ticket: € 13 Reduced (18-25 years): € 2 |
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Piazza del Popolo
This square was many things, once: the starting point of the most important route to the north; the first thing travellers saw, when coming to Rome; and, more gruesomely, a place for public executions, which luckily stopped a few years after 1820.
You will find a magnificent Egyptian obelisk in the centre of the Piazza, and also another sign of Bernini’s talent in the Porta del Popolo, a gateway that welcomed Queen Christina of Sweden’s arrival in Rome. Among the monuments and the numerous beautiful fountains, you will notice the minor basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo which is (you guessed it) in Renaissance style.
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Useful information
| View location on Google Maps | |
| Official site |
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| Always accessible | |
| No closing days | |
| Free access | |
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Trastevere
To indulge in a car-free and very much alive environment you should come here, “beyond the Tiber”. Trastevere is the perfect union of art, cuisine and joyful night life and you will be delighted to have added this district to your trip.
Many cafes, shops, trattoria restaurants, the Campo de’ Fiori market, the Basilica di Santa Maria (between others) and Rome’s first Synagogue will make your stroll in this labyrinth-like part of the city a true discovery of its colourful and varied nature. Both legendary Ennio Morricone and Sergio Leone went to school here, in Trastevere. It is a beloved location for artists and for University students alike.
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Mario Sánchez Prada from United Kingdom, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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