A glimpse of Italy historical & magical city of Rome
A glimpse of Italy historical & magical city of Rome
Rome is the capital and largest city of Italy and of the Lazio region. It is famous for being the home of the ancient Roman Empire, the Seven Hills, La Dolce Vita (the sweet life), the Vatican City and Three Coins in the Fountain. Ancient ruins such as the Forum and the Colosseum evoke the power of the former Roman Empire. Vatican City, headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, has St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums, which house masterpieces such as Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescoes.
The historic centre of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With wonderful palaces, thousand-year-old churches, grand Romantic ruins, opulent monuments, ornate statues and graceful fountains, Rome has an immensely rich historical heritage and cosmopolitan atmosphere, making it one of Europe's and the world's most visited, famous, influential and beautiful capitals. Today, Rome has a growing nightlife scene and is also seen as a shopping heaven, being regarded as one of the fashion capitals of the world
Districts of Rome
Modern Centre
Where many of the hotels are, as well as shopping and dining galore along the via Veneto; home to the areas around the Quirinal, Trevi fountain, piazza Barberini, Castro Pretorio and piazza della Repubblica.
Old Rome
The Renaissance-era centre of the city, with beautiful squares, cathedrals, the Pantheon, and plenty of laid-back dining; includes piazza Navona, piazza Campo de' Fiori, and the (former) Jewish Ghetto.
Vatican
The independent Vatican City and its endless treasure troves of sights, relics and the Vatican Museums - as well as the surrounding Italian districts of Borgo, Prati and Monte Mario.
Colosseo
The heart of ancient Rome, the Colosseum, the Imperial Fora and the Markets of Trajan, the Capitoline hill and its museums.
North Centre
Situated in the northern part of Rome, it is home to the Villa Borghese, the Spanish Steps, and the elegant districts of Parioli and Salario.
Trastevere
The charming district south of the Vatican, on the west bank of the Tiber, full of narrow cobbled streets and lonely squares that served as the inspiration for artists such as Giorgio de Chirico. Now arguably the centre of Rome's artistic life.
Aventino-Testaccio
Off-the-beaten-path districts of Rome with plenty of surprises waiting for interested travellers, as well as some truly great food.
Esquilino-San Giovanni
South of Termini, with an indoor market, piazza Vittorio Emanuele II and the Cathedral of Rome - Saint John in Lateran.
Nomentano
The districts "behind" the train station. Vibrant night life in San Lorenzo
North
The vast suburban areas to the north of the centre
South
Home to the Appian Way park, several catacombs, Fascist monumental architecture in the EUR district and extensive suburbs.
Ostia
A Roman district (not a separate town!) with a view to the sea and several beach resorts. Home to the ruins of Ostia antica, ancient Rome's harbour.
Rome Climate
Spring is a relatively mild and rainy season. The temperatures remain cool until mid-April. In May the first warmer days arrive but the sea breeze keeps it cool. Summer, from June to August, is hot and sunny. Clear days are the norm especially in July and August. Autumn, from September to November, is mild and humid, with sunny days alternating with periods of cloudy skies and rain, which gradually becomes more frequent. Winter, from December to February, is quite mild, given that the average temperature in January is about 7.5 °C. There's no shortage of sunny days, which can be mild, but it often gets cold at night, with lows around freezing or slightly above.Rome Transportation
Taxis are the most expensive way to get around Rome, but when weighed against convenience and speed, they are often worth it.
In Rome, all public transport (comprising buses, trams, trolleybuses, the Metro network and the Roma-Lido, Roma-Viterbo, Roma-Giardinetti light railways) is managed by ATAC, whose site comes with a handy route planner. There's also the route planner belonging to Romamobilità, the city's public agency in charge of programming bus routes and providing real-time information with regards to traffic.
Roman buses are reliable, but can be crowded. They are the best way to get around the city, with the notable exception of walking. Free maps of the bus system are available, others can be purchased (€44.50 at Termini). Signs at the bus stop list the stops for each route. There is also Metro and Tram that can be used easily in Rome.
Rome is also home to an interesting light suburban railway network that may come in useful if you're headed to some parts of city which are otherwise too impractical to reach via bus or taxi; but you can also use it to get to places such as Viterbo or Ostia Antica. There is a network of eight railway lines - the Ferrovie Laziali or FL (also spelt FM or FR in outdated signage) - that mostly connect to the conurbations of Rome and other towns in the Lazio region; these lines are wholly owned and operated by Trenitalia. Tourists are unlikely to use them, except when arriving from Fiumicino or Civitavecchia, but they can be very convenient if you fancy a day-trip out of Rome.
Wandering Rome
In general, Rome's main attractions are free - for example, while it doesn't cost anything to enter the Pantheon you'll have to pay to visit the museums and so forth.
There isn't one pass that provides entry to all paid sights and museums. There are however several tickets that provide entry to a group of sights. You can for example buy a Roma Archeologia Card for €27,50 (concessions €17,50) that is valid for 7 days. This is not for sale online, get it at any of the included sites or at the Rome Tourist Board Office (APT) on via Parigi 5. This pass gets you in to the Colosseum, Palatine hill, the Baths of Caracalla, and the catacombs as well as the Baths of Diocletian, Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, the Crypta Balbi, Palazzo Altemps, the Villa dei Quintili and the Tomb of Cecilia Metella.
The main area for exploring the ruins of ancient Rome is in Rome/Colosseo either side of via dei Fori Imperiali, which connects the Colosseum and piazza Venezia. Laid out between 1924 and 1932, at Mussolini's request, the works for such an imposing boulevard required the destruction of a large area of Renaissance and medieval buildings constructed on top of ruins of the ancient forums, and ended forever plans for an archaeological park stretching all the way to the Appian Way. Via dei Fori Imperiali is a busy throughfare, but it has been partially pedestrianised in August 2013; said boulevard is also the location of a grand parade held every 2nd of June in occasion of the Italian national holiday (see the "holidays and events" section). Heading towards the Colosseum from Piazza Venezia, you can see the Roman Forum on your right and Trajan's Forum and Market on the left. To the right of the Colosseum is the Arch of Constantine and the beginning of the Palatine Hill, which will eventually lead you to ruins of the Flavian Palace and a view of the Circus Maximus (see Rome/Aventino-Testaccio). To the left, after the Colosseum is a wide, tree-lined path that climbs through the Colle Oppio park. Underneath this park is the Golden House of Nero (Domus Aurea), an enormous and spectacular underground complex restored and then closed again due to damage caused by heavy rain. Further to the left on the Esquiline Hill are ruins of Trajan's baths.
In Old Rome you must see the Pantheon, which is amazingly well preserved considering it dates back to 125AD. There is a hole constructed in the ceiling so it is an interesting experience to be there when it is raining. If you are heading to the Pantheon from Piazza Venezia you will first reach Largo di Torre Argentina, on your left. Until 1926 the area was covered in narrow streets and small houses, which were razed to the ground when ruins of Roman temples were discovered. Moving along corso Vittorio Emanuele II and crossing the Tiber river into the Vatican area you see the imposing Castel Sant'Angelo, built as a mausoleum for the Emperor Hadrian. This is connected by a covered fortified corridor to the Vatican and served as a refuge for Popes in times of trouble.
South of the Colosseum are the Baths of Caracalla (Aventino-Testaccio). You can then head South-East on the old Appian Way, passing through a stretch of very well-preserved city wall. For the adventurous, continuing along the Appian Way (Rome/South) will bring you to a whole host of Roman ruins, including the Circus of Maxentius, the tomb of Cecilia Metella, the Villa dei Quintili and, nearby, several long stretches of Roman aqueduct.
Returning to the Modern Centre, the Baths of Diocletian are opposite the entrance to the main railway station, Termini. The National Museum of Rome stands in the South-West corner of the Baths complex and has an enormous collection of Roman scultures and other artifacts. But this is just one of numerous museums devoted to ancient Rome, including those of the Capitoline Hill. It is really amazing how much there is.
St. Peter is said to have founded the Church in Rome together with St. Paul. The first churches of Rome originated in places where early Christians met, usually in the homes of private citizens. By the 4th century, however, there were already four major churches, or basilicas. Rome had 28 cardinals who took it in turns to give mass once a week in one of the basilicas. In one form or another the four basilicas are with us today and constitute the major churches of Rome. They are St. Peter’s, St. Paul Outside the Walls, Santa Maria Maggiore and San Giovanni. All pilgrims to Rome are expected to visit these four basilicas, together with San Lorenzo fuori le mura, Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, and the Sanctuary of Divino Amore. The latter was inserted as one of the seven at the time of the Great Jubilee in 2000, replacing San Sebastiano outside the walls.
Take a look inside a few churches. You'll find the richness and range of decor astonishing, from fine classical art to tacky electric candles. Starting with several good examples of early Christian churches, including San Clemente and Santa Costanza, there are churches built over a period of 1700 years or so, including modern churches constructed to serve Rome's new suburbs.
To the modern visitor, the Seven Hills of Rome can be rather difficult to identify. In the first place, generations of buildings constructed on top of each other and the construction of tall buildings in the valleys have tended to make the hills less pronounced than they originally were. Secondly, there are clearly more than seven hills - in Roman days many of these were outside the city boundaries.
The seven hills were first occupied by small settlements and not recognised as a city for some time. Rome came into being as these settlements acted together to drain the marshy valleys between them and turn them into markets and fora. The Roman Forum used to be a swamp.
The Palatine Hill looms over the Circus Maximus and is accessed near the Colosseum. Legend has it that this was occupied by Romulus when he fell out with his brother, Remus, who occupied the Aventine Hill on the other side of the Circus. Also clearly recognisable as hills are the Caelian, to the southeast of Circus Maximus and the Capitoline, which overlooks the Forum and hosts Rome's city hall, as well as the Capitoline Museums. East and northeast of the Roman Forum are the Esquiline, Viminal, and Quirinal hills. These are less easy to distinguish as separate hills these days and from a distance look like one.
The red line on the map indicates the Servian Wall, its construction is credited to the Roman King Servius Tullius in the Sixth Century BC, but archaeological evidence places its construction during the Fourth Century BC. Small bits of this wall can still be seen, particularly close to Termini railway station and on the Aventine hill. As Rome expanded new walls were required to protect the larger area. These were built in the Third Century AD by the Emperor Aurelian. Lengthy sections of this wall remain all around the outskirts of Rome's centre. Much is in very good condition.
Among other hills of Rome, not included in the seven, are those overlooking the Vatican; the Janiculum, overlooking Trastevere, which provides excellent views of Rome; the Pincio on the edge of the Borghese Gardens, which gives good views of piazza del Popolo and the Vatican, and Monte Mario, with its famous Zodiaco (a panoramic viewpoint), to the north.
If you are in Rome for the art there are several world-class museums in the city. The natural starting point is a visit to the area of Villa Borghese in Campo Marzio, where there is a cluster of art museums. Galleria Borghese houses a previously private art collection of the Borghese family, Museo Nazionale di Villa Giulia is home of the world's largest Etruscan art collection, and the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna houses many Italian masterpieces as well as a few pieces by artists such as Cézanne, Modigliani, Degas, Monet and Van Gogh. The Capitoline Museums in the Colosseo district opens their doors to the city's most important collection of antique Roman and Greek art and sculptures. Visit the Galleria d'Arte Antica, housed in the Barberini palace in the Modern center, for Italian Renaissance and Baroque art.
A visit to Rome is not complete without a trip to the Vatican Museums. You'll need to go to the museums if you want to see the Sistine Chapel, but there is an enormous collection. You cannot miss any part of it, such as the tapestries, the maps and the rooms painted by Rafael as they are en route to the Sistine Chapel but there is much, much more to explore, including a stunning Egyptian collection and the Pinacoteca, which includes a "Portrait of St. Jerome" by Leonardo da Vinci and paintings by Giotto, Perugino, Raphael, Veronese and Caravaggio, to name just a few. Not to mention the countless, ancient statues...
Rome's National Museum at the Baths of Diocletian in the Modern Center has a vast archaeological collection as does the national museum at Palazzo Altemps, close to piazza Navona. Further afield, the Museo della Civiltà Romana (Museum of the Roman Civilisation), in the EUR, is most famous for an enormous model of Imperial Rome but it is also home to an extensive display of plaster casts, models and reconstructions of statues and Roman stonework.
If you have plenty of time there is absolutely no shortage of other museums covering a wide variety of interests. Examples include the Museum of the Walls (see Rome/South), the Musical Instrument Museum and a museum devoted to the liberation of Rome from the German occupation in the Second World War (Rome/Esquilino-San Giovanni).
Much of the attraction of Rome is in just wandering around the old city. You can quickly escape from the major tourist routes and feel as if you are in a small medieval village, not a capital city. If you can do so while watching for uneven cobblestones, keep looking upwards. There are some amazing roof gardens and all sorts of sculptures, paintings and religious icons attached to exterior walls. Look through 2nd and 3rd floor windows to see some oak-beamed ceilings in the old houses. Look through the archway entrances of larger Palazzos to see incredible courtyards, complete with sculptures, fountains and gardens. Take a stroll in the area between piazza Navona and the Tiber river in Old Rome where artisans continue to ply their trade from small shops. Also in Old Rome, take a 1km stroll down via Giulia, which is lined with many old palaces. Film enthusiasts will want to visit via Veneto (via Vittorio Veneto) in the Modern Center, scene for much of Fellini's La Dolce Vita. The best way to see the heart of what was ancient Rome's "entertainment center", namely the Campus Martius, with its theaters, stadiums, baths, temples and porticos is on foot. This is the area that runs south from the Capitoline Hill to the Piazza del Popolo on the north and the Corso on the east to the Tiber and is what generally encloses the "centro storico" or historic center.
The narrow streets of the historical centre frequently broaden out into small or large squares (piazze), which may have one or more churches and a fountain or two. Apart from piazza Navona and piazza della Rotonda (in front of the Pantheon), take in the nearby piazza della Minerva, with its unique elephant statue by Bernini and piazza Colonna with the column of Marcus Aurelius and palazzo Chigi, seat of the Italian Government; right next to it, there's the piazza di Monte Citorio with the homonymous palace, seat of the Italian Chamber of Deputies. On the other side of corso Vittorio Emanuele II are piazza Farnese, with the palace of the same name (now the French Embassy), two interesting fountains and the flower sellers at Campo de' Fiori - scene of the city's executions in the old days. All of these squares are a short distance from each other in Old Rome. The enormous piazza del Popolo in the North Center, which provided an imposing entrance to the city when it represented the northern boundary of Rome, is well worth a visit. A short walk back towards the centre brings you to piazza di Spagna at the foot of the Spanish Steps. Yet another fascinating fountain here. The area was much used as backdrop for the 1953 film "Roman Holiday" with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck.
On the other side of the river is, of course, the magnificent St. Peter's square at the Vatican. Further south, in Trastevere, is piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere - a great place to watch the world go by, either from one of the restaurants or bars that line two sides of the square or, if that is too expensive, from the steps of the central fountain. The square attracts many street entertainers.
Moving back to the Modern Center you have to see the Trevi Fountain, surely a part of everyone's Roman holiday. Visitors are always amazed that such a big and famous fountain is tucked away in a small piazza in the middle of side streets. Take extra-special care of your possessions here. Further up the via del Tritone you will come to piazza Barberini, now a busy roundabout, but the lovely Bernini fountain is not to be missed.
The Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana is an excellent example of the Fascist architecture in Rome, and is often referred to as "the Square Colosseum"; it was designed by architects Giovanni Guerrini and Ernesto Lapadula as part of the ambitious building programme for the Universal Exposition of 1942, which never took place due to Italy's entry into WW2. After having seen the Colosseum itself, you could visit it so to compare the monuments' differences and similarities.
A lot to see in Rome
Colosseum
St. Peter's Basilica
Trevi Fountain
Roman Forum
Pantheon
Vatican Museums
Piazza Navona
Sistine Chapel
Castel Sant'Angelo
Spanish Steps
Villa Borghese
Borghese Gallery and Museum
Palatine Hill
Trastevere
Piazza di Spagna
Piazza del Popolo
Campidoglio
Campo de' Fiori
St. Peter's Square
Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore
Piazza Venezia
Altar of the Fatherland
Circus Maximus
Capitoline Museums
Baths of Caracalla
Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano
Mouth of Truth
Trevi
Janiculum
Via Francigena
St. Angelo Bridge
Villa d'Este
Fiumi Fountain
Basilica Papale San Paolo fuori le Mura
Hadrian's Villa
Arch of Constantine
Pincian Hill
Quirinal Palace
Tiber Island
Largo di Torre Argentina
Aventine Hill
Trajan's Column
Domus Aurea
Trajan's Market
Via Veneto
Pyramid of Caius Cestius
EUR, Rome
Catacombs of Rome
Orange Garden, Rome
Basilica of Our Lady in Trastevere
Food in Rome
Rome is full of good restaurants, many in attractive settings, particularly when you sit outside in the evening. No one location can be recommended to search for a good restaurant: some of the best places to eat are in the most unpromising locations while well-situated restaurants can often live on their reputation rather than the quality of their food. Restaurants in guidebooks can be good but prices can be inflated because it is more than likely a "tourist trap." To find an authentic restaurant that wont break the bank try to find a place in a more residential area or somewhere that isn't in the middle of the tourist locations.
Many of the best restaurants in Rome, however, are hard to find as most of them are located outside the historical centre - a good tip is to go where Italians live and eat. For example, beyond the Janiculum (in the Monteverde vecchio district) there are some trattorie with authentic Italian cuisine at an affordable price. Rome also has many beautiful spots to eat, so buying some delicacies to make up a picnic can be a great experience. An even more affordable choice is to go to a local supermarket which will also have good foods for lunch.
Roman pizzas are very thin crusted, quite different from the classical pizza made in Naples; they're also crunchier and have far less pizza topping. Most restaurants serve pizza only in the evening. Try some of the fried things like baccalà (battered salt cod) or supplì (fried rice balls with cheese and tomato) for a starter, followed by a pizza for a really Roman meal and avoid the tourist areas where you'll often pay double the going rate just to get a badly reheated frozen pizza. Some restaurants also make round pizzas to take away: look for signs reading either "pizze da asporto" or "pizze da portar via".
Look for a gelateria. You pay for your ice cream first... then take your receipt and go fight your way through the throng to choose your flavours. You will be asked "Panna?" when it's almost made - this is the offer of whipped cream on top. If you've already paid, this is free. Some gelaterie require a small additional charge in order to get your cream — mostly half or one euro.
Vegetarians and vegans should have an easy time finding food in Rome (and Italy in general). Buffets in many restaurants usually have a good range of delicious vegetarian stuff - e.g. gratinated roast peppers/aubergines, etc. Also, pizzas don't always have cheese - a marinara, for example, is just tomato, garlic and oregano; moreover, one can always ask for a pizza without cheese. Italian servers and chefs tend to be accommodating. Vegans need to watch out for pasta fresca (fresh, homemade pasta) or pasta all'uovo, which is made with eggs. There are also some vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Rome.
Accommodation in Rome
The area to the southwest of Termini railway station has numerous large hotels; these are used in particular by groups and coach parties. On the other side of the station are many smaller, fairly inexpensive, hotels that are popular with individual travellers. Perhaps the best choice for a first-time visitor is to stay right downtown, (such as near the Pantheon). Most attractions are walking distance from there, and you will save much transportation time and leave more for enjoying the city. Hotels in the downtown area are costly, but a good apartment is a decent alternative, especially for couples and if you don't mind cooking yourself from time to time: it will save even more of your budget.
Offering of short term apartment rentals is enormous. Many apartments can be booked directly through the owner, but most owners make arrangements via rental agencies, both large and small. When looking for a hotel or an apartment in Rome, take note that the price of accommodations varies significantly from month to month, depending on typical amount of tourists—always check prices at your accommodation for your specific dates.
Being as it is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, there are tons of choices for where to stay, and you will have the choice of whatever type of accommodation you wish.
( Rome - Italy ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting Rome . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Rome - Italy
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