Capitoline Hill
In a feat of impressive longevity, Rome’s government still serves on this site of the ancient city’s capital – Capitoline Hill. Three palaces border Michelangelo’s central Piazza del Campidoglio, a wonderful example of Renaissance town planning. The Palazzo dei Senatori and Palazzo Nuovo contain the Musei Capitolini. The museum is worth a visit to see the largest collection of classical statues in the world. The impressive collection includes the Dying Gaul and the Satyr and the Capitoline Wolf with Romulus and Remus. The Palazzo dei Conervatori is the third palace bordering the piazza. Walk down paths from the piazza for some wonderful, panoramic views of Rome’s abundance of ancient ruins at the Forum and Colosseum.
Email:info.museicapitolini@comune.roma.it.
Website:www.en.museicapitolini.org.
Opening time: Closed Mondays. Open Tuesday to Sunday 9am – 8pm.
Admission: €12, discounted prices available.
Roman Forum (Foro Romano)
Wander through the ruins at the Roman Forum and follow in the footsteps of the ancient Romans. The Forum was once the center of Rome’s political, religious and commercial life. The main street, Via Sacra, takes you through the old market square and civic center, but you may want to get a map or join a tour to help navigate through the ruins. Some of the highlights include the Arch of Septimus Severus, the former atrium of the House of the Vestal Virgins, the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina and the Arch of Titus, which celebrated Titus’ destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. If you climb the stairs up the Palatine Hill, to the right of the Arch of Titus, you’ll reach the Farnese gardens, where roses and orange trees surround a great view of the entire site.
Address: Via dei Fori Imperiali.
Telephone: (06) 3996 7700.
Opening time: Daily, from April to September, 9am – 7:30pm. From October to March, 9am – 4:30pm.
Admission: Free.
The Colosseum
The famous, skeletal framework of a once-grand gladiator arena can be found mere steps away from the Roman Forum. The Colosseum is one of Rome’s iconic sites and well worth a visit for its impressive architecture. The magnificent sight of tiered Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns and an underground network of corridors, cells and ramps are all that’s left after centuries of erosion, pillaging and earthquakes.
Address: Piazza del Colosseo.
Telephone: (06) 3996 7700.
Transport: Take the B line metro to Colosseo station, or bus 60, 75, 85, 87, 175, 810 or 850, or electric minibus 117 or tram 3 or 8.
Opening time: Daily, from April to August, 8:30am – 7:30pm; in September 8:30 – 7pm; in October 8:30am – 6:30pm; from November to Feb. 15, 8:30am – 4:30pm; from Feb. 16 to March 15, 8:30am – 5pm; from March 16 to March 31, 8:30am – 5:30pm.
Admission: €10.
Pantheon
The Pantheon was built by Hadrian in AD 120 as a temple to the gods. The building is famous for its impressive architectural design, including a perfectly proportioned floating dome that rests on marble columns. A circular hole in the dome’s center allows light in to the temple and was used as a sundial to measure time. On the south side you’ll find the Carafa Chapel and to the left of the altar is the tomb of Fra Angelico.
Address: Piazza della Rotonda.
Telephone: (06) 6830 0230.
Opening time: Monday to Friday 9am – sunset, Weekends 9am – 1pm.
Admission: Free.
The Spanish Steps and Piazza di Spagna
The graceful Spanish Steps travel in an elegant curve from the Piazza di Spagna to the pastel-colored neoclassical Church of Santa Trinit dei Monti. In the spring pink azaleas decorate the steps, at the foot of which lies Bernini’s Barcaccia fountain and the Keats-Shelley Memorial House. Nearby Via Condotti is a great place to satisfy your shopping craving.
Transport: Take Metro Linea A to Spagna stop; or bus 60 and 492 to Pizza Barberini; or bus 117 to Piazza di Spagna.
Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi)
The Trevi Fountain and its tiny Piazza di Trevi are a favorite spot for visitors who believe tossing a coin into the fountain guarantees they’ll return to Rome. The fountain was built for Pope Clement XII and the statues adorning it represent Abundance, Agrippa, Salubrity, the Virgin and Neptune guided by two tritons.
Transport: Take the bus to Piazza San Silvestro.
St. Peter’s Basilica (Basilica di San Pietro)
The enormous St. Peter’s Basilica was built over the reputed site of St. Peter’s tomb. The vast interior contains several notable sculptures, including Michelangelo’s Pieta and Arnolfo da Cambio’s bronze statue of St. Peter, whose foot has been worn smooth by visitors. Bernini’s Throne of St. Peter is found resting above the papal altar, and near the statue of St. Longinus are the steps leading to the papal tombs in the Vatican Grottoes. Go one level below the grottoes to the Necropolis, the site of St. Peter’s Tomb. If you want to visit the tomb, plan ahead; you need advance permission to view it. You should also note that the Basilica has a strict dress code: shorts, bare shoulders or miniskirts are not allowed.
Address: Piazza San Pietro.
Telephone: (06) 6988 3731.
Email:stpetersbasilica@gmail.com.
Website:www.stpetersbasilica.org.
Transport: Take the Metro to Ottaviano or the bus to Piazza del Risorgimento.
Opening time: Daily, from April 1 to Sept. 30, 7am – 7pm; from Oct. 1 to March 31 7am – 6:30pm. Dome: 8am – 6pm. Closes at 5pm in winter. Necropolis: Monday through Friday, 9am – 5pm.
Admission: Free, Dome: €5, Dome with elevator: €7; Necropolis: €12.
The Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums
Michelangelo’s famous Sistine Chapel ceiling is one of the biggest tourist draws in Rome. The rest of the Vatican has plenty to offer as well. The sides of the Sistine Chapel are covered with frescoes painted by other illustrious artists like Botticelli, Signorelli and Ghirlandaio. Another of Michelangelo’s masterpieces, The Last Supper, covers the altar wall. Beyond the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Museum displays one of the world’s greatest art collections, covering more than four miles of gallery space.
Address: Viale Vaticano.
Telephone: (06) 6988 4676.
Website:www.vatican.va.
Transport: Take the Metro to Musei Vaticani or Ottaviano stations, tram 19 or bus 32, 81, 982 to Piazza del Risorgimento.
Opening time: Closed Sundays (except last Sunday of every month). Open Monday to Saturday, 9am – 6pm. Last ticket sold at 4pm.
Admission: €15. Free on the last Sunday of every month.
