Sightseeing Rome

Rome is truly an italian city, dedicated to it's culture and very connected to it's great times of imperial stardom.
The presence of that great past can be founded in any roman corner and the sophistication is marked in elegant fountains spreaded around the city.
It's handicap may be the Tiber River as it doesn't have the glamour of other famous european rivers.

In Rome start by visiting the Piazza Venezia, a monument dedicated to the memory of King Vittorio Emanuelle II, with more then 150 years and also has the monument dedicated to the unknown soldier.



It's situated in a square surrounded by gardens, near the Palazzo Venezia where Mussolini pronouced himself to his roman people, and right at the top of the Piazza you can get excelent pictures of the Coliseum and the Roman Forum.

Be carefull and don't take pictures with the funny men dressed as roman gladiators as that in the end they will charge you between 5€ and 10€ per person.



If you visit the top of this monument you'll get to the Piazza Campidoglio,a square idealized by Michaelangelo and that's where it stays the Capitolino Museum where you can visit the she wolf that fed, as the legend tells, Romulo and Remo the founders of the city.




A bit west from there, about 100metres, in the middle of the valley between the Palatino and Capitolino stays the Roman Forum, that was in the past the centre of the imperial decisions.

There you can visit the Ara di Cesare, where still today the turists pay tribute to the great emperor Julio Cesar and you can also see the ruins unbelievably preserved.

Do this trail and imagine yourself going back on time when Julio Cesar was the commander of the Roman Imperium.

On the way out take a picture at the Constantin Arch.
As this is a very historical place with lots of interesting places to visit we decided to leave here an aereal picture of the block so you can decide for yourself the places that you'd like to visit.



Right beside the Roman Forum there's one of the monuments in list to the vote for 7 Wonders of the Word, the
Coliseum.
Build as a stage for fights to please the upper roman class and the Emperor today is an open air museum where for 11€ you can visit the inside.
But if you want to do so first buy the ticket for the Pantheon and for the Coliseum in the first place as it usually is not so crowded and in that way you avoid about 1hour in line to enter at the Coliseum.
Even with almost 2000 years the Coliseum is still an impressive work of art.
It has 50 metres high, 185 metres large and in it's great days had capacity for 50 thousand people.

Less then 5 minutes from there heading East you'll find Circus Maximus, at the present a public park where the romans take a walk with their girlfriends or even walk the dog.
But Circus Maximus was once a very important roman place.
Built 600 years BC it was here that the roman games took place.
As it was a very popular sight it was frequent that the field was always expanding.
There for it's greatness.





It had 600 metres long and 225 metres large with a capacity for about 385 thousand people (in the present with would be 3 times bigger then the biggest football field in the world)







Everyone that goes to Rome, even if it's not catholic has to visit the Vatican.

The Vatican has 44 hectars and is the smallest independent nation in the world.
It has it's own postal services (where you can't forget to send a postcard back home), it's own pharmacy and even a ATM in latin.
It's ruled by the Pope that is elected by the cardinals and it's the centre of the religious power.
Around the Saint Peter's Church there's the Vatican Gardens and the Museum where you can visit the famous Sistin Chapel.




The Saint Peter's church is where every Sundays the Pope Benedictus XVI celebrates the mass.





The entrance to the Saint Peter's Church is free of charge but you have to be in line for quite a long time just to take some pictures inside the church.
Inside it's possible to see the giant Altar where only the Pope can celebrate the mass, visit the tombs where the previous popes are burried or even climb to the top of the building whre you can see a breath taking view of Rome.
If you'd like to climb and if you're not claustrophobic (the access is very tight) you have to pay a fee.


Another Vatican place that you can't miss is the Vatican Museum.
However you have to be very patient as the line to visit it crosses around 3 streets and can take about 4 hours just to get to the door. Try to arrive very early (about 6am) as that the museum closes around 1pm and nobody enters after that hour even if you're in the line for hours.
And another thing, the simple tourist is easily outrunned by groups of turists that by having a guide (it's expensive) they have priority.

You have to pay 12€ to enter the museum but all the last sundays of the month the entry is free of charge.
Check here the prices and the schedulle.

If you have the time it's a well spend time as the inside of the Sistine Chapel makes all worth.
Inside the museum there are thousands of statues (all of the figures are with no sex or covered, due to big castration made by the Pope Pius IX in 1857), magnificient frescos designed by Bernini or Michaelangelo and you can take a walk in the gardens that the Pope uses to walk.


Right at the end of the tour you'll get to the Sistin Chapel where you can't film or take pictures and be prepared to be amazed with it's dazzling beauty.

The Vatican is also known by it's Swiss Guard that protects the city for more then 500 years.
Wherever you go around the Vatican it's possible to find them. To be a guard you have to be swiss national and have to wear that funny outfits designed by Leonardo DaVinci.



Fountains

Rome, being a mediterranean city in the summer time can be pretty hot making the city visit a bit harsh for the tourists.
But relax, buy a bottle of water and enjoy the many fountains that are spreaded around Rome.
Some of them are pretty known others not that much but one thing is for sure, if you decide to sit yourself near one and fresh up no one will tell that you can't do that (except if you decide to bathe).
From the dozens of fountains that exist in Rome we dettach the most important and historical ones.



We start by the Trevi Fountain.

Finding her in not very easy as it is in the middle of very strait streets but if you're doing the city by foot it's easy to hear the water noise and the people talking.
Through the Piazza Venezia it's 5 minutes walking.
When you get there don't be amazed if you can't find a place to sit.
It's in a very hidden square and the fountain has 25,9 metres high and 19,8 metres wide becoming a very fresh place to rest.
It's in this fountain that the tourist throws a coin to the water.
The legend says that you have to throw a coin with your right hand and through your left shoulder so that you one day go back to Rome.
With this tradition everyday is colected about 3000€ that later are used to help needed roman people.
But still don't be amazed if you see people with sticks on their hands wich have little magnets on the point so that they can catch the coins that are on the fountain water.

Another fountain that you can't miss it's in the Piazza Navona, The Fountain of the 4 Rivers.

It was created by Bernini, one of the favourits of the Vatican.
In this Fountain are portrayed the Nile River (Africa), the Ganges River (Asia), the Danube River (Europe) and the Plate River (America)
In this piazza there's other two fountains but this is the best known.
The legend says that the figures that portray the rivers avoid looking in front and that one of them has a disgusted look as that in front of this fountain theres the Saint Agnese Church that was designed by a Bernini rival.

Continuing with Bernini work head to Piazza del Popolo that is a 10 minute walk from the Spanish steps (through Via del Corso) and right in front of the Santa Maria del Popolo Church there's the Lions Fountain. In this fountain 4 lions can be seen throwing water through their mouths.
In this square there's an obelisc that the Augustus Emperor brought to Rome and that completes the fountain.

Right next to this fountain there's the Fontana dela Dea Roma where you can see the Rome goddess armed with a lance and a helmet, with on either side the reclining statues of Tiber and Aniente and the she-wolf feeding the twins Romulo and Remo.


Piazza del Popolo is another great place to relax and to watch the true italian lifestyle. It was once in time the entry to the Rome city.
It's also in here the almost twins churches, the Santa Maria de Montesanto (left) and the Santa Maria dei Miracoli (right). They were designed by Carlo Reinaldi but because of the top of the church dimensions couldn't be alike.

Try the mini buses that depart from this square and that just have 6 seats. They have to be this small so the can fit in the strait roman streets.



Piazza di Spagna is another spot that you can't miss.
It's internationally known as it's the place where every year takes places the Roma Fashion Week and has this name as it's here that it's the Spanish Embassy.
It's one of the most visited and known places of Rome.

In this square there's also a fountain named Fontana della Barcaccia. It has this name as it represents a boat sinking.

It was built by Bernini's father and the legend tells that was made to remember a boat that sunk in the XVI century on the Tiber River and appeared in this place.


Shopping

If you like to shop this is the right place.
The italians have the tradition of being compulsive buyers.
There's also the saying that the italians live to work, to eat and to shop.
If you like exclusive things go down the Piazza di Spagna and you're in Via Condotti.
You'll find in this street the style for all tastes and money.




Stores like Dolce&Gabbana, Gucci, Prada, La Perla, Giorgio Armani, Dior among others have a store here.






If you walk down this street you'll get to Via del Corso, a commercial street where only circle public transports.. Here you can eat, dress and buy more accessible brands like Zara, Benetton, Diesel.
You also have to visit Via Venetto, a symbol of the italian dolce vitta and where are the best hotels of the city. It's here that you have to buy that Rolex.

The markets also have a place in Rome.
The best known is the Campo di Fiori.

It happens daily (except on sundays) in the Campo di Fiori square.
The main product sold here are flowers but you can also buy food genders or other type of things.
You can also buy here the ingredients to make that famous italian sauce and for very cheap prices (about 2€).
The market lasts untill 1.30pm, the time that the sellers start cleaning their stalls and the street is cleaned.
In this square there are also many immigrants that sell the famous fakes of designers watches, bags, etc.
They are great copies and don't forget to bargain. But don't be admired if in the moment that you're talking to them that they dissapear. It's a sign that the Caribinieri are approaching.

After lunch time this square becomes a quiet place where you can relax and maybe if you want play a bit of soccer with the kids that gather there in the afternoon.
By night it's the perfect place to drink a Cappuccino.

Another famous market is Porta Portese.
Catch a bus at Largo Argentina and there catch a type of a surface underground and leave at Via Portuense.
This markets happens every sunday morning. The ideal time to go is about 9am as the confusion is not that much and that way you can grab the best products. It ends around 1pm.

Here you can buy new products, second hand things, fake brands. During World War II this was known as the black market. And it's the same now.
be very carefull with your wallet as it is a very turistic spot there are many pickpockets.

Here's a map of the city centre that will help you find the places that you need to visit.