Rome is the eternal city. It is a place where history is alive and where life is what the Romans call “La Dolce Vita”.
Rome is divided into many quarters. For me, the most convenient area for lodging has always been close to the Termini Train Station.
I have visited Rome so many times and my last visit took place in September 2008. This time I stayed at the Hotel Quirinale, in Via Nazionale on the side of Piazza della Repubblica. http://www.hotelquirinale.it/
This is a very good hotel in an excellent location, situated in an old Rome Palace which to my surprise has a private entrance to the Rome Opera House which is found at the back of the Hotel building.
It is often said that “all roads lead to Rome” and this was infact true. The Ancient Romans were great engineers and had created over 50,000 miles of paved roads which all led to Rome. They were also famous for the invention of the so called Roman Arch.
Arriving in Rome
Rome has two airports, the most popular and internationally known Leonardo da Vinci Airport at Fiumicino and the other less popular, the airport of Ciampino.
Usually international flights arrive at Fiumicino. There is a train station inside the airport terminal which can take you to the centre of Rome at Stazione Termini in just 32 minutes without intermittent stops. This service departs every 30 minutes and a one way ticket costs €11. From Termini Station one can take a taxi to any part of the Capital. Be aware however that the area of Termini Station is not a very safe area and pickpockets are abundant like in many train stations.
Transport
The best way to visit Rome in my opinion is by walking through the city. This way one can feel the splendor of this eternal city which was once the capital of the glorious Roman Empire which ruled most of the world. However one may also use the metro but the metro service in Rome is very limited and is only covered by two lines. Line A which is distinguished by its orange colour, connects the north-west (Battistini) with the south-east (Anagnina). Line B, with the blue colour, connects the north-east (Rebibbia) with the south-west (Laurentina). The price of a single ticket towards one destination used within the space of 75 minutes is €1. A day ticket for unlimited travel costs €4 while a 3-day unlimited travel ticket costs €11. http://www.rome.info/transportation/tickets/
You can also use the buses, but be aware that it is very easy to finish off without your wallet, especially when the bus is very crowded. I witnessed an attempt by a 9 year old gypsy girl to steal the wallet of a friend of mine while we were standing up in a crowded bus.
Sightseeing
I am here providing some walking tours which if performed successively manage to cover nearly all the points of interest in the centre of Rome in not more than 2 days. This does not include any entry into museums or other historic places. A map of the centre would be very useful for these walking tours. Rome Hotels provide a convenient Welcome Rome map which is sponsored by advertisements and which may be obtained from the Hotel Reception free of charge.
Walking Tour 1 (Piazza Repubblica to Piazza Navona)
Piazza Repubblica is one of the famous and most beautiful squares in Rome. If it were in London it may have been called Republic Circus because the square has actually the form of a semi-circle.
Walking along Via Nazionale, turning towards Via Antonio Depretris one arrives into Piazza del Viminale, which is the Palace housing the Italian Ministry of the Interior. Back to Via Nazionale continue to walk in the opposite direction of Piazza Repubblica. On the right, midway through the road, there is Rome’s Exhibition Centre a very imposing building. As you approach the end of Via Nazionale, turn to the right through Via della Consulta towards the Piazza del Quirinale.
The Quirinale is the Official Residence of the President of the Republic. The beautiful square is one of the landmarks of Rome. If you continue to walk across the façade of the Quirinale Palace, you will reach a wide staircase which takes you Via della Dataria. Then turn right through the second street, Via San Vincenzo, which leads to the Piazza di Trevi,
the location for the famous Trevi Fountain. This is a well known spot in Rome which is always crowded by visitors who usually throw coins in the waters of the fountain, with the intention of returning to this place again in the future.From Piazza Trevi walk through Via delle Muratte until you reach Via del Corso. Then turn to the right towards Piazza Colonna, the square named after the Marble Column built by Marcus Aurelius in 180AD and which is still standing. To the right there is Palazzo Chigi, which is the official residence of the Italian Prime Minister.
A street to the left of the Column, via Colonna Antonina, leads the way to Piazza di Montecitorio and the Montecitorio Palace, the seat of the Italian Parliament. Walk through Via Aquiro, Piazza Capranica and Via degli Orfani to reach Piazza della Rotonda, where you can see the famous Roman Pantheon. Proceed through Via Palombella through Piazza S Eustachio and Lungo Costituente to reach Palazzo Madama, the seat of the Senate of the Italian Republic. From there through Corso Agonale you arrive in the most famous square in Rome, the Piazza Navona.
Piazza Navona has the shape of a Roman Circus and is believed to date back from the 1st Century when Romans used to attend there to watch the games, known as “agones”, which then changed to “in agone” and later to Navona. The Piazza is an example of rich baroque architecture with works by Borromini, Rainaldi and the famous Fountain of the Four Rivers by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the same architect who built the Vatican Square.
Walking Tour 2 (Piazza Navona to Vatican City)
Walking out of Piazza Navona through the northern part through Piazza S Apollinare and via S Apollinare to Via dei Soldati you will reach Piazza Ponte Umberto where you can find the Umberto I bridge that crosses the Tiber River towards Piazza dei Tribunali and the Palazzo di Giustizia, the Courts of Justice.
I would suggest that you do not cross the bridge but walk along Lungo Tevere Tor di Nona (the river bank) towards the Piazza Ponte Sant’Angelo, and while walking enjoy the beautiful view of the St Angelo Castle and the beautiful bridge leading to it.
Cross the Bridge towards the Castle and turn to the right to Piazza
Giovanni XXIII. You are now facing the Basilica of St Peter, the heart of the Vatican City. But you still need to walk along the Via della Conciliazione.The Vatican is the official residence of the Pope, the Head of the Universal Catholic Church. St Peter Square, which is actually a circular piazza, is surrounded by huge colonnades on the
perimeter. The roof of the colonnades is supported by four rows of columns 60 feet high. In the middle of the piazza there is an Egyptian Obelisk brought to Rome by Caligula in AD38. On each side of the Obelisk, mid-way between the Obelisk and the colonnades there are two spots from where one can admire the perfection of Bernini’s architecture. 
From these spots looking towards the colonnade, each supporting row of four columns appears as a single column right across the whole semi-circular colonnade.The Basilica of St Peter, on the other hand, is considered as the greatest church in the world. The beautiful cupola by Michelangelo is a masterpiece of architecture as is the Sistine Chapel, a m
asterpiece of Renaissance art with frescoes by Michelangelo, Rafaello, Bernini and Botticelli.Further information may be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Peter and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistine_Chapel.
Tour 3 by Metro (Piazza del Popolo, Piazza di Spagna and Church of Trinita’ dei Monti, S Maria Maggiore and S Giovanni Laterano)
Moving out of St Peter Square through the right colonnade (with you facing St Peter’s Basilica), you can walk through Via di Porta Angelica through Piazza del Risorgimento and finally through Via Ottaviano where you can find the Ottaviano Metro Station.
Just one stop on the Line A will take you to Piazza del Popolo. As you come out of the Metro station, turn left through an ancient
Roman gate and you find yourself in Piazza del Popolo.This square lies inside the northern gate of the Aurelian walls of Rome, and was the Porta Flaminia, today known as Porta del Popolo was the start of the Via Flaminia which led to the north towards what the modern town of Rimini. In ancient times it was the first view of Rome for the traveller. The Piazza is dominated by an Obelisk in the centre, dating back to the year 10BC, and the two identical Churches of Santa Maria in Montesanto (left) and Santa Maria dei Miracoli (right) built in the 17th century. Between these churches one finds Via del Corso, one of the longest principal roads of the eternal city, which finishes at Piazza Venezia (and Altare della Patria) on the other end. One can also find beautiful fountains, a waterfall and pedestrian steps leading to the Pincio park, on the Pincio Hill.
Back to the metro station on the same line, another stop will get you to Piazza di Spagna, and the Spanish steps leading to the Church of the Trinita’ dei Monti. Across the lower part of the steps lies the famous Fontana della Barcaccia, a fountain in the shape of a boat, lying under road level because of the low water pressure at this part of the city. This monument, created by Pietro Bernini and his son Gian Lorenzo, was inspired by a boat left in the mud after the Tiber floods of 1588 had subsided.
Proceed by metro and stop at Termini station. After just a short walk (four blocks) through Via Cavour you will arrive by the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. This is one of the five great ancient basilicas of Rome and its 18th century exterior conceals one of the best-preserved Byzantine interiors in the city.
Go back to the Metro station at Termini and proceed with Line A towards the Church of San Giovanni Laterano. This was the first church to be built in Rome by Constantine the Great in the 4th century is today the first among the major basilicas of Rome. It is also the cathedral of the bishop of Rome, the Pope, and is thus known as “Omnium urbis et orbis Ecclesiarum Mater et Caput” meaning “Cathedral of Rome and of the World”.
Opposite S Giovanni Laterano, in a building which incorporates part of the old Lateran Palace, there is a staircase consisting of 28 white marble steps, imported from the palace of Pontius Pilatus in Jerusalem. They are covered by wood. Legend says that Jesus has walked these steps to and from his conviction. The steps were brought to Rome by St Helen, mother of Constantine the Great, around the year 326. Catholic believers climb these steps on their knees while praying. On top of the stairs is the private chapel of the Lateran Palace used by the Pope and known as the Sancta Sanctorum.
Walking Tour 4 (Colosseo to Trastevere)
You can again take the Metro from S Giovanni Laterano and change to Line B at Termini. Then get down at the second stop, Colosseo.
The Colosseo is
another famous landmark of Rome and was originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre. Its construction was started around AD 70 by Vespasian and finished by Titus in AD 80. It had a capacity of about 80,000 spectators and was used mainly for contests between gladiators. It is today partially ruined by earthquakes and stone-robbers. 
A little further down between the Colosseo and the Palatine Hill stands the Arch of Constantine, erected to commemorate the victory of Constantine I over Maxentius in AD 312.
But the most spectacular walk within the spirit of ancient Rome lies along the Via dei Fori Imperiali, the road that connects the Colosseo Square with Piazza Venezia. To the left lie the beautiful ruins of ancient Rome in a large area which reaches the heights of the Palatine Hill, the place where Roman Emperors had their
residence, considered as the elite part of ancient Rome. Along the road, on a part of an ancient wall engraved maps show the Roman Emperor’s expansion reaching outside the European continent.
On the other side of Via dei Fori Imperiali, one finds Foro di Augusto and the Mercati Traianei as well as the Colonna Traiana dominating the Foro Traiano.
The road then leads to Piazza Venezia. Between Piazza Venezia
and the Capitoline Hill lies another relatively modern and controversial landmark of Rome, the Altare della Patria (the altar of the Fatherland), the white marbled monument by Giuseppe Sacconi inaugurated in 1911 to commemorate the unification of Italy under Vittorio Emauele II. Infact it is also called the National Monument of Vittorio Emanuele II or “Il Vittoriano”. In 1921 part of this monument was dedicated to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This construction of this document destroyed a large area of the Capitoline Hill and created a widespread controversy. It was given nicknames such as “the wedding cake” or “the type-writer”.
Across the square in Piazza Venezia lies the Palazzo Venezia, the central window of which has made history during World War II as it was the place from where the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini declared his intention to enter the second world war.
Walk across the façade of the Altare della Patria and proceed to the right side of the monument and climb the road to Piazza Campidoglio, on the Capitoline Hill.
The Capitoline Hill is the smallest of Rome's seven hills, but it was the religious and political center of the city since its foundation more than 2500 years ago. Here stood amongst other temples the most important temple of ancient Rome dedicated to Jupiter, which made the Campidoglio the symbol of “Roma caput mundi”, the capital of the world. In the centre of the square today there is a replica of the statue of Marcus Aurelius.
The modern piazza of the Campidoglio and the re-designing of the surrounding buildings was commissioned to Michelangelo by Pope Paul III and the work started in 1546. But the project was completed in the 17th century many year after Michelangelo’s death in 1564. A passage connects Piazza Campidoglio to the top part of the Altare della Patria.
As you walk back from Campidoglio, walk towards the left through Via del Teatro di Marcello and then Via Petroselli towards Piazza della Bocca di della Verita’. To your left you will see the Arco di Giano.
In front of you, at the Atrium of the Church of S. Maria in Cosmedin, you can visit the Bocca della Verita’ or “the mouth of Truth”. This is a marble mask and according to popular belief it was said that any one putting his hand in this mouth and swearing falsely, could not withdraw it.
Let’s hope you could get your hands safely out of the mouth and continue with your walking tour behind the Church to see Circo Massimo, the ancient Roman
You can now return to Piazza Bocca della Verita’ from where you can easily proceed towards Trastevere, the last surviving Roman medieval quarter well known for its restaurants and “la dolce vita”.
Trastevere lies on the west bank of the Tiber River, across the small island in the middle of the Tiber called Isola Tiburtina. It is easy to get to Ponte Palatino (Palatino Bridge) through a small green centre strip. While crossing the bridge you will note on your right the small island of Tiburtina. You will also see the remains of Ponte Rotto the first stone bridge to span the river, whose pillars date back to 179BC while its arches date back to 142 BC. Despite being repaired several times, the bridge finally collapsed in 1598 and since then it became known as the Ponte Rotto (the collapsed bridge).
As you leave the bridge cross the lungotevere Alberteschi and walk straight all the Via della Lungaretta, crossing Piazza Sidney Sonnino, until you reach the Piazza S. Maria del Trastevere, which is closed for traffic and which is the heart of the quarter. Here you will find restaurants and pricey bars, faded palazzi, and the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere.
Opposite S Giovanni Laterano, in a building which incorporates part of the old Lateran Palace, there is a staircase consisting of 28 white marble steps, imported from the palace of Pontius Pilatus in Jerusalem. They are covered by wood. Legend says that Jesus has walked these steps to and from his conviction. The steps were brought to Rome by St Helen, mother of Constantine the Great, around the year 326. Catholic believers climb these steps on their knees while praying. On top of the stairs is the private chapel of the Lateran Palace used by the Pope and known as the Sancta Sanctorum.
Walking Tour 4 (Colosseo to Trastevere)
You can again take the Metro from S Giovanni Laterano and change to Line B at Termini. Then get down at the second stop, Colosseo.
The Colosseo is
another famous landmark of Rome and was originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre. Its construction was started around AD 70 by Vespasian and finished by Titus in AD 80. It had a capacity of about 80,000 spectators and was used mainly for contests between gladiators. It is today partially ruined by earthquakes and stone-robbers. 
A little further down between the Colosseo and the Palatine Hill stands the Arch of Constantine, erected to commemorate the victory of Constantine I over Maxentius in AD 312.
But the most spectacular walk within the spirit of ancient Rome lies along the Via dei Fori Imperiali, the road that connects the Colosseo Square with Piazza Venezia. To the left lie the beautiful ruins of ancient Rome in a large area which reaches the heights of the Palatine Hill, the place where Roman Emperors had their
residence, considered as the elite part of ancient Rome. Along the road, on a part of an ancient wall engraved maps show the Roman Emperor’s expansion reaching outside the European continent.On the other side of Via dei Fori Imperiali, one finds Foro di Augusto and the Mercati Traianei as well as the Colonna Traiana dominating the Foro Traiano.
The road then leads to Piazza Venezia. Between Piazza Venezia
and the Capitoline Hill lies another relatively modern and controversial landmark of Rome, the Altare della Patria (the altar of the Fatherland), the white marbled monument by Giuseppe Sacconi inaugurated in 1911 to commemorate the unification of Italy under Vittorio Emauele II. Infact it is also called the National Monument of Vittorio Emanuele II or “Il Vittoriano”. In 1921 part of this monument was dedicated to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This construction of this document destroyed a large area of the Capitoline Hill and created a widespread controversy. It was given nicknames such as “the wedding cake” or “the type-writer”.Across the square in Piazza Venezia lies the Palazzo Venezia, the central window of which has made history during World War II as it was the place from where the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini declared his intention to enter the second world war.
Walk across the façade of the Altare della Patria and proceed to the right side of the monument and climb the road to Piazza Campidoglio, on the Capitoline Hill.
The Capitoline Hill is the smallest of Rome's seven hills, but it was the religious and political center of the city since its foundation more than 2500 years ago. Here stood amongst other temples the most important temple of ancient Rome dedicated to Jupiter, which made the Campidoglio the symbol of “Roma caput mundi”, the capital of the world. In the centre of the square today there is a replica of the statue of Marcus Aurelius.
The modern piazza of the Campidoglio and the re-designing of the surrounding buildings was commissioned to Michelangelo by Pope Paul III and the work started in 1546. But the project was completed in the 17th century many year after Michelangelo’s death in 1564. A passage connects Piazza Campidoglio to the top part of the Altare della Patria.
As you walk back from Campidoglio, walk towards the left through Via del Teatro di Marcello and then Via Petroselli towards Piazza della Bocca di della Verita’. To your left you will see the Arco di Giano.
In front of you, at the Atrium of the Church of S. Maria in Cosmedin, you can visit the Bocca della Verita’ or “the mouth of Truth”. This is a marble mask and according to popular belief it was said that any one putting his hand in this mouth and swearing falsely, could not withdraw it.
Let’s hope you could get your hands safely out of the mouth and continue with your walking tour behind the Church to see Circo Massimo, the ancient Roman
You can now return to Piazza Bocca della Verita’ from where you can easily proceed towards Trastevere, the last surviving Roman medieval quarter well known for its restaurants and “la dolce vita”.
Trastevere lies on the west bank of the Tiber River, across the small island in the middle of the Tiber called Isola Tiburtina. It is easy to get to Ponte Palatino (Palatino Bridge) through a small green centre strip. While crossing the bridge you will note on your right the small island of Tiburtina. You will also see the remains of Ponte Rotto the first stone bridge to span the river, whose pillars date back to 179BC while its arches date back to 142 BC. Despite being repaired several times, the bridge finally collapsed in 1598 and since then it became known as the Ponte Rotto (the collapsed bridge).
As you leave the bridge cross the lungotevere Alberteschi and walk straight all the Via della Lungaretta, crossing Piazza Sidney Sonnino, until you reach the Piazza S. Maria del Trastevere, which is closed for traffic and which is the heart of the quarter. Here you will find restaurants and pricey bars, faded palazzi, and the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere.
A visit to EUR (Esposizione Universale Roma)
If you have enough time for a visit to a strange but extraordinary suburb of Rome, then take the Line B Metro and stop at EUR station Fermi.
This suburb was intended to serve as a Universal Exhibition of Fascist Italy but then most of it was completed after the war on a different political agenda. Worth mentioning in this suburb are the Church of St Peter and St Paul, the Colosseo Quadrato and the artificial lake inside the EUR park. http://www.italyheaven.co.uk/rome/areas/eur.html and http://www.romefashion.it/itinerary.htm.
If you have enough time for a visit to a strange but extraordinary suburb of Rome, then take the Line B Metro and stop at EUR station Fermi.
This suburb was intended to serve as a Universal Exhibition of Fascist Italy but then most of it was completed after the war on a different political agenda. Worth mentioning in this suburb are the Church of St Peter and St Paul, the Colosseo Quadrato and the artificial lake inside the EUR park. http://www.italyheaven.co.uk/rome/areas/eur.html and http://www.romefashion.it/itinerary.htm.
Tivoli
If you have more time at your disposal a visit to Tivoli would really be worthwhile. In Tivoli you can Villa Adriana, a famous complex of classical buildings built over an area of around 80 hectares in the 2nd century AD by Emperor Hadrian as his residence outside Rome. It is a UNESCO world heritage site. http://www.villa-adriana.net/
You can also visit the gardens of Villa d’Este, a masterpiece of Italian architecture especially in garden design and which is also a UNESCO world heritage site. http://www.villadestetivoli.info/storiae.htm
If you have more time at your disposal a visit to Tivoli would really be worthwhile. In Tivoli you can Villa Adriana, a famous complex of classical buildings built over an area of around 80 hectares in the 2nd century AD by Emperor Hadrian as his residence outside Rome. It is a UNESCO world heritage site. http://www.villa-adriana.net/
You can also visit the gardens of Villa d’Este, a masterpiece of Italian architecture especially in garden design and which is also a UNESCO world heritage site. http://www.villadestetivoli.info/storiae.htm
Where to eat
Honestly, I wasn’t going to mention anything about food here, because finding a place to eat in Rome is easier than finding a public toilet.
There are various restaurants, trattorias, osterias, pizzerias and cafés or bars serving food. They vary in prices. But I have one advice. Go to places that are busy with patrons. Do avoid places where you see no one on the table, or where they try to pull you inside. And be careful of set menus. They may be cheap but this may reflect what is offered on the plate.
By the way, do you know what is the difference between a Ristorante, a Trattoria and an Osteria?
An Osteria is an Inn, serving just simple cheap meals and wine and may offer lodging for the night.
A Trattoria is a casual and an informal eating place, where good food is served usually at a lesser price than in a restaurant. It offers food with a local touch and may be run by family members.
A Ristorante is usually formal, offers better service and is more expensive but this doesn’t necessarily mean that it offers better food.
Honestly, I wasn’t going to mention anything about food here, because finding a place to eat in Rome is easier than finding a public toilet.
There are various restaurants, trattorias, osterias, pizzerias and cafés or bars serving food. They vary in prices. But I have one advice. Go to places that are busy with patrons. Do avoid places where you see no one on the table, or where they try to pull you inside. And be careful of set menus. They may be cheap but this may reflect what is offered on the plate.
By the way, do you know what is the difference between a Ristorante, a Trattoria and an Osteria?
An Osteria is an Inn, serving just simple cheap meals and wine and may offer lodging for the night.
A Trattoria is a casual and an informal eating place, where good food is served usually at a lesser price than in a restaurant. It offers food with a local touch and may be run by family members.
A Ristorante is usually formal, offers better service and is more expensive but this doesn’t necessarily mean that it offers better food.
5th-9th December 2008 -
