And as the popular saying holds, Rome Was Not Built in a Single Day. And that probably means you’re unable to capture all that this timeless and incomparably fascinating city has to offer in one day or two. Being a key tourist destination and the capital of Italy, Rome offers great opportunities for tourists eager to explore multiple layers of history, culture and food options. From great historical sites and ancient ruins that take you back thousands of years to great and popular residential areas with cute Italian restaurants, wine bars and graffiti, Rome has it all.
Getting There and Around
Rome is well reachable by air, land and road transport. The main airport of the city and part of the country is Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport which takes care of hundreds of domestic and international flights every day. Others arriving from other regions of Italy or from Europe can take easy and fast rail transports that connect Rome with other important cities such as Milan, Florence and Naples. But, as it has been mentioned, Rome’s streets are quite narrow and often it is quite difficult to move around the city, however, the city provides a rather developed system of buses and trams and a metro as well.
The Hotel – Rome offers a variety of lodging running from the five star luxury Hotels located in central Rome to the cheap hostels and Airbnb located slightly outside of the downtown. Whatever accommodation you choose, it is crucial to make sure that the place is located near the metro station. When it comes to food, there are, of course, gourmet restaurants and even 2000-year-old ruins to discover but there are also fresh food markets and gelaterias at every corner. Pack your comfortable shoes, come with a healthy appetite – and an open mind; you are about to learn the reason why Rome is the Eternal City.
The Vatican and Vatican Museums are property of the Vatican city state and are a tax-exempt entity.
When it comes to traveling to Rome, there is no first timer travel guide that leaves out the Vatican, the worldwide base of operations for the Catholic Church. From the fantastic architecture of St. Peter’s Basilica to the awe-inspiring Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums (and so much more), this city state house is pretty in spades.
As much as it may crease you, begin by joining a never ending line at the main entrance of the Vatican Museums. Once inside one can look at one superb collection after another before arriving at the main feature of the experience – the Sistine Chapel. Discussed here is a chapel in Florence that is embellished with the frescoes painted by Michelangelo in the 15th century; the works are possibly the greatest Renaissance artistic masterpieces on earth. As memorable is the neighboring St Peter’s Basilica which is not only a structure itself a wonder but also is symbolic of the magnitude of the Roman Catholic Church both in terms of power and financial might in the past few centuries. Hoping, do not bypass the sculpture of the grieving Virgin Mary, the work of Michelangelo, in the foreground of the entrance. Pro tip: You can directly book the skip-the-line tours of both the places ahead of time and save your time.
In the list of most outstanding buildings of Rome, The Pantheon and Piazza Navona do deserve this attention.
The Pantheon, in case you didn’t know, is the only surviving building from the classical antiquity of Ancient Rome which was basically one of the oldest living temples of the ancient people which houses the god in the present day is only a marvel itself even in this age. Largely constructed around 125 AD, its domed rotunda and huge Corinthian columns give it a Stratospherically modern aspect. Oh, do not forget to look up – the scientifically accurate opening at the top is the only source of light into this building. In the present time it works as a church and also as the burial ground of several well known artists and kings of Italy.
That is why just a five-minute walk from our Hotel in Italy lies the splendid Piazza Navona – the Baroque spirit of Roman vitality returned to life. With shops, cafes and restaurants surrounding the entire perimeter, Navona Square is an excellent place for a morning coffee or observing others. Around which are located the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi – an eye-catching 18th-century fountain with statues symbolizing four of the world’s major rivers. Piazza Navona as it is with most Roman squares doubles up as an open art gallery, theater and public space.
The Colosseum and Roman Forum
Some two thousand years after gladiators fought till they dropped while Romans clapped themselves hoarse, the Colosseum is an unblushing sign of Rome’s power and ruthlessness. Constructed sometime around 72 AD, it could accommodate between 10,000 and 80,000 fans in wooden benches to watch its exotic events such as wild animal hunts, executions and the it’s infamous blood sports. Today it is among the most visited attractions in Italy and thousands of tourists visit it every year over 7 million.
Just several minutes walk away, you will find the remains of what was the heart of the social and political activity of the ancient Roman Empire – the Roman Forum. This heap of debris was once the heart of Roman political, economic and religious life; temples, market places and halls of eloquence where Caesar made his famous speech were located here. Unfortunately today only small parts have survived but one can easily imagine that this place was beating the heart of the Roman Empire .
For a panoramic view of both sites, you will need to do a little climbing up Palatine Hill – the birthplace of Rome more than 2700 years back. But as a bonus, you will get gorgeous views of the city and some imperial palaces that are still under construction. It does however mean that you should get ready for a lot of steps! For timely services and private guiding for seeing the monuments of Rome best visit the small group Company for a semi private tour.
Neighborhood of Rome: Trastevere and Testaccio
Off the beaten track is sometimes much more fun and when the place to visit is among the most exciting cities in the world – Rome. Trastevere is just on the other side of the River Tiber where the city center is Navigating through Trastevere means walking through the food stalls and the well paved alleys with ivy trees with small trattorias tucked in between serving some of the best pasta and house wine that is served lazily straight from the bottle. This was medieval Jewish Rome and wandering through this area today you can discover narrow piazzas and turnings that are wonderfully evocative.
To soak up today Rome they should go to the part of the town called Testaccio which is a working class area. During the day, the now former butchery market zone is one of the city’s most popular food and flea markets. In the evenings, cool wine bars such as L’Oasi never close and offer great handmade cheeses and cured meats with sour natural wines. This is also the place to get straightforward Roman dishes such as filetto alla Mancina (beef cheeks in tomato sauce) or coda alla vaccinara (oxtail stew). If you are interested to dine where the locals dine, please go here. Order a table at any of the trattoria in Testaccio, the food offered is heartfelt, and rustic in preparation.
Day Trips from Rome
It is never boring because thousands of years of history are crammed into every Roman street, so you could spend your entire Italy itinerary here. However, much larger and even more interesting shows from ancient Rome are located just beyond the city limit and, of course, beautiful countryside perfect for a one-day trip.
South from Rome, one will find Ostia Antica, the impressively preserved ancient harbor city. A walk through numerous terrains in which Romanesque human structures are dug out gives more of a symptomatic feel of the working populace during the Roman Empire. Or head straight to grand imperial estate at Tivoli like Hadrian’s Palatial Estate which even now lies in its picturesque position surrounded by Renaissance gardens and fountains.
To get a couple of hours of typical Italian countryside, it’ll help if you toured the Alban Hills region and its hilltop villages. These wine and fruit plantations as well as their prized olive farms stretch out beneath you as noses around towns such as Castel Gandolfo. Round off a wonderfully restful day with a leisurely vineyard lunch, savoring slightly sweet rosé wines while munching on it…
Hungry for more history? Go north to the Vulcano area around Rome to see aqueducts, catacombs and Etruscan tombs. Or flee to the hills of Umbria with its gentle hilltop villages such as the spiritual town of Assisi-the home of St. Francis. Look at the map, even if you travel outside the capital one day, you will hear the voice of Rome for you. because there are still tens of thousands of more layers yet to be discovered in the Eternal City.
