GUIDES

Rome Guide

Rome - Out and About

Rome stands 20 metres above sea level, about twenty kilometres from the Tyrrhenian coast, in the middle of the Roman countryside where the river Tiber winds itself among the sloping hills. It is the capital of the ancient world, of Christianity and of the Italian State, a large open-air museum with its wonderful open spaces and wide-reaching views, a true metropolis with 18 “quartieri” and 22 “rioni”, in continuous evolution. 6 itineraries (the Capitoline Hill, The Roman Forums, Piazza Navona, Piazza di Spagna, the Quirinale, the Vatican) are enough to reveal the huge appeal of this city where the sites of political power, the religious architecture, the aristocratic buildings, the art galleries and local meeting places all live side by side.

The old walled centre of Rome was built in the 8th century B.C. on the Palatine Hill and from here, in the 5th century B.C., the city expanded, spreading over the Capitoline, the Quirinale, the Viminale, the Celio, the Esquilino and the Aventino hills, all within the walls built during the reign of Servio Tullius. During the reign of Emperor Augustus, the city grew as far as the banks of the Tiber and after the fire in 64 B.C., under the reign of Emperor Nero, the city’s architecture became increasingly significant (Domus Aurea, Coliseum, Terme di Tito) with wider roads, more solid buildings made in stone and more fountains. The Mediaeval period saw the building of several churches (S. Maria Maggiore, S. Maria d’Aracoeli, S. Giovanni in Laterano). During the Renaissance, the city was embellished with works by Michelangelo: the churches of St. Peter’s in the Vatican, S. Maria del Popolo, Palazzo Venezia, and the Quirinale Palace. The Baroque period was mostly given over to the works by Borromini and Bernini and Rome began to look much like it still does today, with the church at Trinità dei Monti, Palazzo Barberini, Montecitorio, the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona and Piazza di Spagna.

The Capitoline Hill is a must for visitors, the citadel of ancient Rome: the Palazzo Nuovo and the Palazzo dei Conservatori, now the site of the Capitoline Museum, the Renaissance-period Palazzo Venezia with the adjoined Museum in Via del Plebiscito and the Basilica of San Marco, which is full of mosaics (827-844), all look down onto the square designed by Michelangelo. A visit to the Forum takes the visitor to the remains from various periods of Roman history. In the western part of the Forum, the Settiminus Severus Arch and the eight columns from Saturn’s Temple next to the Vespasiano Temple must be seen. The eastern part is dominated by the ruins, the ceiling and the arches from the Basilica di Costantino and the House of the Vestal Virgins. The visit continues towards the Trajan Markets from where one can look out onto Via IV Novembre from a large hall that then leads up to the upper floors, to Via Biberatica and the surrounding market places that provide a charming sight. Next to the markets, we find the Coliseum, the largest monument from ancient times, which is even more breathtaking in the evening, when it is artistically illuminated to show off the beauty of the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns. From the top floor it is possible to view the Arch of Constantine, the columns and apse of the Temple Arch of Tito and the Romanesque bell tower of the Church Santa Francesca Romana. The building of this magnificent construction was begun in 72 A.D. by Vespasiano, in the same place where an artificial lake connected to the Domeus Aurea was opened and inaugurated by Tito in the year 80, with games that went on for 100 days. Proceeding to the right, the visitor can view the amazing size of the Arch of Constantine which dates from 315, in memory of his victory over Massenzio. One of the main points in Roman social life is Piazza della Rotonda, full of open air cafés and restaurants, directly opposite the square’s most famous sight: the Pantheon, an example of Roman architecture from the time of the Emperor Hadrian. Inside, its treasures include the tomb of Raffaello and the inside of the dome. One of the prettiest squares in Rome is Piazza Navona, with its elongated shape, a work of art from the Baroque period. The square plays host to the Fontana dei Fiumi that holds up the Agonal obelisk by Bernini and the Church of S'Agnese in Agone, with its concave façade by Borromoni. Palazzo Braschi, now home to the Museum of Rome also looks out onto the square. Until the 19th century, the square was filled with water for competitions, games and tournaments. The church of San Luigi dei Francesi, filled with paintings by Caravaggio and the Baroque church of Sant’Andrea della Valle, famous for its attractive dome that is the largest in Rome after St Peter’s, and that was the scene for the first act of Puccini’s opera Tosca are also well worth a visit. In Piazza Navona, which is a pedestrian area, there is always a lot going on day and night, and is full of cafés and antique shops. Another area that attracts both tourists and Romans themselves is Piazza di Spagna and the adjacent streets running off Via del Corso. This square, with its Fontana della Barcaccia, (a work of art by Bernini from the 17th century) has been a meeting point for visitors for almost three centuries. On the south side we find the Spanish steps up to Trinità dei Monti, a truly beautiful sight when filled with azaleas right up to the Baroque church at the top of the steps. From the terrace at the top, the breathtaking views reach to the river Tiber and St Peter’s. In the square below, there is also Babington's Tea Rooms and in Via dei Condotti, which also plays host to the most exclusive shops in the area, there is the famous Caffè Greco opened in 1760, once a meeting place for foreign artists and writers. The Renaissance and Baroque works of art in the churches of Santa Maria del Popolo and Sant’Andrea delle Fratte, and the relief work on the Ara Pacis in Via di Ripetta are also beautiful.

For a great view over the city, there is no better place than the Quirinale hill, full of churches, museums and galleries, historical buildings and fountains. Walking downhill along one of the many streets that lead to unforgettable corners of Rome, the visitor comes to the Trevi Fountain, in the square with the same name, which is attached to the side of Palazzo Poli. This is the largest, the most spectacular and the most famous of the Roman fountains, with its statue of Neptune surrounded by fairytale figures and four statues representing the four seasons. From the square we can see the ancient Papal Palace, Palazzo del Quirinale, which is now the official residence of the President of the Italian Republic. There are many churches hidden away in the side streets. The itinerary in the Vatican area includes a visit to St Peter’s and the Vatican Museums. St Peter’s is the beating heart of Catholicism, a site which attracts pilgrims from all over the world. The dome, designed by Michelangelo, from where one can see the perfect symmetry of Bernini’s columns, joins together the inside areas of the Cathedral, which was built by all the great architects from the Roman Renaissance (Michelangelo) and Baroque periods.

In Rome there are two subway train lines, A and B, which cross over at Termini Station. Trains start running at 5.30 am and end at 11.30 pm (00.30 on Saturdays). Tourist routes and itineraries can be organised from various stations on the A line, linking visits to noteworthy monuments with shopping in the famous streets: the station Cipro for example, is the right stop to visit the Vatican Museums, Ottaviano is the right one for St. Peter’s. The stop called Lepanto leads directly onto Via Cola di Rienzo which is filled with shops for all purses. The station Flaminio can be used to reach Piazza del Popolo, Villa Borghese, il Pincio, S. Maria dei Miracoli, Via del Corso and Via del Babuino. The station Spagna takes you to the square bearing the same name, with the Spanish steps and Via dei Condotti. Not far away the Trevi Fountain, Via Veneto and the Tritone Fountain are close to the stop named Barberini; the Terme di Diocleziano are near the station Repubblica. Getting off at the stop Vittorio Emanuele takes you to the Basilica di S. Maria Maggiore. S.Giovanni brings you close to the Basilica with the same name and to the Holy Steps. At the station Cinecittà, one can visit the film studios. To visit the Via Appia and the Catacombs, it is necessary to get off at Colli Albani. Important stations for tourists on line B are: S.Paolo, to visit the Basilica with the same name; Piramide, to visit the Pyramid of Caius Cestius, Circo Massimo and Colosseo, to allow visitors to reach the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. The stop Cavour takes you near to S.Pietro in Vincoli. There are 200 different bus routes that criss-cross Rome from 5.30 am to midnight. Fast or express lines, Esatt lines and electrical buses, night buses, disabled buses. Roman public transport is called Metrebus. Buying a Metrebus ticket, in fact, allows you to travel on the three means of transport, on the various routes, within one zone or in several zones.

Rome - Not to be missed

In Viale Vaticano, there is one of the most important museums in the world, divided into many different sections that are wonderfully decorated and which hold works of art by the greatest artists, all commissioned or collected by various Popes over the centuries. Inside, for example, the Egyptian museum, there are stone tablets and inscriptions from various eras, sarcophagi and mummies, statues from the Roman era and pottery from periods from before the Roman era.

Raffaello’s Rooms and lodges made up Pope Julius II’s residence on the second floor of the palace. There are also frescoes by Perugino, Bramantino and Raffaello, arranged in series and which lead from one to another. At the end of the route there is the Sistine Chapel, which was recently restored, to give back the original colours that had faded over time to Michelangelo’s Universal Judgement. This is where the Conclave meets to elect the popes and where other solemn Papal ceremonies are held. It is a large rectangular hall, with a vaulted ceiling, divided by a marble wall for the choir stalls. On the long walls there are paintings of the Life of Moses on one side and the Life of Jesus on the other, painted between 1481 and 1483 by Perugino, Botticelli and Ghirlandaio. However, the most famous work of art is the one done by Michelangelo, who was chosen in 1508 by Julius II to decorate the vault. The theme chosen for the painting can be summed up as a representation of Mankind waiting for the arrival of the Messiah. Twenty years later, Michelangelo Buonarroti returned to the Sistine Chapel on appointment by Paul III (1534-49) to paint the Universal Judgement on the wall behind the altar. Michelangelo worked on this huge painting from 1536 to 1541.

In Piazza del Campidoglio (the Capitoline Hill) we can find the Capitoline Museums, the oldest public collection in the world, which includes extremely valuable sculptures such as the Galata Morente and the Capitoline Venus. The picture gallery holds paintings from the 14th to the 17th centuries by painters such as Tiziano, Bellini and Caravaggio.

Rome - Walks and tours

23 km from Roma there is an area known as the Castelli Romani (Roman Castles), which owes its name to the many aristocratic residences built all over this valley. The itinerary offers a peaceful view of vineyards and olive groves, the sight of Roman ruins and ancient abbeys, Baroque squares and medieval walls. Frascati can be reached by travelling along the State Road “125” and then heading for Tuscolo and Monte Porzio Catone; the state road “155” takes us to Palestrina, a medieval town which is also the site of ancient walls. The route then heads for Rocca Priora and Grottaferrata with its imposing walls and bastions, its abbey and the Basilica from the 12th—13th century.

The itinerary then turns towards Marino, Rocca di Papa and Nemi, an agricultural village famous for its strawberries and its flowers, with the Roman ship museum which houses boats from the 1st century A.D. From Velletri, taking the state road 21, the tour passes through Genzano di Roma, Ariccia, Albano Laziale and Castel Gandolfo, a small town that looks down from the west side onto the crater that is now Lake Albano. The town has a medieval centre and a large complex that is the Popes’ summer residence. The astronomy observatory, the Specola Vaticana is an important site. From Castel Gandolfo, the Via Appia, the state “A” road no.7 leads back to Rome.

Rome - The traveller's notebook

Currency : Euro

Electric supply: 220 volts; two or three pin plugs. Climate : winter days, mild and bright, humid in July and August.

Opening hours : the shops are open from 9 until 1 pm. In the afternoon they reopen at 3.30 pm until 7.30 pm in the winter and from 4 pm until 8 pm in the summer. Food shops are closed on Thursday afternoons in winter and on Saturday afternoons in the summer. Banks are usually open from Mondays to Fridays from 8.30 am to 1.30 pm and from 2.30 pm until 4 pm. Post offices are open to the public from Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 6.30 pm and on Saturdays from 8.30 to 1.00.

Telephones : the code for Rome is 06. To call abroad it is necessary to dial first the international code (00) followed by the code of the country being called, the area code and the telephone number

Rome - A pocket guide

The most picturesque market in Rome is made up of the fruit, vegetable and flower stalls in Piazza Campo de’ Fiori, open each morning. There is also a market in Piazza Testaccio that has excellent objects on sale at reasonable prices.

At the Porta Portese market in Via Portuense and Via Nievo you can find just about everything for sale in a stylish disorganised order: clothes, shoes, boxes, furniture, plants, and cameras. In Rome there are many local events that are held in various streets or quarters: “Cento Pittori” (one hundred painters) in via Margutta that is held in spring and autumn; Via Giulia plays host to art exhibitions and the street’s art galleries and antique shops offers refreshments to the visitors. Towards the end of July in Trastevere, there is a local folk festival with various market stalls too.

Disclaimer: the above information is provided 'as is' and Hostelsclub accepts no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information.

> Book hostels in Rome