Even those who have not visited Italy’s capital before will be aware of much of Rome’s history, its famous sites and breathtaking landmarks. The Eternal City has a colourful and varied past. It is the seat of the world’s greatest Empire, has witnessed turbulence and upheaval as rivals have fought over its riches, and been at the forefront of religious and cultural development.


However, Rome is more than an open air museum of ruins and statues. Its modern culture makes it a vibrant 21st century European capital of fashion, style and sophistication that epitomises the Italian way of life. It is a cosmopolitan city with a wide variety of places to eat, from traditional to international, together with a vibrant nightlife.

Rome was not built in a day and it will take a fair amount of time to explore all of its riches. Of course, any guide to the city has to include the world famous Colosseum, Pantheon, Roman Forum, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain and the Vatican City, but this guide also aims to offer of flavour of the everyday ambience that is enjoyed by Rome’s three million inhabitants.

Getting around Rome

Of course, the easiest and cheapest way to see the city is on foot. For those seeking ancient Rome, the historic centre with its monuments and ruins is quite compact, with the journey from the Colosseum to the Piazza di Spagna being only 2.5 km.

If you want to go further afield, Rome has an extensive bus and tram network and efficient metro system. Please note, however, that it does not serve the historic heart of the city. Public transportation tickets must be purchased in advance of the journey from tabacchis, news stands, bars, or vending machines (exact change only) at major bus stops and metro stations.

Buses and Trams

Buses run from 05:30 until midnight and there are also over 20 night bus lines that operate from 00:30 to 05:30. The main terminal stations are Termini (Piazza dei Cinquecento) and Piazza Venezia. Night bus stops are marked with an owl and tickets can be purchased on board.

Metro

The ‘Metropolitana’ consists of two lines, Linea A (red) and Linea B (blue), which intersect at the Termini Central Station. Trains run approximately every seven to 10 minutes and run from 05:30 until 23.30 every day and until 00:30 on Saturdays.

Atac is the company that runs Rome’s public transport services and within the city Metrebus combined tickets are valid across the full range of services. A single ticket, called a BIT, can be used on any form of transport, but only includes a single metro journey. There are various one-day, three-day and seven-day options and the all-inclusive Roma Pass, which lasts three days and includes public transport, a map and a couple of museum admission tickets.

Taxis

It is nearly impossible to hail a taxi driving down the streets, particularly at night, so aim for one of the taxi ranks that are situated in various locations throughout the city centre. Also, be sure to use the official metered white or yellow taxis.

What to do and see

The visitor is spoilt for choice. Rome has over 400 churches and four major basilicas—St Peter’s, St John Lateran, St Mary Major and St Paul’s—and there are numerous museums and art galleries catering from the ancient to the modern, famous fountains and inviting Piazzas. This guide is not comprehensive, but hopefully will highlight some well known attractions and a few less well known ones, and give you a flavour of the city.

The Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill are close neighbours. The Circus Maximus is a short walk away and the Baths of Caracalla are a little further.

The Colosseum

Photo courtesy of www.galttech.com

This has to be Rome’s most famous landmark (see Figure 1). The elliptical-shaped building, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, took about ten years to build and is situated at the foot of the Via dei Fori Imperiali. It gets its popular name from the giant statue, or colossus, of Nero, which stood close to the spot. For 450 years this great amphitheatre hosted the ‘games’ when up to 50,000 spectators gathered for violent and bloody gladiatorial contests and wild beast hunts.

The Roman Forum

Photo courtesy of www.freefoto.com

A symbol of the power of the city in its Golden Age, it is the central area around which ancient Rome developed (see Figure 2). It was the administrative and corporate heart of the city. A little imagination is required to envisage that the remaining ruins once housed a market place that was the political, commercial and social hub of ancient Rome and the symbolic centre of its Empire.

Palantine Hill

The Palatine is where Rome began, back in 753 BC when Romulus killed Remus. Due to its magnificent views over the city Palatine Hill, it is where the emperors of Rome chose to live and is still one of the best locations. It presents one of the most serene and splendid views over Rome.

Circus Maximus

Modern-day Romans go for walks, cycle and play games in this large oblong field in a valley where ancient Romans sat on the slopes to watch sporting events. The shape and structure of the Circus Maximus changed to be the venue of one of the great Roman passions, chariot racing. The first building that was built in the seventh century was made of wood, but in its heyday it was completely covered in marble and travertine stone.

Baths of Caracalla

This is the best preserved of the imperial bath complexes. The brick structures and mosaics illustrate the grandness and luxury of bathing in Roman times. Visitors can still see the changing rooms, the caldarium, tepidarium and frigidarium. There are also libraries and the outside exercise areas.

The Pantheon

Photo courtesy of www.galttech.com

Situated in the Piazza della Rotonda, this pristine, preserved building is one of Rome’s jewels (see Figure 3). The word ‘Pantheon’ signifies all the deities, and the building was originally dedicated as a temple to 12 of the most important Roman gods. It was built in the reign of the Emperor Hadrian (around 125 AD) and replaced an earlier building constructed by Agrippa, which is commemorated in the inscription on the portico.

The Vatican City

The Citta del Vaticano is the smallest state in the world. Inside the City there are 11 Vatican Museums. In the Vatican Palace, the Sistine Chapel, which was built as a private chapel of the popes between 1475 and 1480, displays one of the world’s most famous artworks—Michelangelo’s depiction of The Creation. The artist began in May 1508; the frescoes were unveiled in August 1511, and completed in October 1512. Twenty-one years later Michelangelo created the Last Judgment, depicting souls of the dead rising to meet God.

St Peter’s Basilica

Photo courtesy of www.galttech.com

Basilica di San Pietro lies above a former shrine, which is said to mark the burial ground of the saint (see Figure 4). Pope Julius II pulled down the original structure in 1506. Construction lasted 120 years, during which time a team of architects and artists including Alberti, Bramante, Raphael, Peruzzi, Sangallo the Younger and Michelangelo were employed.

Fountains

Fontana di Trevi. Photo courtesy of www.galttech.com

There are numerous fountains scattered throughout the city. The Fontana di Trevi (Trevi Fountain) has been made famous on film (see Figure 5). The site originally marked the terminal of the Aqua Virgo aqueduct built in 19 BC. The extravagant baroque creation, featuring travertine palm trees, tritons, seahorses and Neptune that greets visitors today was designed by Nicolò Salvi for Pope Clement XII and completed in 1762.

Fountain of Four Rivers

Designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, this fountain is located in the Piazza Navona, the ancient stadium of the Emperor Domitian and the site of the Pamphilj family palace. The fountain depicts Gods of the four great rivers in the four continents, which were recognized by the Renaissance geographers: The Nile in Africa, the Ganges in Asia, the Danube in Europe and the Río de la Plata in America.

Spanish Steps

Photo courtesy of www.freefoto.com

The Piazza di Spagna is dominated by the elegant double steps known as the Spanish Steps, which were designed by Francesco de Sanctis to link Via del Babuino with Via Felice, in the style of the grand ascent to the Sacré Coeur in Paris (see Figure 6). At the foot of the steps lies the Bernini designed boat-shaped Barcaccia fountain, while they lead up to the 16th century Trinità dei Monti, from where there are spectacular views over the city.

Museums and art galleries

There is a wealth of museums and art galleries in Rome filled with paintings and sculptures of the Renaissance and the Baroque. Here is a brief selection:

Museums

The Vatican Museums house masterpieces in palaces originally built for Renaissance popes such as Julius II, Innocent VIII and Sixtus IV. Look for the Sistine Chapel, Raphael Rooms and the Etruscan Museum.

Capitoline Museum

Situated on the Capitoline Hill, in Piazza del Campidoglio, the Capitoline Museums are home to some of the most renowned and beautiful statues in the world. They include the Capitoline She-Wolf, an Etruscan bronze suckling Romulus and Remus, the Capitoline Venus, the original bronze equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, not to mention a room full of Caesars!

Museum of Rome

The Museo di Roma is housed in Palazzo Braschi on Via San Pantaleo, where you will find a vast collection dedicated to the history of the city from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century. Exhibits include busts of popes to paintings of peasants and large scenic paintings of Rome, showing grand events.

The National Museum of Castel Sant’Angelo

This Castel Sant’Angelo Fortress was built as a mausoleum for the Emperor Hadrian, but it has also been a prison and a papal residence and a covered passageway still connects Castel Sant’Angelo to the Vatican. The National Museum of Castel Sant’Angelo inside retraces its history and has various exhibits ranging from Renaissance paintings and pottery to antique military weapons.

Other museums include the more unusual:

  • National Museum of Pasta
  • Numismatic Museum of the Italian Mint
  • The Rome Jewish Community Museum

Art Galleries

Galleria Borghese

Along with the Borghese Museum, the Borghese Gallery is housed in the Villa Borghese. Cardinal Scipione Borghese commissioned the young Bernini for several sculptures, which are considered some of the most important of their kind. The Museum is on the ground floor and displays sculptures, while on the upper floor the Gallery offers displays of paintings, including significant works by Titian and Raphael, along with what is considered to be some of Caravaggio’s best work.

National Gallery of Ancient Art

Located in the Palazzo Barberini, the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica contains treasures by artists including Raphael and Holbein. The collection has been amassed from the galleries of Rome’s great families and includes works dating from the 12th to the 18th century.

Galleria Spada

This small art gallery is crowded into a few rooms in the decorative Palazzo Spada. The artworks come from the Cardinal’s art collection and include many sixteenth and seventeenth-century paintings as well as some fine Roman sculptures. Artists include Guido Reni, Titian, Jan Breughel the Elder, Guercino and Artemisia Gentileschi.

Eating and Drinking

As a cosmopolitan capital city Rome has a wealth of good food, from good quality pizzerias and trattorias, to traditional dishes from the different regions of Italy and exotic menus from all around the globe. There are restaurants bars and cafés to suit all pockets and tastes. Addresses and phone numbers are given, but if calling from outside Italy use the International Dialling Code: +39 and include the zero. Even when in Rome the 06 code is required.

Roman Cuisine

Agata e Romeo
Elegance and cutting-edge creativity takes Roman cuisine to the next level in this popular restaurant. The menu offers Roman dishes with a modern twist, but does not come cheap.
Via c. Alberto 45, Esquilino
Tel: 06 4466115

Alfredo ed Ada
For over 60 years this quaint, cosy restaurant has been characterised with paper table cloths and a Roman menu that has changed very little over time.
Via dei Banchi nuovi 14
Tel: 06 6878842

Checco er Carettiere
Located in the heart of the typically Roman Trastevere district, this restaurant sums up the roman gastronomic culture and traditional dishes.
Via Benedetta 10
Tel: 06 5817018

Da Lucia
This rustic, family run trattoria serves generous servings of traditional homemade cuisine such as Roman style gnocchi.
Via del Mattonato 2B, Trastevere
Tel: 06 5803601

Sora Margherita
In the heart of the (Jewish) Ghetto, this is the place for those looking for authentic atmosphere and good food and where the Roman-Jewish traditions are to the fore.
Piazza delle Cinque Scole 30
Tel: 06 6874216

Traditional Italian Cuisine

Alfredo alla Scrofa
This is where the famous Fettuccine Alfredo was invented in 1907. As well as this signature dish there are also traditional fish and meat and tiramisu.
Via della Scrofa 104/a, San Eustachio
Tel: 06 68806163

Capricci Siciliani
As its name suggests this eatery offers the tastes and flavour of the beautiful island of Sicily right in the heart of Rome.
Via di Panico 83, Castel San Angelo
Tel: 06 45433823

La Pentolaccia
This restaurant is elegant without being expensive and offers traditional Italian cuisine, alongside a good selection of Italian wines.
Via Flavia 38, Via Veneto
Tel: 06 483477

Santa Lucia
The food is inspired by the Naples and Campania region, served in a relaxing setting that often attracts local celebrities.
Largo Febo 12, Piazza Navona
Tel: 06 68802427

Pizzerias

Birra & Fud
As well as good quality pizzas, this restaurant serves tasty roman style appetizers.
Via Benedetta 23, Trastevere
Tel: 06 5894016

Brasia
The crisp Roman pizzas are cooked in a traditional wood oven, but there are also alternatives on the menu such as appetizers, pasta and grilled meat.
Vicolo delle Grotte 17
Tel: 06 97277119

Gusto
This is not just a very good pizzeria, but also a restaurant and a wine bar rolled into one.
Piazza Augusto Imperatore 9
Tel: 06/3226273

Panattoni
An institution in Rome, this informal restaurant is renowned for its authentic thin and crispy pizzas, but due to its popularity you may have to wait for a table.
Viale Trastevere 53/57
Tel: 06 5800919

International Cuisine

Akropolis
Enjoy authentic Greek recipes in an informal and casual atmosphere.
Via San Francesco a Ripa 103, Trastevere
Tel: 06 5833260

Franz
Situated in the Vatican area this restaurant offers Bavarian and Austrian dishes such as goulash, knodel and desserts like sacher torte.
Via di Porta Castello 23/24
Tel: 06 6873921

Ketumbar
The Mediterranean menu, together with fusion dishes and sushi, attracts local celebrities to this sophisticated, minimalist restaurant.
Via Glavani 24, Testaccio
Tel: 06 57305338

Mahrajah
Cosy and quiet even when crowded, this eatery offers a very rich menu that includes many northern Indian specials.
Via dei Serpenti 124, Monti
Tel: 06 4747144

Sciam
Discover Arabian Nights in a candlelit setting and enjoy the diversity and delights of Middle Eastern cuisine.
Via del Pellegrino 55, Campo De’ Fiori
Tel: 06 68308957

Seafood

Alberto Ciarla
High quality ingredients and attention to detail make this one of Rome’s celebrated restaurants, but you might have to pay a bit more.
Piazza San Cosimato 40, Trastevere
Tel: 06 5818668

La Gensola
In this traditional Roman fish restaurant, located in a 15th century palazzo, you can savour dishes such as pasta with sea-urchin, grilled cod with tomato sauce and tuna fish.
Piazza Gensola 5, Trastevere
Tel: 06 58332758

Riccioli Café
This is seafood for the modern day, served in a high tech setting. There is also sushi and an oyster bar with an international wine list.
Piazza delle Coppelle 10/a, Pantheon
Tel: 06 68210313

Vegetarian Cuisine

Arancia Blu
Located away from the centre of the city in San Lorenzo, which is the university district, this restaurant offers a wide variety of vegetarian dishes.
Via dei Latini 55/65
Tel: 06 4454105

Jaya Sai Ma
This no frills vegetarian restaurant is situated near the Porta Portese market. Not only does it offer organic food, but also serves vegan specials.
Via Bargoni 10, Trastevere
Tel: 06/5812840

Margutta Ristorante
This refined restaurant is famed for its inventive and varied vegetarian dishes.
Via Margutta 18, Piazza Del Popolo
Tel: 06 32650577