Here are some not-so-standard suggestions about Rome: 10 things to do and see.
A huge ovoid amphitheater located in the center of the city of Rome, between the Esquiline and the Cælius, is the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering.
Capable of seating probably 50,000 spectators, it was in use until the early Middle Ages, and hosted all sorts of public spectacles of incredible violence, such as the executions of those sentenced to death.
The Colosseum is currently in a state of ruin, due to damage from earthquakes and the recovery of stones, but it continues to give the measure of the ancient power of imperial Rome. Today it is one of the symbols of modern Rome, one of its most popular tourist attractions with 7.6 million visitors, and still has close links with the Roman Catholic Church: every Good Friday the Pope used to lead a torchlight procession on a Way of the Cross leading to the amphitheater.
For the modern visitor, the Seven Hills of Rome can be rather difficult to identify. Firstly, generations of buildings built on top of each other and the construction of tall buildings in the valleys have tended to make the hills less pronounced than they originally were. Secondly, there are clearly more than seven hills.
The Palatine Hill looms over the Circus Maximus and is accessed by the Colosseum. Legend says that this was occupied by Romulus when he quarreled with his brother Remus, who occupied the Aventine Hill on the other side of the Circus. Also clearly recognizable as hills are the Celio, south-east of the Circus Maximus, and the Campidoglio, which overlooks the Forum and now houses the Municipality of Rome. To the east and northeast of the Roman Forum are the Esquiline, Viminal and Quirinal hills. These are less easy to distinguish as separate hills nowadays and from a distance look like one.
A very brief description of the traditional Seven Hills follows:
Aventine: Home to the Orange Garden, which offers a full view of the historic centre, from St Peter's to Piazza Venezia. Also not to be missed is the Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta, designed by Piranesi in 1765 and home to the Villa del Priorato di Malta. The villa is not normally open to the public but includes one of Rome's most hidden wonders. Try taking a peek through the keyhole of the Villa's entrance. You will be amazed!
Campidoglio: Seat of the Municipality of Rome and the Capitoline Museums, both located in Piazza del Campidoglio. The square was designed by Michelangelo and is one of the most beautiful squares in Rome. Pay attention to the view from the small terraces surrounding the square and the Rupe Tarpea. Especially at night, the splendour of the Roman Forum seen in its entirety is incredible.
Celio: Home to the Basilica of Saints John and Paul.
Esquilino: This is the highest and largest hill in Rome. Among the many monuments, we can highlight the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the four papal basilicas of Rome.
Palatine Hill: It is practically an open-air museum. You won't regret a full visit to this hill overlooking the Circus Maximus on one side and the Roman Forum on the other.
Quirinale: Home to the residence of the President of the Republic and the Constitutional Court, this hill affords a particular view of St. Peter's. In addition, the Church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane is the work of Borromini. Finally, you can access the Quirinale from picturesque streets starting from the Trevi Fountain or from Via Nazionale.
Viminale: Seat of the Ministry of the Interior and the Rome Opera House. It is the smallest of the seven hills.
EUR provides a selection of Fascist architecture, including the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana, often called 'the Square Coliseum'. It was designed by Marcello Piacentini: with its rationalist architecture it was meant to celebrate the grandeur of Rome to honor the historic Colosseum. This would be an interesting place to visit after seeing the Colosseum to compare their differences and similarities.
On the Pincio above Piazza del Popolo is a good vantage point.
As there are no tall buildings in Rome, the view of the city comes from climbing the many hills, both the original Seven Hills of Rome and others that surround them. The two most popular views of Rome are from the Janiculum overlooking Trastevere and from the Pincio at the edge of the Borghesi Gardens. The former offers sweeping views of central Rome, provided the authorities remember to prune the trees on the hill opposite the viewpoint. Cross the square for an excellent view of St Peter's dome. The Vatican is the main view from the Pincio (metro line A, Piazza del Popolo, and then a good climb).
The Vatican Museums are a museum complex located in the Vatican.
It brings together twelve museums, representing five galleries and 1400 rooms.
The complex houses one of the largest art collections in the world, as it exhibits the vast collection of works of art, including paintings and sculptures, collected over the centuries by the popes, especially at the time of the Papal States (until 1870), and subsequently the establishment of the Vatican Museums themselves. The museums are partly housed in the Vatican Palace, the residence of the Pope.
Most pizza restaurants serve it only in the evening. Try some of the fried things like baccalà (battered salt cod) for a starter, followed by a pizza for a really Roman meal. Roman pizzas tend to be very thin crusted. Avoid the tourist areas where you'll often pay double the going rate just to get a badly reheated frozen pizza. Your best bet is to cross the river and find a restaurant in Trastevere: the food is authentic and a lot cheaper than in the rest of downtown Rome.
Pizza al Taglio is pizza with a thicker crust, cooked in a large pan. This is served by the piece, usually to take away, and is a good cheap way to get something to fill you up. It's sold by weight. This kind of pizza is eaten with the slices stacked on top of each other like a sandwich.
Getting lost in the streets of Trastevere, one among the most famous areas of Rome, should be included in all the world guides in the top 10 of things to do in the Italian Capital.
Rome is an open-air film set and every corner tells something.
Be careful when you pass in Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere: if you take a small detour into via della Fonte dell'Olio you could meet Verdone and Marisol in search of the “Otello della Juventus”.
Via Garibaldi hosted the headquarters of the Folkstudio that from the end of the 60s, between hippies and globetrotters, also saw performing musicians from overseas such as Bob Dylan. Antonello Venditti, Francesco De Gregori and Rino Gaetano in the early days of their career also performed there.
Take in a show. There are lots of theatres, but you will need to know Italian to enjoy them. The main concert venue is the Auditorium in Viale Pietro de Coubertin to the north of Rome. The Auditorium at Parco della Musica is a large complex composed of three separate halls whose shapes are inspired by musical instruments. These are positioned around an open-air amphitheater that is used nearly every night in the summer for concerts. The Parco della Musica hosts a constant stream of classical, popular, and jazz music, featuring national as well as international musicians and groups. Really big names perform outdoors in the summer; usually in either the Olympic Stadium or in Stadio Flaminio, which is next door to the Parco della Musica. In winter the Palalotto in EUR is an important pop concert venue.
«Gelato», in the words of Wikipedia, is a «frozen dessert of Italian origin. It is made with a base of 3.25% butterfat, whole milk and sugar. It is generally lower in fat than other styles of frozen desserts. Gelato typically contains 70% less air and more flavoring than other kinds of frozen desserts, giving it a density and richness that distinguishes it from other ice creams».
So while in Rome go at Giolitti (Via del Vicario): famous gelati bar (ice cream worthy of the name).
Do not be discouraged by the queue in front of the ice, the game is worth the effort. An average ice cream is not cheap, but an average ice cream is difficult to finish as the portions are generous. It must be possible to feed yourself with the “small” ice cream which must be able to be served with different flavors in the same cone (or pot).
Or at Gelateria dei Gracchi (Via Dei Gracchi 272), which is located next to the Vatican.
This is one of the best gelaterias in Rome. This gelaterie offers a large choice of tastes. There are classic flavors like vanilla and chocolate, typical Italian flavors like pistachio and stracciatella, and also unique flavors like “ricotta and pear” or “apple and mint”.
The park of Villa Borghese occupies a vast area in the heart of the city and has plenty of monuments and museums (Borghese gallery, the National Gallery of Modern Arts, the Etruscan museum of Villa Giulia).
«The villa contains buildings, sculptures, monuments and fountains, the work of illustrious artists of the Baroque, Neoclassical and Eclectic art, surrounded by ancient trees, ponds, Italian gardens and large open spaces, created with great care», as described by the official tourism website of Rome.
