|
|
There is simply too much to see in Rome - the Vatican City alone can easily swallow up an entire weekend. Most visitors are overwhelmed and remain torn between running from sight to sight in order to ‘do’ everything or lingering over a couple of monuments and museums.
The latter option is strongly recommended - even then, it is best to punctuate cultural trips with ice creams, coffees and serene walks in the city’s parks (the Villa Borghese is one of the loveliest). As for most holy sites, clothing that covers up midriffs, shoulders and legs is advised, particularly for the Vatican.
The Palatine Hill is the obvious starting point. Rome was founded here and it soon became the seat of political and religious power. During the Renaissance it was beautified and crowned with the Michelangelo-designed Piazza Campidoglio. To its right stands the stark-white sprawling Vittoriano monument celebrating the first king of united Italy, behind it lies the Roman Forum and Imperial Fora.
The ancient world is linked with the modern in the space of a short walk. Next on your itinerary is the centro storico (historic centre), which boasts the greatest concentration of classical and Christian sites enclosed in a relatively small space. Stumbling upon ancient frescoes, Renaissance fountains and beautiful piazzas are part of the pleasures of wandering around Rome’s streets.
Rome has over 400 churches and four major basilicas - St Peter’s, St John Lateran, St Mary Major and St Paul’s. However, it is San Clemente (on Via San Giovanni in Laterano) which encapsulates the multi-layered labyrinth of Rome. At street level, there is a 12th-century basilica with beautiful mosaics. Down one level is a well-preserved Roman basilica. Deeper still are more ancient Roman remains, until finally, at the deepest level, is the temple to the oriental cult of Mithras. |
|
|
Azienda di Promozione Turistica di Roma (APT)
Via Parigi 5
Tel: (06) 488 991 or 8205 9127.
Website: www.romaturismo.com
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1900.
Other APT branches are at Termini Station (opposite platform 4, open daily 0800-2100) and Fiumicino Airport (Terminal B Arrivals, open daily 0800-1900 and look out for the other green tourist information kiosks dotted around the city near all the major tourist sites (open daily 0930-1930) such as near the Vatican (in Piazza Pia), off Piazza Navona (in Piazza Cinque Lune) and near the Imperial Fora (in Piazza del Tempio della Pace).
Another useful source of information is the Anglo-centric Enjoy Rome, Via Marghera 8A (tel: (06) 445 1843; website: www.enjoyrome.com), near Termini Station. You can contact the Ente Nazionale per il Turismo (ENIT) (tel: (06) 49711; website: www.enit.it), for information on Italian areas outside of Rome and the Lazio region; their offices are not open to the public however. |
|
|
| The Rome tourist board recently brought out the Roma Pass. For a reasonable price it includes free access to all state and city museums, reductions on many cultural events and a three-day transport pass. Buy it from any tourist information point, museum or the Ottaviano or Anagnina metro stations. There are also two interesting museum passes available, the Museo Nazionale Romano combined ticket and the Roma Archeologia Card (website: www.pierreci.it). The first allows entrance to the National Roman Museum’s four sites - Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Palazzo Altemps, Baths of Diocletian and Crypta Balbi; the second allows entrance to those sites plus the Colosseum, the Palatine, the Baths of Caracalla, the tomb of Cecilia Metella and Villa dei Quintilli. The passes are valid for three and seven days respectively from the first day of use. They can be purchased at any of the participating monuments or museums. |
|
| What to See |
 |
Places of Interest
|
|
|
